Bell wins, gets Xfinity title bid
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell saved his season by winning Saturday’s NASCAR race at ISM Raceway to snag a championship-eligible berth in next weekend’s Xfinity Series finale.
The victory was the serieshigh seventh of 2018 for Bell, last year’s Camping World Truck Series champion.
Despite his dominance throughout this year, Bell crashed in the previous two events and started Saturday’s race in the Phoenix area seventh in the points standings. His only shot to race for the season title at Homestead-Miami Speedway was via a victory.
“The pressure was on, and I am just one of those guys who does really well in those situations,” Bell said. “Everything is on the line, and I am just thankful I pulled through for my team. These guys are the ones who build the race cars that are going to win, whether I am driving them or not.”
He will race for the crown against Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric and Tyler Reddick next Saturday in Florida.
Justin Allgaier, the regular-season points champion and a winner of five races this year, was eliminated after finishing 24th. Elliott Sadler, who is retiring after next week’s race, was eliminated as well.
Trucks: Mofitt prevails
Brett Moffitt won the trucks race late Friday night at ISM to earn a spot in the four-man title chase next Friday at Homestead.
Moffitt charged from third to first with a strong inside move after a restart with three laps left.
Moffitt raced to his fifth victory of the season in the Hattori Racing Enterprises No. 16 Toyota, beating Noah Gragson to the finish line by less than half a second. Gragson earned the fourth and final championship spot on points. GMS Racing teammates Johnny Sauter and Justin Hale already had earned spots in the final four.
Harrison Burton was third in Friday’s race, followed by Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen, Tyler Ankrum, Sauter, Derek Kraus, Christian Eckes and Sheldon Creed.