While Ryan Blaney won his way into the finale, chaos was unfolding behind him in the fight for the fourth and final transfer spot.
William Byron had two fellow Chevrolets side-by-side behind him with Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain. Radio communication from the the No. 3 of Dillon talked about ‘knowing the deal’ and then someone asked: “Does the 1 [Chastain] crew chief know the deal.”
Neither driver ever passed the No. 24, who was one point up on Christopher Bell.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace radioed that he had a tire going down and rapidly slowed around the track. In the final corner, fellow Toyota driver Bell closed in and passed him. But Bell also entered the corner too hot and slid up the track. Upon hitting the wall, Bell kept his foot in the gas and rode the wall to the checkered flag in a slower/accidental version of what Chastain did at Martinsville two years ago — which is now illegal.
Bell and Byron were tied with Bell winning the tiebreaker, but there were no celebrations to be had. NASCAR spent a lot of time reviewing the finish before finally announcing that Bell would not make the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year. He was thrown out for a safety violation, citing the wallride. Bell was dropped from 18th to 22nd in the finish order, placed at the end of his lap.
However, there were diminished emotions from Byron camp, who remained stone-faced when interviewed by NBC. “I’m not happy for anything,” said the 2024 Daytona 500 winner. “But the rule is what it is for the crossover gate over there and riding the wall. It is what it is. Just proud of my team. A really hard fought day overall so proud of that.”
Bell was despondent. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know … I understand the rule was made to prevent people from riding the wall but my move was completely different from what Ross’s was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence. I don’t know what to say.”
It was a stunning end to the Round of 8 elimination race. Byron and Blaney will now battle Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano for the 2024 NASCAR Cup title.
