Bell’s early stages were smooth, with few challenges—except for a brief but intense battle with Sam Mayer from JR Motorsports. Mayer overtook Bell on Lap 28 but faced a major setback when he suffered a flat left rear tire mid-race. Forced to pit and a lap down, Mayer finished 28th. Sheldon Creed, Bell’s Xfinity Series teammate, emerged as a major contender, disrupting Bell’s control of the race. What happened next with Creed sparked significant controversy between Bell and NASCAR fans!
Christopher Bell’s victory on merit or other driver’s back luck?
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After dominating the first stage, Christopher Bell found himself up against Sheldon Creed in the second stage. With just nine laps to go, Bell’s No. 20 started struggling with worn-out tires, giving Creed the chance to snatch the lead. But the drama wasn’t over.
The final stage took a wild turn when A.J. Allmendinger crashed, bringing out the sixth caution and setting up an overtime restart. Creed pitted for fresh tires, but a flat right rear caused a delay, dropping him from first to fourth. Bell and Cole Custer jumped on the opportunity, moving up as Creed fought to recover. Despite his best efforts, Creed couldn’t get back to the front. Bell clinched the win at Darlington Raceway, with Custer finishing second and Creed settling for third. It was a race full of unexpected twists, showcasing just how unpredictable NASCAR can be.
The manner of his loss visibly enraged Sheldon Creed. Talking about the sheer bad luck during the final laps of the race, the 26-year-old said, “I was optimistic at first, my pit crew had been really good all day. I figured we would come in first and leave first. I needed to at least probably be on the front row for a green-white-checkered like that. Just did my best with restarting fourth like that. I’m obviously really bummed because today was our day, and I felt like I put in one of my best performances. To have a caution like that ruin it sucks.”
Sheldon Creed is not the only one questioning how Christopher Bell won the race. Fans also echo his frustration. The racing community has lashed out at everybody, from NASCAR to Christopher Bell himself.
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Darlington Raceway’s results stoke up fan apprehensions
Christopher Bell’s win is not very well received by the racing community. As soon as the final standings of the race were out, a wide variety of questions revolved around. Many people questioned NASCAR’s intention to call it a caution this late in the race. An enraged fan commented, “Creed got screwed! There was absolutely no reason for a caution. It’s NASCAR trying to create a false exciting finish.” The fan pointed towards NASCAR being oversensitive around giving cautions in races this season.
Others blamed it on the appearance of Cup Series drivers. Pointing towards the potential harm it creates for younger talents, a fan said, “NASCAR needs to change a rule to prevent cup drivers coming down so much. I know they already do. But let’s make it where they can’t run for owner points if it isn’t 1 driver all season.” While another fan pointing towards a similar concern said, “Cup divers have ruined the fun of Xfinity racing.”
Not only the concerns, the public fury around the caution was also clearly visible. An enraged fan wrote, “WHAT THE FU-K DOES SHELDON CREED HAVE TO DO TO WIN?! I’M GETTING SO FUCKING TIRED OF THIS.”
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Additionally, it was the creator of the caution who also received some heat from the fans. A fan pointed out, “Fu–ing ridiculous I love the guy but AJ should have hit fucking pit road absolutely ridiculous to bring out that caution.”
What are your thoughts on Christopher Bell’s win at Darlington Raceway? Do you think it was a deserving win? Tell us in the comments down below.
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