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Christopher Bell wrecks from lead in Stage 1 at Texas, ending his race

Christopher Bell Texas Stage 1 JGR Todd Gilliland Denny Hamlin

Christopher Bell started Sunday's race in seventh place, and after the first pit stop cycle, he found himself in position to challenge for the race lead.

Battling his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, he took the lad and led several laps. As he encountered heavier lapped traffic in the final 15 laps of the stage, Denny Hamlin got back alongside him and they battled back-and-forth.

While those two JGR teammates disputed the lead, Todd Gilliland -- who was running near the tail of the lead lap -- got up out of the groove and spun in Turn 4. He kept his foot in the gas, attempting to keep it off the wall. However, that also sent his No. 34 FRM Ford back down the track, directly in the path of the race leader.

Bell tried to avoid, but got clipped, sending his No. 20 Toyota careening into the outside wall on the front stretch.

After 68 laps, Bell's promising day came to an abrupt end. He was checked and released from the infield care center. 

"Just another one of those 50/50 calls," Bell told a media scrum including Motorsport.com "I saw him [Gilliland] spin and Denny lifted, and I thought that I could shoot the gap on the bottom. I thought I did shoot the gap on the bottom, and I got clipped."

Bell truly believed he had a race-winning car, but due to the fact that he wrecked before the end of Stage 1 and will finish last, the JGR driver leaves Texas with just one point for his efforts.

"I was worried about points about eight weeks ago," said Bell about the championship situation. "But its gonna be what it's gonna be and they'll reset with ten to go. We gotta finish as high as we can up until that point."

Bell led 22 laps before the race-ending crash.

Photos from Texas - Sunday

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, Joey Logano, Team Penske

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing, Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing, Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Joey Logano, Team Penske

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Corey Heim

Texas - Sunday, in photos
General view

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing, Ryan Preece, RFK Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chad Finchum

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports; Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Corey Heim

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
General view

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Corey Heim

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Texas - Sunday, in photos
General view

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

Texas - Sunday, in photos
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