NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick thought he was positioned to overtake Christopher Bell on the closing lap of Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race.
But behind the leaders, Ross Chastain slid into the backstretch wall, delivering Bell the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“It was really intense,” Reddick said.
If only he could have raced Bell to the finish.
See you in Victory Lane, @CBellRacing!
The @JoeGibbsRacing driver picks up his first win of the 2023 season! pic.twitter.com/7u0f4jP6U7
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 10, 2023
Christopher Bell Overcomes ‘Longest Laps Of My Entire Life’
Reddick, who has consecutive runner-up finishes on Bristol dirt, didn’t have an opportunity. Daniel Suarez started a chain reaction of accidents that included, among others, Chris Buescher, Josh Berry and Chastain.
Despite the lost chance to race Bell to the end, Reddick told Fox Sports the experience to get back on a dirt track was “a lot of fun.”
Along with Bell, Reddick is considered a dirt-track specialist. Both drivers grew up racing on short dirt tracks. As did the remainder of Sunday’s top-five finishers, Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe.
“I had a blast out there,” Dillon said after placing third. “I don’t care what anybody says about the dirt, the concrete (at Bristol). That was one of the coolest races I’ve ever been in.”
Bell, who overtook Briscoe for the lead on Lap 151, finished with a race-high 100 laps led. Reddick led for 69 laps.
After earning his first win of the season and qualifying for the playoffs, Bell couldn’t believe how much time it seemed to take to navigate the .533-mile lap and get to Victory Lane.
“Those were some of the longest laps of my entire life,” said Bell, who has five career wins. “A 20-second lap and you’re moving the wheel 18 times.
“I can’t believe how long those laps feel.”
A look at what happened between @RyanPreece_ and @KyleLarsonRacin. pic.twitter.com/Th0bKeN9XX
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 10, 2023
Kyle Larson Gets KO’d By Ryan Preece
Starting from the pole, Kyle Larson led all 75 Stage 1 laps. He had the dominant car early. Another dirt-track specialist, Larson is a two-time Chili Bowl champion and also claimed the 2021 Knoxville Nationals titleholder.
But he couldn’t escape Ryan Preece’s revenge move.
After the two tangled earlier, leading to an in-race suggestive hand gesture by Preece, Larson was forced out of the race on Lap 177. He finished 35th after capturing last week’s event at Richmond Raceway.
Two laps before exiting his No. 5 Chevrolet, Larson received a hard bump from Preece. One of the favorites entering the race, Larson crashed into the Turn 4 retaining wall.
“It sucks,” Larson said. “I’m guessing he’s paying me back for whatever I did earlier and ran me right into the fence.”
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