Christopher Bell’s timing is impressive. For the second time in the NASCAR Playoffs, Bell needed a win to advance to the next round and for the second time in a row, he got it.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 150 of 500 laps in winning Sunday’s Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

The victory moved Bell into next weekend’s four-driver championship-deciding event in Phoenix.

Joining Bell in the Championship 4 will be Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing, Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports and Joey Logano of Team Penske.

Bell and Chastain will be driving in their first championship races.

The win was the third of the season for Bell, who also had to win three weeks ago at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval to advance to the Round of 8.

Bell sat in seventh place among eight driver in the Playoff standings prior to the race. He was 33 points behind William Byron in the chase for fourth place.

Bell got the win at a track where he had finished 15th or worse four times in five career starts.

Kyle Larson of the Hendrick team finished second on Sunday, .869 seconds behind Bell.

Penske’s Ryan Blaney was third.

Brad Keselowski and Chastain were fourth and fifth.

Knocked out of the Playoffs Sunday were Denny Hamlin, Blaney, Byron and Chase Briscoe. Hamlin led a race-best 203 laps. But pit problems knocked him back to a sixth-place finish.

Logano and Elliott will be looking to win their second Cup championship next weekend.

(This story will be updated shortly)

No Comment