By RaceScene Publisher on Saturday, 17 July 2021
Category: The Checkered Flag

Christopher Bell wins in Xfinity return at Loudon

The last time Christopher Bell raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he finished third in points with eight wins in 2019. Two years later, he made his return to the series in dominating fashion as he led 151 of 200 laps in Saturday’s Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway en route to the win.

Bell started fourteenth while Kaulig Racing drivers Jeb Burton and Justin Haley comprised the front row. The first half of the opening stage was a Kaulig affair as Burton led sixteen laps before being passed by team-mate A.J. Allmendinger, who enjoyed his time in front through a pair of cautions for a competition yellow and a multi-car accident that took out Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing ally Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, and Riley Herbst. Bell took the lead with two laps before the segment end to win the stage ahed of Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Daniel Hemric, Justin Allgaier, Haley, Burton, Josh Berry, and Jeremy Clements.

Brandon Brown and Allmendinger led laps between stages as teams made stops. However, Bell would lead flag-to-flag as Stage #2 ran fully green. Cindric, Hemric, Allmendinger, Allgaier, Haley, Berry, Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson, and Jeb Burton rounded out the order.

Bell’s reign continued as he continued to lead the final stage. The lone incident of the segment came for Patrick Emerling‘s right-front tyre going down and sending him into the turn four wall. At the front, Bell led the rest of the way to win his seventeenth career Xfinity race and third consecutive at Loudon. Since 2008, JGR has won at New Hampshire eleven times.

The Cup Series sophomore led 146 consecutive laps from lap 55 to the checkered flag, the longest such run of 2021 and the most in an Xfinity race since Bell led 153, also at Loudon in 2019.

“I think these weekends with no practice and qualifying, you’re not sitting in the car until they drop the green flag,” said Bell. He will start ninth in Sunday’s Cup race. “This is a really big advantage, especially coming here: the Xfinity Series rules package is really similar to the Cup Series rules package. Hopefully, it will be pretty similar and I hope that we have a really fast Camry tomorrow. Just really proud to be at Joe Gibbs Racing. Everyone here does an amazing job.”

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
11454Christopher Bell*Joe Gibbs RacingToyota200Running
257Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet200Running
31318Daniel HemricJoe Gibbs RacingToyota200Running
4422Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord200Running
51020Harrison BurtonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota200Running
6211Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet200Running
7162Myatt SniderRichard Childress RacingChevrolet200Running
8211Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet200Running
9702Brett MoffittOur MotorsportsChevrolet200Running
101298Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord200Running
11110Jeb BurtonKaulig RacingChevrolet200Running
12616A.J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet200Running
131139Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord200Running
1439Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet200Running
15851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet200Running
163226Brandon GdovicSam Hunt RacingToyota200Running
172268Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet200Running
181848Jade BufordBig Machine RacingChevrolet198Running
193447Kyle WeathermanMike Harmon RacingChevrolet198Running
203866David StarrMBM MotorsportsToyota198Running
211744Tommy Joe MartinsMartins MotorsportsChevrolet197Running
222092Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet197Running
233617J.J. YeleySS-Green Light RacingFord197Running
243007Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet197Running
25314Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet197Running
26260Jeffrey EarnhardtJD MotorsportsChevrolet197Running
273790Dexter BeanDGM RacingChevrolet197Running
282878Jesse LittleB.J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota197Running
29196Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet196Running
302515Colby HowardJD MotorsportsChevrolet196Running
312423Patrick EmerlingOur MotorsportsChevrolet196Running
32275Matt MillsB.J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota195Running
334052Spencer Boyd*Jimmy Means RacingChevrolet194Running
343331Jordan Anderson*Jordan Anderson RacingChevrolet194Running
353574Dawsom Cram*Mike Harmon RacingChevrolet184Running
361536Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet174Running
373961C.J. McLaughlin*MBM MotorsportsToyota164Electrical
382319Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota102Radiator
3998Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet28Accident
402999Mason MasseyB.J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota26Accident
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for Xfinity points
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