Christopher Bell was disqualified from the NASCAR playoffs Championship 4 after a controversial last-lap incident in Martinsville.
Previously seen as one of the favourites to make the cut, Bell was in an excellent position to head into the last race with a shot at glory.
But somehow, after struggling a bit during the Xfinity500, he found himself finishing 18th, before being hit with a penalty.
William Byron is the man who replaces him in the NASCAR playoffs final race of the season, but how exactly did Bell wind up in this position?
Christopher Bell forced to ‘spin’ or hit wall
Heading into the final lap, there was a clear situation for Bell, who had to finish 18th to ensure he made the Championship 4.
Heading into the final turn, he got loose and instead of spinning out, opted to run wide and run his car against the wall to maintain position.
He didn’t gain anything from it, but was penalised and lost his spot in the Championship 4 – something which he was a bit bewildered by after the race.
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“I don’t know what to say,” Bell told NBC Sports. “I understand that the rule was made to prevent people from riding the wall, but my move was completely different than what Ross [Chastain’s] was. I got loose getting into the corner a slid right into the fence. I don’t know what else to say.
“My options are to slide into the wall or spin out, and I can’t spin out, so I slid into the wall.”
Who are the Championship 4?
After a lot of waiting after the race in Martinsville, the Championship 4 were eventually decided after the penalty was dished out.
William Byron, who benefitted from Bell’s loss, joins Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney in competing for the championship in the final race.
It’s a shock to see both Bell and Kyle Larson – two favourites for the crown just a few weeks ago, completely fall out of the picture.
Larson and Bell both have twice the number of stage wins of anyone else and led the most laps of anyone else in the field.
It’s a reminder that even the best of the best fall short sometimes and that this weekend’s season finale may be a fascinating one.