Redemption in the desert
Bell pulls away for emotional win at Phoenix Raceway
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell surged into the lead when Martin Truex Jr. was forced to pit and pulled away for an emotional NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s victory comes on the heels of a pair of heartbreaks in the desert.
Two years ago, JGR vice chairman Coy Gibbs was found dead in his hotel room following his son Ty’s Xfinity season championship. Bell made it to the Cup Series championship four in November, but a broken rotor spoiled his championship hopes in the season finale at Phoenix.
Bell’s win in the No. 20 Toyota also ended Chevrolet’s perfect start to the season after winning the first three races. He is the eighth different winner in eight races at Phoenix Raceway’s mile tri-oval.
Chris Buescher finished second and Ty Gibbs was third. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.
The Phoenix race marked the debut of NASCAR’S new aerodynamics package for short tracks in hopes of producing more passing on tracks of a mile or less and road courses. Goodyear also produced tires with thicker treads designed to retain heat and increase laptime falloff.
Starting 13th, Bell took advantage of the changes, overcoming two slow pit stops to charge back to the front. Bell moved into the lead with 40 laps to go when leader Truex had to pit for fuel and tires.
Bell led the final 49 laps for his seventh career Cup Series victory — first since Homestead in October.
Truex and his crew made calculated gamble on lap 217, opting to stay out when most of the leaders went into the pits.
The JGR driver stayed in the lead, hoping he would have enough fuel and his tires would hold out long enough to reach the checkered flag. Neither happened and Truex was forced to the pits. He finished seventh.
Indycar: At St. Petersburg, Fla., Team Penske silenced recent criticism aimed at series leadership by dominating the Indycar season-opening race with a Josef Newgarden win from the pole on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg.
Pato O’ward of Arrow Mclaren Racing broke up the Penske rout with a second-place finish, but Penske drivers Scott Mclaughlin and Will Power finished third and fourth. The Penske trio finished ahead of every Andretti Global driver two days after team owner Michael Andretti called on Roger Penske to sell the Indycar Series if he’s not willing to increase his investments in promotion and marketing.
Colton Herta in fifth was the highest-finishing driver for Andretti, which had a bust of a day with new driver Marcus Ericsson. The former Indianapolis 500 winner lost power midway through the race and finished 25th in the 27car field. Ericsson was the defending race winner at St. Pete, which celebrated its 20th running of the popular street course event.
Reigning Indycar champion Alex Palou finished sixth for Chip Ganassi Racing and Felix Rosenqvist was seventh in his debut race with Meyer Shank Racing.
Alexander Rossi of Mclaren was eighth, while Scott Dixon of Ganassi and Rinus Veekay of Ed Carpenter Racing rounded out the top 10. Santino Ferrucci was an impressive 11th for A.J. Foyt Racing, which created an alliance with Penske.