Falling short of the win last weekend at Las Vegas led to Christopher Bell showing considerable frustration over the radio. Yet it also provided him with a simple strategy moving forward to Homestead and Martinsville.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver sits 42 points above the cutline, so he doesn't necessarily have to stress about locking up the win at two tracks where he has previous wins. He can just focus on building his cushion through key decisions.
"Yeah, I think that's what we're planning on (gaining max points)," Bell said at Homestead. "That's why you're in the Round of 8, trying to transfer to the Championship 4. You're never really safe. The three of us William (Byron), Kyle (Larson), and myself have kind of — the way that the cards fell — we're kind of essentially point racing each other.
"And the guys below that are far enough below, they're basically out of the points and essentially racing for wins. Certainly, we'll know more once we get through Homestead on Sunday night, but, right now, we're planning on there being three winners, and the three of us — William, Kyle, and myself — are racing for that last points spot."
To Bell's point, the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway benefited the drivers above the cutline. Larson moved to plus-35 while Byron moved to plus-27. This isn't an insurmountable deficit for the playoff drivers below the cutline, but it certainly gives this trio some breathing room.
It also helps that Bell, Larson, and Byron have all won the last three races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. They know that they can capitalize on the opportunity to lock up a spot in the Championship 4 if it arises through speed or strategy.
Of course, having this cushion doesn't mean that Bell can ease off the gas, figuratively and literally, after starting third on Sunday. He could lose part of this advantage based on how the race unfolds.
If Bell misses out on stage points, exits the race early, or even watches another playoff driver win, he could fall closer to the cutline or even below it. This could potentially change his strategy, but for now, Bell will move forward looking for maximum points.
"Plus-42 (points) sounds great until you realize every time someone wins, that cutline shrinks more, more, and more," Bell added. "Or, that gap to the cutline.
"You're never safe and it's going to be a battle. It's going to be a battle all the way until the checkered flag at Martinsville and everybody knows how important those wins are. That goes back to (Las Vegas) and why I felt the way that I did."
