Christopher Bell’s crew chief tried to give him a little bit of coaching — some encouragement with about 40 laps left in the race and a victory and playoff spot at stake — and was promptly told, well, basically to shush.
“He told me that he had it under control,” crew chief Adam Stevens said with a laugh, “and he clearly did.”
Bell explained later there so many laps left in the race, that he didn’t need a reminder of how far the No. 20 Toyota had to go to reach the finish line.
Plus, Bell already knew the way to reach Victory Lane at his favorite track.
Bell crashed the NASCAR playoffs — and tightened the pressure on the remaining winless drivers — by winning Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the 14th Cup Series winner this season.