Christopher Bell’s Gateway chances hampered by engine issue: ‘That one sucks’

MADISON, Ill. — Christopher Bell was looking to do something at World Wide Technology Raceway he’s never done before in his Cup Series career: win consecutive races.

After leading a race-high 80 laps, the achievement looked to be well within reach throughout Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300. After crew chief Adam Stevens pitted him later in the final pit cycle to give his driver fresher tires, Bell was fighting neck-and-neck with Ryan Blaney for the top spot late at Gateway.

Then, inside the final 20 laps, the No. 20 Toyota lost power.

“Just something in the engine department let go,” Bell said. “I’m surprised that it hung on for those last [19] laps or whatever. That one sucks, there’s no way around it.”

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Bell, who won his first crown-jewel race one week prior in the Coca-Cola 600, lost positions rapidly. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. bump-drafted the No. 20 car down the long straightaways of the 1.25-mile oval for a few laps to keep up Bell’s momentum, aiding Bell across the finish line for a seventh-place finish. It’s the first time he’s had consecutive top 10s in more than two months.

“All I can tell you is it lost power with about 20 or 25 laps to go, dramatically,” Stevens said. “I didn’t see any smoke coming out of the pipes, so I don’t know if we had an internal issue or an ignition issue or what. There’s just no way to tell right now.”