Christopher Bell wins Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Christopher Bell joined NASCAR Cup Series playoff qualifiers Sunday by charging to the front late in the race and winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The victory was Bell’s first of the year and made him the 14th seasonal winner. Entering the 318-mile race, Bell was among drivers who were in the 16-driver playoff-possible field based on points. With Sunday’s win, he virtually assured himself of a run at the Cup championship.

Bell passed Chase Elliott, who raced at or near the front most of the day, after several laps of tight racing to take the lead. After passing Elliott, Bell steadily built a two-second lead and won by more than five seconds over Elliott. Following in the top five were Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick.

Bell, scoring his second career win, came into NHMS with a solid resume. He had won three races in three attempts in Xfinity races at the track and finished second in the Cup race in July last year.

“That one was much needed right there,” Bell told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. “It was a hell of a race from my viewpoint. We were all running different lines. That was a blast.”

Truex breezed through the first two stages, winning both, but fell behind after a two-tire pit stop in the final stage and used up most of the race’s closing laps trying to return to the front.

Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski engaged in some fierce fender-banging just past the race’s halfway point. Dillon moved up the track to hit the driver side of Keselowski’s car, and Keselowski retaliated with a harder hit, almost causing Dillon to lose control. Both continued in the race.

The afternoon also included some very close position racing between Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain, who have a history of conflict this