RACE: Food City 300
TRACK: Bristol Motor Speedway
START: 8th
FINISH: 14th
LAPS: 300

It was a tough day at the office for Bell after spinning from contact with another driver and dealing with a flat late in the race.

Bell Finishes Second at Watkins Glen

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85)

• Christopher Bell started eighth Friday evening at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished the first stage 31st after suffering damage halfway through the opening segment.
• Right from the start Bell reported to his team that his No. 20 Rheem Supra was handling well. By lap four Bell had cracked the top five.
• Bell worked his way into fourth when contact from another car sent him spinning and then another car collided into the No. 20.
• Two pit stops were required to fix the damage sustained to the Rheem Supra. Bell was able to continue on, but due to the repair work was scored three laps down to the leaders.
• Bell closed out stage one 31st and came down pit road at the stage break for fuel and a little more repair work to his Supra.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 92-170)

• Bell started 31st, finished 22nd.
• The handling on the No. 20 Rheem Supra was “loose in and tight off” to start stage two at Bristol.
• Despite being marred in traffic three laps down, Bell went to work gaining additional positions. By the conclusion of stage two his persistence had paid off and he had advanced to 22nd.
• At the stage break Bell pitted for four tires and fuel, gaining one position to restart 21st for the final stage.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 179-300)

• Bell started 21st, finished 14th.
• The field dwindled at the race went on as many fell victim to short track racing. Bell remained steady, methodically working his way around the 0.533-mile track picking up additional positions as others were put laps down or sent to the garage.
• Bell had worked his way up to 15th when a caution came out with 20 laps remaining at the same time his right-front tire went flat. Bell pitted under the caution for a set of four tires and lined up 17th with 14 laps remaining.
• Bell was able to gain three spots in the closing laps to finish 14th Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Additional Notes

• Bell remains second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Championship Standings, 54 points behind the leader.

Three laps down, but a 14th-place finish.
“Tonight was obviously disappointing getting caught up in that early crash. We learned that we had a really, really fast Rheem Supra. Would’ve had a shot at it if we didn’t wreck.”

Up Next: The Xfinity Series heads to Road America for the CTECH Manufacturing 180, the final road course race of the season, on Saturday, August 24, 2019. Coverage will begin at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN, SIRIUS XM Channel 90 and MRN radio.