Christopher Bell, who is usually one of the calmest and coolest individuals in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, was anything but during his media availability Saturday at Phoenix Raceway. Bell, who made a mistake on the final lap as he gained the final spot he needed to pass William Byron and clinch a spot in the Championship 4, was penalized for a safety violation as NASCAR ruled that he had attempted a wall-riding move similar to this one. now banned by NASCAR that Ross Chastain achieved in 2022.

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Bell reiterates that he did not make a conscious decision to enter the Martinsville wall and he believes that he did not benefit from it, which should have led to the conclusion that he did not not break the rules on the last lap of the race.

“I hate to call the last round a move because it wasn’t one,” Bell said. “You know, my intentions were never to climb the wall. I didn’t gain an advantage by climbing the wall. So it wasn’t a move and I don’t believe I broke any rules.”

In addition to Bell’s wall penalty, NASCAR sent a wave of penalties after last weekend’s race to three teams accused of manipulating the outcome of Sunday’s race in an effort to help Byron and Bell to earn the number of points necessary to access the championship. 4.

Bell accused the Chevrolet teams of blatantly trying to “fix” Byron’s race in the final laps, which he said led to Bubba Wallace having to come to Bell’s aid, which ultimately led to Bell to cross the finish line. in the last lap and hitting the wall. At the end of it all, Bell felt robbed of any chance of winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

“I just feel cheated,” Bell anguished. “I feel robbed of a chance to compete for a championship. Yeah, I mean, it all comes from what happened earlier, (with) 15 (or) 20 (laps) to go, whenever the race was rigged and manipulated by Chevrolet It forced us to do what we did and it ultimately forced me to make a mistake on the last lap to go into the wall. I should never have been in this position if the race had been fair I would have lost enough places to allow me to make the final race.

Bell believes he and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team should be competing for a championship Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, not William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team.

“I feel like I should be in Championship 4, yes,” Bell said emphatically. “During the race when the handling happened it was clear I needed a position and looking back from the 23 we got that position and every time we crossed the finish line, car 20 was in with the cards that were dealt, car 20 was in position to compete in the championship and we’re not there.

Bell, who said he could clearly see cheating by Chevrolet teams behind the wheel of his car at Martinsville, believes it’s time for NASCAR to assert its governance, as far as 100 percent effort goes, and that builder teammates are doing everything in their power to help others instead of focusing on their own race is now.

Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon blocking Byron prevented the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet from losing more and more places with a poorly handling car after suffering damage to a toe link late in the race.

“I mean, it’s definitely, I don’t know how to answer that question. But we all know how and if we put 100% effort into a race. I don’t know what the answer is, but something needs to change to get us out of this box where we’re helping manufacturers and manipulating racing to help guys in certain positions. It’s just that it’s not racing and it’s not. is not fair.

Chevrolet teams blocking Byron, preventing the driver of the #24 car from falling further down the racing order, was not fair, but it is important to note that the #23 23XI Racing team was also penalized for a similar situation to help Bell overcome the deficit against Byron.

If NASCAR had penalized Byron and the No. 24 team for the race manipulation of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing and No. 3 Richard Childress Racing teams, Bell also would have faced a penalty for benefiting from the manipulation of the No. 2 team. °23.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Bell conceded. “But we should never have been in this place in the first place, and that’s what I come back to. If the race had been fair, there would have been no manipulation on either side . And our hands have been forced by the hands of our other competitors.”

Not only did Bell have words to describe the issues at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday in Phoenix, but he also weighed in on whether the NASCAR Cup Series playoff format is a legitimate way to determine a champion in the best form of motor racing. UNITED STATES.

“Yes, I think there are a lot of changes that could happen format-wise to improve the flow of racing. And I think all of them need to be looked at and changes need to be made,” Bell said. .

So, what changes need to be made? Bell isn’t sure, but he says the 2024 season showed major flaws in NASCAR’s playoff format.

“I mean, the fact that we had three low-level winners in the round of 16 that led to the Championship 4 that we have today, it’s just that I don’t know what the answer is,” he said. Bell said. “And I think it needs to be given a lot of thought. But I feel like changes need to be made.”

Although Bell will not be competing for a championship this weekend, the first time in the last three years that he will not have the chance to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the championship race at Phoenix, he will have always a chance to win. a race. Bell says that if he ultimately wins the race, it could add even more disappointment to the situation, because it would mean he likely would have won the championship.

“Yeah, for sure, it’s going to be tough,” Bell said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter how it goes. You want to do well and we’re going to do our best to do well, but if we do well and have a successful weekend, then it’ll be even more disappointing and a disappointment so, yeah, it’s a very perplexing feeling heading into this weekend and I hope I never have it again.

Although winning would hurt, as crazy as it sounds, Bell says he still has all the motivation in the world to take his fourth victory of the 2024 season this weekend.

“The motivation is simple. You know, there’s still a lot at stake, a lot, you know, money at stake, that’s for sure. And we have partners who have paid to be on the 20th car for that I mean, it’s just the list goes on and on, right? And then we have whatever it is, 600 employees, at Joe Gibbs Racing, putting effort into this. race car. And so it’s unfair if me and my team don’t do our best to try to do the best we can, there’s a lot at stake, and there should be more.” Bell said.

The NASCAR Cup Series championship race will take place on Sunday, November 10. The race will be televised on NBC with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The race can also be streamed on the Peacock streaming service. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide radio broadcasts of the event.