NASCAR legend changed opinion of Christopher Bell – Sports News
NASCAR legend Mark Martin has opened up on his new-found admiration for Cup Series star Christopher Bell after a laborious however honest battle with Kyle Busch earlier this season
Martin made his emotions abundantly clear concerning the Sammy Smith debacle in Saturday’s Xfinity race at Martinsville Speedway. Smith was driving the No. 8 Chevy for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports and was on the right track to complete second in Virginia, behind Joe Gibbs Racing expertise Taylor Gray.
But Smith made a big error of judgment within the ultimate nook, lunging from means back of the chief and wrecking Gray’s No. 54 Toyota.
Smith, who has been closely punished by NASCAR, would end the race in tenth, whereas Gray crawled home in twenty ninth. The incident ruined quite a few drivers’ races, and Austin Hill was the beneficiary, with the victory being handed to him on a silver platter.
Reflecting on the Chaos, Martin pointed to a battle between longtime rivals Bell and Busch on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, earlier this month.
Bell and Busch have had their flashpoints up to now, however with Bell searching Busch down for the lead within the closing laps, he stored his poise and ensured neither car received wrecked.
Bell would make the move and took the win, with Busch taking the blame for the minimal contact between the automobiles, which led to the Richard Childress Racing star dropping down to fifth within the operating.
Martin, a 40-time Cup Series race winner, believes Smith and different youthful drivers ought to take notice of how Joe Gibbs Racing star Bell performed himself within the Echopark Automotive Grand Prix.
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“Go back to COTA and Christopher Bell,” Martin mentioned on ‘Door Bumper Clear.’ “What he did, aborting that tip to pass Kyle Busch was really special. That really changed me from a neutral guy toward Bell to a fan.
“First place is everything, but if you can’t get first, second is too. We raced our brains out for 10th, I’ve raced my brains out for 25th. You race hard and there is something to be said for respect.
“What fan didn’t enjoy the respect and hard racing that went on at COTA, for example? We need to see more of that.”
NASCAR got here down firmly on Smith, hitting him with a $25,000 positive and docking him 50 factors, which has dropped him from sixth to thirteenth within the Xfinity Series standings.
NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway this weekend, with Bell desperate to proceed his good type within the Goodyear 400. Smith will return to Xfinity Series motion within the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200.
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