"Shane was clearly faster than me": Toyota's Christopher Bell opens up about coming short to SVG in Mexico City
Toyota's Christopher Bell opens up about coming short to SVG in Mexico City (Image Source: Getty)
Christopher Bell came in second at the first NASCAR Cup Series race in Mexico City, but he admitted Shane van Gisbergen was better, saying,
"When the race dried out, it was just a matter of comparing yourself to the guys up front.
I got the lead at one point and Shane was clearly faster than me and drove back by. Yeah, close but not good enough.
"
Van Gisbergen won easily, and Bell is now thinking about how to get better.
Christopher Bell says he needs to improve after SVG's win
Shane van Gisbergen won the Viva Mexico 250 by a huge 16.5 seconds over Christopher Bell, leading 60 out of 100 laps. Bell, racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, started way back on the 31st because rain messed up qualifying. He worked hard to get to the front and even led for a bit, but van Gisbergen was just too fast, especially on the 15-turn, 2.4-mile track.
Bell said he wasn't good enough to beat him and was disappointed with his form.
Even though he lost, Bell was happy with some parts of his race. Rain early on helped him move up, and his team made a smart pit stop before a caution on lap 65, which got him to place second. Bell felt his car was only good for third, so second was a big deal. He wants to watch how van Gisbergen drives to learn and do better next time.
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From Watermelon Fields to NASCAR Fame: The Unstoppable Rise of Ross Chastain
Strategic moves and weather shaped Christopher Bell's race
Rain at the start of the race gave Bell a chance to move up from his bad starting spot.
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His team switched to rain tires, and he passed many cars. They also made a clever pit stop before the first stage ended, which helped him get better track position later. By the second stage, Bell was in second place behind van Gisbergen, showing his car was strong. But when the track dried, van Gisbergen pulled away after the last restart on lap 69.
Bell said his Joe Gibbs Racing team always gives him great cars for road courses, and he has a 1.5 average finish in the first two road races this season. He plans to study van Gisbergen's driving to get better at certain parts of the track. With more races coming, Bell is focused on improving. The next race at Pocono Raceway is a chance to try again and fight for a win.
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