NASCAR CUP SERIES: FOOD CITY DIRT RACE

April 9, 2023

Christopher Bell

Frontstretch Quotes

An Interview with:

Q. Christopher, had to drive a hundred perfect laps at the end of that race. You had restarts, challenges. You held them all off. How does this one feel on Easter?

CHRISTOPHER BELL: Man, let me tell you, these are some of the longest laps of my entire life. This place is so much fun, whether it is dirt or concrete. Whenever the cushion got up there on the top, it was very tough because you couldn't drive it super hard otherwise you'd get sucked in.

If you got your right front into it, you'd push a little bit. If you got your right rear into it, you'd slide. It was a lot of fun.

I'm so grateful to be here driving this No. 20 for DeWalts, Joe Gibbs Racing. That was a lot of fun.

Q. We saw you hit the right rear a number of times. Did you ever think this was the one that gets me?

CHRISTOPHER BELL: Three and four, that was the scary corner for me because if you got into it too far, you lost all your momentum. One and two, I think I kept hitting the wall a couple times. Seems like there was a little bit more moisture up there, it would hold me better. I am like, okay, I can really attack one and two. But three and four I had to be careful.

Man, I can't just get over how long those laps feel. A 20-second lap, you're moving the wheel 18 times a corner, feels like it takes a long time to get around there.