“I don’t know what to say.” Christopher Bell was left utterly dumbfounded after the final Round of 8 race. Now it seems that even his team owner is in a similar position. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver was on a fiery streak the past few weeks, never finishing outside the top ten in the playoffs except for Watkins Glen. He hoped to use his points advantage against William Byron, his closest competitor with a last-lap dash in Martinsville. But NASCAR brought down its axe and left Joe Gibbs dejected.

Christopher Bell’s misfortune stuns Gibbs

Holding 29 points above the elimination line, Christopher Bell seemed like a solid bet. Although he had won his way into the Championship 4 before, this year the narrative seemed to flip on points. But nobody expected Bell to bear the brunt of a bizarre NASCAR decision. During the closing laps of the Xfinity 500, William Byron’s No. 24 car faded. Meanwhile, Bell made a strong case – it appeared that Bubba Wallace’s slowing 23 car allowed him to run against the wall, dash forward, and snag 18th place.

However, NASCAR deemed that a safety violation and transferred the final championship spot to William Byron. Not only was Christopher Bell speechless, but his boss, Joe Gibbs, also had nothing to say. As the press officials surrounded him, only the despair on the team owner’s face stood out. He muttered a few words, that would show the helplessness of the situation: “One of them said it’s over…They said it’s over. I appreciate it guys, ’cause I’m nothing. Still dealing with it.” He added about appealing against the decision: “I’d love to. But they said we can’t.”

Christopher Bell  was equally gobsmacked when NASCAR rolled out the decision. He denied that his move mimicked the iconic ‘Hail Melon’ move that Ross Chastain executed and which is now banned. “I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall. But my move was completely different than what Ross’ was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence. I don’t know what else to say.” Yet the ‘silent runner’ gulped down his disappointment, approached William Byron, and offered him a congratulatory hug in true sportsmanship. That prompted even Byron to feel for Bell’s situation.

The No. 20 racer’s unfortunate predicament also attracted fans’ attention.

NASCAR fans call out Joe Gibbs’ inaction

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This apparently hopeless situation rang alarm bells in the NASCAR community. With 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports waging a legal battle against the sport, Joe Gibbs’ reaction further convinced fans that monopolistic practices exist in NASCAR. So one fan quipped: “Certainly seems to add creditably to the allegations of @NASCAR being a monopoly and dictatorship.” Somebody else also added that Joe Gibbs’ hands are tied. “He signed the charter deal. He’s not allowed to say anything bad about NASCAR.” Another fan hounded Gibbs for not joining 23XI and FRM: “And this is why they shouldn’t of signed the charter agreement.”

Other people cited the old argument of NASCAR favoring Hendrick Motorsports. Back in May, NASCAR had granted Kyle Larson the waiver for missing the Coca-Cola 600 race. One comment read: “Hendrick runs NASCAR so of course not.” Byron apparently got help from his Chevy teammates, as Chastain and Austin Dillon did not pass him despite the 24 car being slower. So another fan quipped that William Byron’s situation is not exactly better than Bell’s, and so could not understand why Gibbs cannot appeal. “They can’t? Can’t? Why not? Not that I like what the 20 did but the chevy teams aren’t exactly in a better position argument wise.” 

Evidently, Christopher Bell’s situation is baffling both his team and his fans. Let us see if the penalty stands or if something changes about it.