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Jim Utter

NASCAR Cup New Hampshire: Bell beats Elliott for first win of 2022

While Bell's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team-mate Martin Truex Jr. dominated much of the race, it was Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Bell who emerged as the fastest cars following the final round of pitstops.

Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, nudged 2004 title-winner Kurt Busch's 23XI Racing Toyota out of the way for the lead on lap 247 of 301 but was then surpassed himself by Bell 13 tours later.

From there, Bell couldn’t be touched and topped Elliott by 5.767 seconds for his first victory of the 2022 season and just the second of his career after winning the 2021 Daytona road course event.

The 27-year-old becomes the 14th different winner in the Cup Series this season to secure a spot in the 16-driver playoff. 

“That one was much-needed right there,” said Bell, who sits in eighth in points but was in danger of missing the playoff without a victory.

“That was a hell of a race from my viewpoint. That was so much fun racing, we were all running different lines. That was a blast.

“I’m so happy – so happy to be here at Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Winning Cup races is hard. It’s seems like we’ve been so close and we fell off a little bit last week. But here we are today.”

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Rheem / WATTS Toyota Camry (Photo by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Images)

Bubba Wallace finished third in the lead 23XI Toyota ahead of Truex and Kevin Harvick in the leading Ford from Stewart-Haas Racing.

Completing the top-10 were the third JGR Toyota of Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski (RFK Ford), Trackhouse Chevrolet team-mates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, and Kurt Busch.

Polesitter Truex took command early on and easily claimed the Stage 1 win over Wallace, Kyle Larson (Hendrick Chevrolet), Elliott and Harvick, leading all 70 laps.

And Truex also won Stage 2, holding off a fast-approaching Harvick, Elliott, Joey Logano (Team Penske Ford) and Larson.

Truex held the lead through cautions caused by a spin for Kyle Busch, but dropped behind Logano as the 2018 champion stayed out following a multi-car incident caused by Corey LaJoie spinning into Harrison Burton in Turn 1, with Michael McDowell also involved. But it only took 20 laps following the lap 101 restart before Truex reclaimed the lead, with Larson moving into third.

Truex remained out front after pitstops prompted when Ryan Blaney spun in Turn 4 and backed into the wall, another following shortly after when Chase Briscoe spun in Turn 4.

Another spin for Kyle Busch on lap 163 resulted in a further caution, during which Austin Dillon and Keselowski inexplicably traded blows several times with both cars taking considerable damage.

With the benefit of fresh tyres for the start of Stage 3, Truex only took five laps to power ahead of Briscoe - who had stayed out - for the lead.

Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Kevin Harvick, Stewart Haas Racing, GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang (Photo by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images)

But after the next round of stops, when Todd Gilliland spun and hit the wall in Turn 4 on lap 205, Truex appeared to lose his edge and from fourth at the restart was unable to make the same progress he had earlier.

Kurt Busch had inherited the lead by staying out, so led the way on the lap 210 restart ahead of Logano, Cole Custer and Truex.

Elliott and Bell came alive in this phase of the race, and on lap 243 Elliott made contact with Logano racing for second position - causing the Ford driver to slip back to fourth.

Elliott then got into Kurt Busch in a battle for the lead, which he claimed for the first time in the race on lap 247. But he wasn't able to keep Bell at bay, as the JGR driver moved ahead on lap 260.

Kurt Busch was forced to pit under green for fuel on lap 270, with Logano forced to do likewise with four laps remaining, dropping him to 24th. 

NASCAR Cup New Hampshire race results

Cla Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap
1 United States Christopher Bell Toyota 301 3:14'45.195  
2 United States Chase Elliott Chevrolet 301 3:14'50.962 5.767
3 United States Bubba Wallace Toyota 301 3:14'58.572 13.377
4 United States Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 301 3:14'58.841 13.646
5 United States Kevin Harvick Ford 301 3:15'00.593 15.398
6 United States Denny Hamlin Toyota 301 3:15'04.235 19.040
7 United States Brad Keselowski Ford 301 3:15'07.677 22.482
8 United States Ross Chastain Chevrolet 301 3:15'08.502 23.307
9 Mexico Daniel Suarez Chevrolet 301 3:15'09.177 23.982
10 United States Kurt Busch Toyota 301 3:15'09.833 24.638
11 United States William Byron Chevrolet 301 3:15'11.260 26.065
12 United States Kyle Busch Toyota 301 3:15'12.571 27.376
13 United States Austin Cindric Ford 301 3:15'15.524 30.329
14 United States Kyle Larson Chevrolet 300 3:14'46.984 1 Lap
15 United States Chase Briscoe Ford 300 3:14'49.796 1 Lap
16 United States A.J. Allmendinger Chevrolet 300 3:14'51.816 1 Lap
17 United States Chris Buescher Ford 300 3:14'52.991 1 Lap
18 United States Ryan Blaney Ford 300 3:14'55.085 1 Lap
19 United States Erik Jones Chevrolet 300 3:14'57.628 1 Lap
20 United States Justin Haley Chevrolet 300 3:14'58.291 1 Lap
21 United States Tyler Reddick Chevrolet 300 3:15'03.560 1 Lap
22 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet 300 3:15'05.957 1 Lap
23 United States Austin Dillon Chevrolet 300 3:15'08.233 1 Lap
24 United States Joey Logano Ford 300 3:15'11.332 1 Lap
25 United States Todd Gilliland Ford 300 3:15'11.913 1 Lap
26 United States Harrison Burton Ford 300 3:15'11.942 1 Lap
27 United States Cole Custer Ford 300 3:15'15.756 1 Lap
28 United States Michael McDowell Ford 299 3:14'56.930 2 Laps
29 United States J.J. Yeley Ford 299 3:15'00.058 2 Laps
30 United States Cody Ware Ford 297 3:15'06.200 4 Laps
31 United States Aric Almirola Ford 282 3:15'09.122 19 Laps
32 United States Corey Lajoie Chevrolet 88 58'54.425 213 Laps
33 United States Ty Dillon Chevrolet 5 3'25.999 296 Laps
34 United States Josh Bilicki Chevrolet 5 4'04.342 296 Laps
35 United States Alex Bowman Chevrolet 4 2'09.165 297 Laps
36 United States B.J. McLeod Ford 4 2'09.614 297 Laps

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