Bell and his #20 Joe Gibbs Racing team struggled for much of the race and at one point he was in danger of falling a lap down.
However, a string of cautions in the final 60 of 267 laps knocked several playoff contenders out of the race and put Bell back in the hunt for the win.
He took the lead for the first time on a restart on lap 230, and despite briefly losing it he reclaimed it from William Byron with 15 to go. Bell then held off a late charge from Ryan Blaney and edged him by 1.651 seconds to earn his second win of the 2023 season and first in the playoffs.
The victory puts Bell in the final four championship fight at Phoenix in two weeks, where he will join Kyle Larson to battle for this season’s title.
“I’ve got the best team behind me. That race was a whirlwind,” Bell said. “I was ready to throw the towel in there in the second stage. I got frustrated on the radio.
“Adam [Stevens, crew chief] kept after it. The guys back at the shop were working over the adjustments and gave me what I needed. Whenever we got some clean air, this thing was really good.”
Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Rheem / Smurfit Kappa Toyota Camry
With one race remaining to qualify for the championship four title fight, the four drivers lowest in points without a win and in danger of playoff elimination are Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick.
It means Byron and Blaney are the best-placed drivers in the points going into next week’s Martinsville race that will decide the final two places for the four-driver title showdown at Phoenix on 5 November.
Tyler Reddick ended up third, Byron fourth and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top five.
Completing the top-10 were Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano – who started the race from the rear of the field in a back-up car, Aric Almirola and Austin Dillon.
NASCAR Cup Homestead race results (267 laps)