Breaking It Down: One last look back at the Roval
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Sometimes the right sign is all we need to pursue the change we want to see in our lives. As for Christopher Bell, a literal sign proved to be the difference between playoff elimination and a walk-off win to send him to the coveted Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup playoffs.
This past Sunday’s Bank of America 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course -- a.k.a. "The Roval" -- was on pace to be a tame, smooth race for most of the day. With road course king Chase Elliott peacefully cruising away from a spread-out field, it seemed as though only an ill-timed caution could get in-between him and his second consecutive win in as many weeks.
Now, NASCAR fans know better than to ever assume a race is over before the checkers fly, especially given how prone the series is to late-race cautions. Yet, the sequence of events that led to a playoff-altering showdown at the end of Sunday’s race was a butterfly effect that few could have anticipated.
It all started on Lap 104, when a track sign was seen sitting just outside of the racing line in Turn 6. As close as it was to where cars ran, NASCAR had no option but to throw the caution, thus bunching the field back up and opening a pandora’s box of tire strategy.
With the varying playoff scenarios and crew chief philosophies at play, the field split, with the Top 10 staying out for track position, while others, such as Bell, elected to take four fresh tires. While Bell had no other way into the next round besides a walk-off win, drivers on the points bubble such as Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe stayed out on the track as they fought desperately to sneak their way into the final spot in the round of eight.
With high stakes and desperate drivers, it was clear before the restart even took place that the peaceful fall afternoon that had persisted for most of the race was about to turn into mayhem. By the time the green flag waved and the field packed into turn one, chaos already ensued as Noah Gragson and Michael McDowell spun in front of the field.
Not an inch was given as the drivers jockeyed for position. Chase Briscoe was the next victim, as he spun out and seemingly ended his playoff hopes. Which was then followed by the shocking spin of Chase Elliott off the nose of Tyler Reddick, which sent Elliott from hero to zero in a blink of an eye.
Amidst all the madness, Christopher Bell worked his way through the field methodically. His fresh tires proved to be all the difference, as the leaders on older tires beat and banged with each other, and Bell quietly snuck his way past. With all the carnage spread throughout the field, a caution was inevitable, and it came soon after as a piece of the curbing on the back chicane came loose.
Just like that, the stage was set. The field sat in suspense under the red flag, as the playoff scenarios could go in any direction. Bell sat in second place, the first car with fresh tires, while the rest of the bubble drivers sat strewn throughout the field, hoping that they could find the extra spots they needed to keep their championship hopes alive.
Heading into overtime, Austin Cindric was just to the good in points, but an impending Bell win meant he needed to gain two more spots to bump Kyle Larson out of the next round. Meanwhile, Briscoe sat towards the end of the field, hoping to make a miracle happen.
What happened in the next two laps changed the championship picture forever, and depending how the rest of the playoffs go, may turn out to be a pivotal moment in NASCAR history.
Bell made quick work of race leader Kevin Harvick and cruised to his walk-off win unphased. However, the real action was in the middle of the pack, where the playoff bracket was dancing with shake-ups.
The first domino to fall was Cindric, who spun off the nose of Erik Jones, heading into the backstretch chicane. Just like that, Cindric went from being two laps away from becoming the first rookie to ever make the Round of 8 to hopelessly watching as the field drove around him. With Larson trapped multiple laps down, the ball was in Briscoe’s court, and he made the absolute most of it.
With fresh tires, Briscoe drove like a man possessed. Finding ways around turned cars and driving deep into each corner, the sophomore carved his way through the field, hoping to find his way into the playoffs after spinning out just a few minutes earlier.
Just as he needed a few more positions, Briscoe made the move of the day as he shocked the field with some of the latest braking anyone had seen all day, which allowed him to pass three cars at once and sneak his way into a ninth-place finish.
The Top 10 finish was not only shocking, given the circumstances, but it was also just enough. With those two laps of masterful driving, the young underdog managed to knock defending champion Kyle Larson out of the playoffs and advance to the round of twelve.
The excitement, unpredictability, and hail-mary moves that went down on Sunday are exactly what playoff racing is all about. Nothing is guaranteed. Anything can happen. Even the biggest names are not safe from miscues, and drivers who are willing to risk it all can make a name for themselves at a moment’s notice.
It’s crazy to hypothesize just how the season may have played out if that sign never caused a caution. Perhaps Larson defends his title, or the rookie Cindric proves he is the real deal alongside the sport’s biggest names.
Who knows, maybe this win is the difference between a Round of 12 exit and a championship for Christopher Bell? With just a handful of laps, everything changed, and with that, history may just change with it.