NASCAR results, highlights: Christopher Bell holds on for Homestead playoff win over Ryan Blaney; updated playoff standings

Christopher Bell overcame a nightmare first two stages to somehow win the 4EVER 400 on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

For the second straight year, Bell has locked himself into the Championship 4 with a win in the playoff Round of 8. Bell had been running in the 20s for much of the day, battling a tight race car, and nearly went a lap down late in Stage 2. But adjustments and late chaos brought the race to the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

The race turned on its head in a span of about 25 laps. Kyle Larson was forced to retire after inexplicably clipping the sand barriers – and Ryan Blaney’s right-rear quarter panel – at pit entry on lap 214. After a brief red flag to clean up the mess, Denny Hamlin’s steering failed as he was running second and he smacked the wall, forcing him to retire the car. Just a minute later, Martin Truex Jr.’s engine failed.

4EVER 400 results

1. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

3. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

4. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

5. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

6. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

7. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

9. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

10. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

11. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

12. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

13. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

14. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

15. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

16. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

17. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

18. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

19. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

20. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

21. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

22. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

23. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

24. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

26. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

28. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

29. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

30. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

31. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

32. John Hunter Nemechek (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

33. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

35. Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

36. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Updated 2023 NASCAR Cup playoff standings

1. Christopher Bell* – 4,110 (-)
2.Kyle Larson* – 4084 (-)
3. William Byron – 4,126 (+30)
4.Ryan Blaney – 4,106 (+10)
_________________________________ Cut line
5.Tyler Reddick – 4,096 (-10)
6. Martin Truex Jr. – 4089 (-17)
7. Denny Hamlin – 4089 (-17)
8.Chris Buescher – 4,063 (-43)
*-Clinched entry into Championship 4

4EVER 400 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
9-9:50 a.m.: Practice (NBC Sports app)
9:50-11 a.m.: Qualifying (NBC Sports app)

Sunday
2-2:30 p.m.: Pre-race show (NBC, NBC Sports app)
2:30-6 p.m.: 4EVER 400 (NBC, NBC Sports app)

4EVER 400 details

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval), in Florida
Banking: Turns – 18-20 degrees | Straights – 3 degrees
Length: 267 laps for 400.5 miles
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 80 laps | Stage 2 – 85 laps | Stage 3 – 102 laps
2022 winner: Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports

4EVER 400 qualifying results

1. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

3. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

4. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

5. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

6. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

7. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

8. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

9. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

10. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

11. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

12. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

13. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

14. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

15. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

16. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

17. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

18. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

19. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

20. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

21. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

22. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

24. John Hunter Nemechek (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

25. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

26. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

27. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

28. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

29. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

30. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

31. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

32. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

33. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

34. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

35. Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

36. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

1. Kyle Larson* – 4084 (-)
2.William Byron – 4,077 (+9)
3. Martin Truex Jr. – 4070 (+2)
4.Denny Hamlin – 4070 (+2)
_________________________________ Cut line
5.Christopher Bell – 4,068 (-2)
6. Tyler Reddick – 4,054 (-16)
7. Ryan Blaney – 4,053 (-17)
8.Chris Buescher – 4,047 (-23)
*-Clinched entry into Championship 4

Tribute weekend for Kevin Harvick

Sunday’s 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is named as such because it’s the slogan for Kevin Harvick’s farewell season driving the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing entry.

Harvick will be racing in a special one-off paint scheme featuring the Budweiser brand, reminiscent of the car in which he won the 2014 Cup title at … you guessed it, Homestead. In addition to the race namesake and car livery, Harvick’s longtime crew chief, Rodney Childers, and Childers’ family will deliver the command to start engines, and senior NASCAR official Mike Helton will be the honorary starter.

Harvick is leaving the sport after 23 seasons in the Cup Series with, currently, 823 starts, 443 top-10s, 251 top-5s and 60 wins. The Bakersfield, California, native’s career began under tragic circumstances, as he stepped into the legendary Dale Earnhardt’s car after the seven-time champion was killed at the 2001 Daytona 500. Harvick famously won in just his third start that season and never looked back.

Top drivers and best bets for the 4EVER 400

The pressure is off Kyle Larson, as he has already clinched his spot in the championship race, but he still enters as a big favorite at (+275), according to BetMGM. Larson and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron have combined to win six of 13 races at intermediate tracks this season, and Byron is 7-to-1.

Best odds to win
• Kyle Larson +275
• Tyler Reddick +600
• Martin Truex Jr. +625
• William Byron +700
• Denny Hamlin +700
• Christopher Bell +1000

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week on the betting outlook, and in addition to the favorites, he suggests betting Kyle Busch (+1600), who has two wins at the track, and a desperate Chris Buescher (+2000) who sits 23 points below the playoff cut line. If you’re looking for a longshot, defending series champion Joey Logano is out there at 35-to-1.

4EVER 400 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
John Hunter Nemechek (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Josh Bilicki (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

4EVER 400 weather

The elements could impact Friday’s Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series practice and qualifying sessions, as there’s a 51% chance of thunderstorms that day. Both days of Cup Series running are forecast to be sunny, with high temperatures in the mid-80s. High track temperature and Homestead’s famously abrasive surface should chew up tires quickly, and Goodyear has allotted teams 11 sets for the weekend — one for practice, one for qualifying and nine for race day.