Christopher Bell's Crash Avoidance Boosts Playoff Hopes
1 year agoChristopher Bell sits twenty points above the playoff cutline entering Talladega to get into the Round of 8. As with his teammate Denny Hamlin, he likely will face an equipment disadvantage in tomorrow's race to some extent. Penske and RFK Fords have had a substantial speed advantage on drafting tracks this season, so he likely won't factor for the win. Hence, as with Hamlin, his chances of advancing should come down to whether he crashes or not. Since he has finished all five previous drafting races on the lead lap, his prospects of advancing also look really good even if his chances of winning seem remote. If Bell wins his way in, it will likely happen at the Charlotte ROVAL since he is better on road courses than drafting tracks.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference