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Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs Credits: Imago
via Imago
Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs Credits: Imago
As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Phoenix for the season finale, all eyes are on one driver who isn’t even fighting for the championship this year—Christopher Bell. After his controversial “Hail Melon” move at Martinsville, which got him eliminated from the playoffs, Bell is on a mission to prove he was robbed of a shot at the title.
NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte believes Bell is no longer just racing for pride but for pure revenge. With his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing equally hungry for a win, don’t be surprised if Bell shows up at Phoenix ready to make a statement, says Letarte. So let’s take a deeper dive into what he had to say about Joe Gibbs Racing in the final race of the season.
HMS Insider believes that Christopher Bell is out for revenge
Steve Letarte, a NASCAR legend with a deep connection to Hendrick Motorsports and now an NBC Sports analyst, shared his thoughts on the Dirty Mo Dough podcast about what to expect from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) at Phoenix.
Letarte is especially focused on Christopher Bell, who, after his controversial “Hail Melon” move at Martinsville, has plenty of fire left to burn. For those who missed it, Bell’s daring move—where he slammed into the wall to try and race his way into the championship—got him eliminated due to NASCAR’s ruling of unsafe driving. Letarte says Bell isn’t just racing for pride anymore; he’s racing for revenge.
Bell and his JGR teammates, like Denny Hamlin, are still hungry after missing out on the championship four. “With that said, Bell’s a monster. Larson’s a monster. Hamlin is a monster. But like Bell, there isn’t a Joe Gibbs car in it. I think he goes out and stomps them. He’s pissed—I’d be pissed. He’s gonna go out there, stop them, and say, ‘I would have won the championship, and that’s it.”
Don’t be shocked if we see a CBell revenge race this weekend. 😡 pic.twitter.com/oMLnbXkESP
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) November 6, 2024
Truex, meanwhile, will have his family there, but he’s sticking to his introverted ways—focusing on the race ahead. After a two-decade-long career, which includes stints with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Front Row Motorsports, and JGR, Truex could cap it all off with a win at Phoenix. But even as he’s looking ahead to the Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing next year, his eyes are on Phoenix for one last shot at glory—and perhaps disrupting the championship race in the process.
But it’s Bell, fueled by the Martinsville controversy, who’s got the most to prove in the season finale. Letarte can’t wait to see if the fiery determination Bell showed after that elimination will turn into a victory lap this Sunday. While some believe that Bell should have gotten away with his wall riding move at Martinsville, former NASCAR racer Kevin Harvick believes that NASCAR made the right decision.
Kevin Harvick supports NASCAR in their decision against Bell
After the chaotic finish at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick weighed in on the penalty handed to Christopher Bell for a safety violation. Bell’s penalty came after a last-lap mishap, where he hit the wall and, in a desperate attempt to secure his spot in the Championship 4, stayed on the gas to maintain position.
Harvick, who now serves as an analyst, saw the penalty as a necessary call from NASCAR, especially after the controversy surrounding Ross Chastain’s wall ride the previous year. While the decision wasn’t exactly clear-cut, Harvick explained that it fell under the safety section of NASCAR’s rules, an area that had to be enforced strictly after the dangers exposed by the Chastain incident.
via Getty
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 04: Christopher Bell speaks with the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center on September 04, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Harvick pointed out that although Bell’s wall ride wasn’t as extreme as Chastain’s infamous move, it still created a risky situation. The safety concerns were real—parts flying off cars, tires potentially falling off, and the overall danger to both drivers and fans. Despite the penalty being tough for Bell, Harvick emphasized that NASCAR had to act decisively to prevent such maneuvers from becoming commonplace.
Bell’s attempt to “ride the wall” didn’t look as intentional as Chastain’s, but in the end, Harvick believed the penalty was justified to keep the sport safe and fair, dropping Bell to P22 and costing him a chance at the Championship 4. Do you think that Bell should have made it into the championship 4 this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Did NASCAR rob Christopher Bell of a championship shot, or was the penalty justified?