NASCAR: Christopher Bell's penalty could eliminate another driver

When the checkered flag flew at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell was one of four drivers who punched his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4.

But he entered the final lap of the 500-lap Xfinity 500 around the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Ridgeway, Virginia oval one point behind Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron for the fourth and final Championship 4 spot.

And because of the fact that his pass on 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace for 18th place, the one position he needed to advance, closely resembled the "Hail Melon" from Ross Chastain two years ago, NASCAR considered the move a safety violation.

Bell was dropped back to 22nd place and ultimately scored four points behind Byron, who finished in sixth and secured a Championship 4 spot for the second year in a row, denying Bell what would have been his third in a row.

That penalty could have a domino effect at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.

Byron is set to join Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as well as 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick in the battle for the championship in the 312-lap NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval.

Let's take Byron out of the picture here and say that Blaney, Logano, and/or Reddick finish ahead of Bell. This means that one of those three drivers would win the championship.

For argument's sake, let's say it's Blaney.

But because Byron is in the picture, he could now win the championship by beating those three drivers. So if Byron wins the race ahead of Blaney in second place, Bell's penalty would have ultimately cost Blaney a championship.

Of course, it could cost Bell the championship as well, if he ends up beating Blaney, Logano, and Reddick himself, regardless of what Byron does.

So let's simplify it even further.

In any event, if Byron finishes ahead of the highest finisher among Blaney, Logano, and Reddick, while Bell doesn't, Bell's penalty would have cost another driver (not named Bell) the championship.

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