Story By: SAM MAHONEY / TOYOTA RACING – WATKINS GLEN, NY – Christopher Bell (14th) led Toyota in a wild race at Watkins Glen International on Sunday. With the finish, Bell took over the points lead, heading into the final race of the first round at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bell holds a 46-point advantage to the Playoff cutline, while his Toyota teammate Tyler Reddick also holds a considerable advantage as he is 30 points to the good in sixth. The remainder of the Toyota Playoff drivers are near the cutline as Ty Gibbs is in 12th, six points up on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who is in 13th. Martin Truex Jr. closed slightly on the final Playoff berth, as he sits 15th – 14 points out.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Watkins Glen International
Race 28 of 36 – 90 Laps, 220.5 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chris Buescher*
2nd, Shane van Gisbergen*
3rd, Carson Hocevar*
4th, Ross Chastain*
5th, Zane Smith*
14th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
17th, BUBBA WALLACE
20th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
21st, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
22nd, TY GIBBS
23rd, DENNY HAMLIN
27th, TYLER REDDICK
32nd, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
33rd, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Camry Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 14th
Wild day and you still gained on the Playoff cutline. Can you talk about your race?
“I don’t know. That was our worst road course race that we’ve had in a very, very long time with our DeWalt Camry. That was disappointing, but ultimately if you would have told me that I’m going to come out of here with gaining on the points to the cutline, I would’ve taken it. It wasn’t pretty how we got there, but we got there and now we can go to Bristol and relax a little bit more.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 20th
Can you talk about that finish?
“You get green-white-checkered at the end of the race, and you know people are just going to drive through someone. We were on the wrong lane, on the short end of the stick as usual. We were in a decent spot there with our Reser’s Camry, and you go through the esses, and they just plow through you and put you in the marbles. This racing is just ridiculous.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 CW Sports Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 22nd
Can you take us through your day?
“A lot of chaos for sure. We were just not good today and fought to have a good points day. I wish we could have had a better finish and a better points day, but it is just part of it. Hopefully, we can learn and come back better – just not a good day.”
You came in here plus one to the cutline, you are now plus six. What do you have to do at Bristol next week?
“We’ve been really solid there the last two races, so hopefully, we can have good race next weekend and have a good points day. I feel like we were solid enough there to win, the last two times we were there. Thank you to the CW. Thank you to Toyota, Monster Energy.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 23rd
What do you think about your finish today?
“Great effort by this FedEx Toyota team to keep us in it. Obviously the car is just destroyed, so to finish 23rd – I guess there is a positive. We were certainly in a worst spot most of the day, and luckily, we had some attrition there at the end that helped us out.”
How do you feel about Bristol?
“I feel like we can go there and win. We are going to an oval – back to a normal track. We can control our own destiny there.”
You are six points out. Is that a manageable number to get in on points?
“Yeah, if you run in the top two or three all day, absolutely.”