NASCAR playoffs at Homestead: Christopher Bell wins, locks up spot in Championship 4

Charlotte Observer NASCAR reporter Shane Connuck will be providing updates from today’s Cup Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami. Follow those musings below. Refresh this page as needed. All times are Eastern.

Live updates have concluded for today. For a look at where the playoff drivers stand, click here.

Unofficial results

Race updates

Lap 267: Christopher Bell holds on to win. It’s over. Bell, Blaney, Reddick, Byron your top 4.

Lap 265: Tyler Reddick is sneaking up on Blaney, and Christopher Bell has maintained his advantage. Bell was running more slowly before, but he’s picked up the pace. With two to go, Bell in control.

Lap 262: Ryan Blaney makes the pass on Byron and sets his sights on Bell in front!

Lap 260: With under 10 to go, Christopher Bell has the lead, but Ryan Blaney is the fastest car on the track. He’s in third, with William Byron in between.

Lap 239: What an awful series of events for Joe Gibbs Racing. Two playoff cars, and within two minutes, both now out of the race in Miami and both will face virtual must-win situations next week at Martinsville.

As the cars run now, Truex is 7 points below the playoff cut line, but that gap will get wider as he loses positions to cars still running. Hamlin sits 12 points out, but he, too, will drop.

Meanwhile, Bell, Byron and Blaney, the three drivers still running on the lead lap with a shot to win are actually running 1-2-3. This finish....

Lap 235: Denny Hamlin into the wall! Hamlin was above the cut line before this, but he lost his steering, he said on his radio. He went straight into the fence as he was battling in 3rd and 4th positions with Ryan Blaney. The view of the right side of his car shows a severe stripe along the right side. Meanwhile, in the same breath, Martin Truex Jr also having an issue. He’s leaking oil and his engine isn’t cooperating. He’s coming into the pits to see what might be wrong.

Lap 230: This is racing! Christopher Bell dives low on the restart and leaves Hamlin and Blaney high and dry, er, slow. Bell is now in front with Byron now in second. Blaney and Hamlin are now 3-4, with Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick, two non-playoff drivers, in 5-6 positions. But Bell, now in the driver’s seat.

Lap 229: Now inside of 40 to go, Denny Hamlin remains in front after a pass of Ryan Blaney on the previous restart. William Byron and Christopher Bell — two more playoff drivers — are right behind.

Lap 221: Red and the subsequent yellow have lifted, and Ryan Blaney is still at the front on the restart. Denny Hamlin is hot on his heels and then passes him for the lead and then... yep... another yellow. The 42 and the 15 are on the track after wrecking. Yeley and Nemechek are being tended to on the track.

Meanwhile, some cars take advantage and pit under yellow.

Lap 216: We are now under a red flag so drivers don’t waste so many laps under yellow while crews continue to clean the area in front of pit road after Kyle Larson slammed into the yellow barrel barrier. He did so after Ryan Blaney checked up hard in front of him to try and slow down to pit road speed.

Larson suffered some damage to his front end on the collision, and he’s no behind the wall and out of the race. With a win already in this round of playoffs, he’s fine for next week and beyond. All other cars are parked.

Lap 215: Pit stops under yellow and Kyle Larson takes out the yellow barrels at the top of pit road (filled with sand and water). It’s a mess at the entrance to pit road, crews are busy cleaning it up. Meanwhile, after the pit cycle, Denny Hamlin is again in the lead. William Byron is second and Austin Dillon is running in third. For now.

Lap 194: Kyle Larson cuts to the inside, battling with Denny Hamlin for second place. Ryan Blaney is running along the wall in the lead ahead of both of them.

Your Top 10: Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell.

Lap 183: Ryan Blaney has pulled away, but Denny Hamlin isn’t far behind. William Byron is running in third, Kyle Larson fourth and Ross Chastain fifth.

Martin Truex Jr. pulled ahead in seventh, while Brad Keselowski and Tyler Reddick battle for eighth. Austin Dillon is in sixth, and Christopher Bell is running 10th after a 22nd-place finish in Stage 2.

Lap 179: Up comes Ross Chastain! The No. 1 Chevy gets past Brad Keselowski on the inside and moves into fifth place.

Lap 175: William Byron and Ryan Blaney were side-by-side for the lead in the first few laps after the restart before Blaney pulled away.

Byron and Denny Hamlin are in a close battle for second, with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson behind.

Lap 172: We’re green again for the Final Stage!

Stage 2

Lap 165: Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2! The No. 12 Ford Mustang had been running in the Top Five throughout and bolted past Kyle Larson late to secure the stage win.

Your Top 10 after Stage 2: Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano.

Christopher Bell came in 22nd, and Chris Buescher finished 26th.

Lap 161: Ryan Blaney passes Kyle Larson! The No. 12 car had been battling the No. 5 and has a narrow lead late in Stage 2.

Lap 154: Tyler Reddick comes up the outside lane and moves up to sixth place. Brad Keselowski, in fourth, is pulling away from Martin Truex Jr., in fifth, as those three are separated by about a second.

Your Top 10: Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano.

Logano started at the rear, in 36th, as he’s driving a backup car.

Lap 145: How fast is Kyle Larson running? The No. 5 Chevy Camaro just passed Daniel Suarez, running in 23rd, putting the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy a lap down.

Ryan Blaney is up to second, with William Byron third, Brad Keselowski fourth and Martin Truex Jr. fifth. Just under 20 laps left in Stage 2.

Lap 133: Denny Hamlin was the last driver to pit.

Kyle Larson is running well ahead of the field, once again, holding a lead of more than five seconds.

Your Top 10: Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger.

Lap 117: Most cars are pitting, and like around Lap 35 midway through Stage 1, Denny Hamlin is waiting several laps to head down Pit Road. The No. 11 Toyota currently holds the race lead as many drivers pit.

Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Kyle Busch and Michael McDowell are currently running in the first through seventh positions as they have yet to pit.

Lap 108: Kyle Larson hasn’t let up the lead, but Brad Keselowski continues battling him closely. Not far behind, playoff drivers William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are separated by less than two seconds.

Lap 94: Kyle Larson is maintaining his lead! Brad Keselowski, out of the playoffs, continues pushing toward the front and has moved within a second of Larson.

Your Top 10: Kyle Larson, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin.

Lap 86: We’re green again!

Lap 82: Many drivers are pitting as the caution period continues.

Chris Buescher finished Stage 1 in 28th, making him the only playoff driver to not earn points.

Stage 1

Lap 80: Under the caution flag from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spin, Stage 1 comes to an end! Kyle Larson wins his fourth consecutive stage after sweeping the stages in last week’s dominant win at Las Vegas.

The Top 10 after Stage 1: Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs.

Lap 77: We have our first caution flag! Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun out midway down the backstretch. He takes his Chevy down to Pit Road. As long as Kyle Larson maintains his position until Lap 80, he will be your Stage 1 champion.

Lap 64: Kyle Larson continues leading, roughly two seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski.

Your Top 10 as we near the end of Stage 1 (Lap 80): Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs.

Lap 53: Kyle Larson passes Brad Keselowski for the lead! The No. 5 Chevy Camaro was running side-by-side with Keselowski’s Ford Mustang, and Larson pulled to the inside lane as Keselowski tried to ride the wall and bolted past the No. 6 car.

Lap 41: Brad Keselowski moves into the lead with Kyle Larson, William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. behind.

Lap 40: Denny Hamlin finally pits, about six laps after most of the field. Joey Logano, driving a backup car, and Ty Dillon also waited until halfway through the stage to pit.

Lap 35: John Hunter Nemechek, the Xfinity Series points leader driving the Legacy Motor Club Chevy today, received a speeding penalty on Pit Road. Denny Hamlin, the current leader, is the only driver who hasn’t pitted.

Lap 33: Most drivers head down Pit Road, including William Byron and Brad Keselowski from first and second place, respectively.

Lap 26: William Byron surged to the front and grabbed the lead in Lap 20! Brad Keselowski is up to second, while Martin Truex Jr. is fourth and Bubba Wallace falls to eighth.

Lap 11: Martin Truex Jr. passes Bubba Wallace as the two have been running side-by-side. Brad Keselowski and William Byron battling for third.

Your Top 10: Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain.

Lap 9: Bubba Wallace, who started second, jumped in front of pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. early and has led since Lap 2.

2:37 p.m., Green flag: We’re racin’ at Homestead!

2:26 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines!” Rodney Childers, Kevin Harvick’s crew chief, and his family give command at Homestead! Cars are on the track. Should be racing in about 10 minutes.

1:38 p.m.: Some timing info for today’s race, from NASCAR: Driver introductions begin at 1:50 p.m. The invocation will be at 2:18 p.m., and the national anthem will be performed by Grammy-nominated singer Manu Manzo at 2:19 p.m.

This week’s race, named the “4Ever 400,” is honoring retiring driver Kevin Harvick. Harvick’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, and Childers’ wife and two sons have been named the Grand Marshals and will say the most famous words in motorsports at 2:26 p.m.

The green flag is scheduled to wave at 2:36 p.m.

12:30 p.m.: We’re about two hours out from the green flag!

Martin Truex Jr. will lead the field to green in the second race of the Round of 8 (2:30 p.m., NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR). It’s the 22nd pole of his Cup Series career and his second this season, along with marking the 500th pole for Toyota across all three NASCAR series.

It comes at a critical time for Truex, the regular season champion who sits two points above the cut line after struggling early in the playoffs. He rebounded at Las Vegas with a ninth-place finish — his first Top 10 since Watkins Glen — and will start Sunday’s race in front.

Truex will be followed by Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson.

Odds and Predictions for Sunday’s race

Not only is Kyle Larson entering as last week’s winner, the current playoffs leader won last year’s playoff race at Homestead as well. Larson is the favorite to win the 4Ever 400 at 5-2 odds, according to CBS Sports, followed by Truex (21-4 odds), Reddick (6-1), Denny Hamlin (7-1) and William Byron (15-2).

Shane Connuck is predicting Denny Hamlin to win Sunday’s race. The longtime driver felt strongly before the playoffs that this could be his year to get over the hump in the Championship Four, and he feels being the “villain” in the playoffs has been fueling his confidence.

Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Hamlin has three wins, could be the track where he joins Larson in the Championship Four. He’s run particularly well at Homestead outside those victories as well, taking the pole in six of his last eight races there.

How to watch the NASCAR playoffs at Homestead

Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway (Homestead, Fla.)

Race: 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1

Date: Sunday, October 22

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

Purse: $7,634,143

TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET

Streaming: NBCSports.com/NBC Sports App

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)

Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 80; Stage 2 ends on Lap 165; and the Final Stage ends on Lap 267

Starting lineup for the 4Ever 400

Position Driver Car Number