Practice

4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1

Sunday, October 22nd, 2023

Homestead Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL

  • 16 Chevrolet
  • 14 Ford
  • 6 Toyota

  • Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1
  • Busch Pole Award Pole Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
  • Age: 43
  • Team : No. 19 - Bass Pro Shops Toyota
  • Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
  • Crew Chief: James Small
  • Martin Truex Jr. won the Pole Award for the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 with a lap of 32.256 seconds, 167.411 mph.
  • This is his 22nd pole in 655 NASCAR Cup Series races.
  • This is his second pole and 15th top-10 start in 2023.
  • This is his first pole in 19 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  • Bubba Wallace (second) posted his 15th top-10 start of 2023 and his first in five races at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  • Tyler Reddick (third) posted his second top-10 start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is his 21st in 34 races this season.
  • Ty Gibbs (ninth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
  • This is Toyota's 500th pole across NASCAR's three national series. Toyota has earned 148 in the NASCAR Cup Series, 179 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 173 in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

  • Sunday, October 22nd, 2023
  • NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain
Christopher Bell Wins in Miami: Back to Championship 4

In one of the most thrilling NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell rallied from a frustrating race start to lead the final 16 laps of Sunday’s 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to earn a second straight appearance into the Championship 4.

Bell, who only made his first appearance inside the top five on track with less than 50 laps remaining, got around a pair of the day’s front runners in the final laps to blaze to the lead in the No. 20 JGR Toyota and claim that automatic championship admission ticket. It’s the 28-year-old Oklahoma native’s second win of the season – sixth of his career – and the first of the season’s eight Playoff races to date.

Last year Bell famously pulled off a “walk off” victory in the regular season finale at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series championship bid, ultimately finishing third in the title run. His win Sunday had that same “rally” feel and he now joins last week’s winner, Kyle Larson as the only two Playoff drivers set for the title run with one race remaining to decide the other two.

Bell led fellow Playoff driver, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney to the Homestead checkered flag by a 1.651-seconds – just ahead of Playoff drivers, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top five.

“I’ve got the best team behind me, honestly I don’t know [how we did it], that race was a whirlwind,’’ Bell said. “I was about ready to throw the towel in during that second stage, I got really frustrated. But [crew chief] Adam Stevens kept after it and gave me what I needed. Whenever we got some clean air this thing was really good.

“I cannot say how proud I am to be here with our partners, driving these Toyota Camrys. Thank you to everyone who supported me. This is better than a dream come true.’’

Although disappointed to not secure the win after leading 53 laps, Blaney said, “We were trying, we just needed laps.

“The long run car was really good. I just couldn’t fire off for 10 laps or so. I think the track cooling off [during the red flag] helped those guys. I think we were better in the hotter, sliker conditions when “fire off” speed didn’t matter as much and it fell off quicker. That played into our benefit.

“We ran out of laps a little bit,’’ he added. “I am proud of the effort. It was a really good day, we just got beat a little bit there at the end.’’

It was certainly the cap to a thrilling final 40 laps of competition to cap off the sunny South Florida afternoon.

In a matter of five minutes during those closing laps, Bell took the race lead and two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also in the Playoffs – Denny Hamlin and regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. – fell out the race with major problems. Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota slammed into the Turn 1 wall. And as the field slowed for that caution period, Truex turned down pit road and told the team his car “might be blowing up.’’

As Hamlin sat on pit wall, disappointed and speaking with his crew, Truex turned the engine off and the crew pushed his No. 19 JGR Toyota it into the garage. Both Playoff drivers were done for the day and dropping below the crucial top-four threshold that will advance to the Nov. 5 Championship 4 race in Phoenix. Truex was scored 29th and Hamlin, 30th.

All of it making for an even more intense race at the half-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next week that will formally set the four-driver NASCAR Cup Series championship field.

“We tried and it just didn’t work out,’’ an obviously disappointed Hamlin said.

“It shows you how hard our sport is, that’s two cars and we had been up front,’’ JGR team owner Joe Gibbs said. “It also shows you in sports – particularly in ours with that 20-car (Bell) – it shows never to stop fighting.’’

With only that Martinsville race remaining, Byron now sits 30 points ahead of the championship cut-off line with Blaney in fourth place – 10 points up on Reddick. Bell’s JGR teammates Truex and Hamlin are now both 17 points below the Cut-off line.

Among the eight Playoff drivers, Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher – a three-race winner this season – struggled the most, going two laps down midway through the second stage and never cracking the top 20. He’s now in eighth place, 43 points back with a 21st place finish Sunday and will need to win the Martinsville race to advance to his first Championship 4.

One of the more unusual incidents of the entire season – let alone the Playoffs – happened during a green flag pit stop and involved Blaney and Larson – who were running first and second at the time with 53 laps remaining.

As their two cars approached pit road, Blaney slowed significantly, and Larson was still going faster directly behind him. While trying to avoid ramming into the back of Blaney’s Ford, Larson turned his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy to the right and went full-on into the sand-filled protective barriers at pit entrance causing them to explode with sand.

It caused enough damage on Larson’s car that he had to take it into the garage and the team retired it. Blaney was able to finish his pit stop and make his way back on track. He reassumed the lead when the rest of the cars pit following a nearly 13-minute red flag period.

“I need to look at data,’’ said an apologetic Larson, who finished 34th despite leading a race best 96 of the 267 laps. “I knew where the yellow line was but on the replay it looked like I missed it by a lot. So I need to look at data. I knew where the yellow line was and I was under control getting there and then he just slowed down, I locked the brakes, clipped him and hit the barrels.

“I’m upset with myself more than anything. Whether he got to pit road speed sooner than the yellow line or not, I could have just done a little better job.

“I hope they’re able to recover and he can get a good finish or the win and get the finish he (Blaney) deserves. Just a bummer. I thought we had a great car today and just made a mistake.’’

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, Joe Gibbs Racing’s rookie Ty Gibbs, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the famed Martinsville (Va.) Speedway half-miler for next Sunday’s Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to close out this round of competition and formalize the Championship 4 competitors for the Nov. 5 Phoenix season finale. Bell won last year’s Martinsville Playoff race. Larson won the Spring race this year.

  • Drivers Entered: 36
  • Laps Scheduled: 267
  • Margin of Victory: 01.651 Seconds
  • Time of Race: 3 Hours 11 Minutes 54 Seconds
  • Average Speed: 125.221
  • Cautions: 5 for 35 laps
  • Lead Changes: 25
  • Green Flag Passes: 3,377 (14.6 passes per green flag lap)
Kevin Harvick waits on the grid
Homestead, Florida - October 22, 2023 : Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Budweiser Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
James GilbertGetty Images
4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead Miami Speedway Practice results
# DRIVER MAKE RNK SPD TME BHND LAP LAPS 5- 10- 15- 20- 25- 30- 10-LAP FRM TO
16 AJ Allmendinger Chevrolet 19 165.680 32.593 0.657 1 20 32.962 33.313 33.570 33.772 0 0 162.123 1 10
10 Aric Almirola Ford 27 164.499 32.827 0.891 2 27 33.101 33.461 33.677 33.779 33.921 0 161.404 1 10
6 Brad Keselowski Ford 9 166.770 32.380 0.444 1 32 32.777 33.190 33.393 33.532 33.666 33.798 162.734 1 10
11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 7 167.152 32.306 0.370 1 29 32.770 33.250 33.534 0 0 0 162.455 1 10
15 JJ Yeley Ford 35 162.607 33.209 1.273 2 18 33.537 33.884 34.045 0 0 0 159.395 2 11
22 Joey Logano Ford 11 166.708 32.392 0.456 2 27 32.765 33.233 33.454 33.619 33.766 0 162.531 1 10
4 Kevin Harvick Ford 24 165.274 32.673 0.737 1 26 33.089 33.351 33.616 33.799 33.903 0 161.934 1 10
8 Kyle Busch Chevrolet 15 166.615 32.410 0.474 2 21 32.777 33.247 33.520 33.702 0 0 162.466 1 10
19 Martin Truex Jr Toyota 6 167.364 32.265 0.329 1 30 32.844 33.249 33.536 33.715 33.829 33.968 162.453 1 10
34 Michael McDowell Ford 5 167.468 32.245 0.309 1 19 34.021 34.236 0 0 0 0 157.746 8 17
51 Ryan Newman Ford 34 163.631 33.001 1.065 2 23 33.371 34.206 34.336 0 0 0 157.872 9 18
3 Austin Dillon Chevrolet 18 165.710 32.587 0.651 1 30 32.954 33.300 33.514 33.724 33.843 33.984 162.183 1 10
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Chevrolet 13 166.631 32.407 0.471 1 27 32.859 33.209 33.384 33.525 33.674 0 162.635 1 10
5 Kyle Larson Chevrolet 17 166.477 32.437 0.501 1 26 32.821 33.170 33.303 33.416 33.593 0 162.827 1 10
48 Alex Bowman Chevrolet 14 166.615 32.410 0.474 1 27 32.694 33.148 33.468 33.659 0 0 162.948 1 10
12 Ryan Blaney Ford 3 167.764 32.188 0.252 2 32 33.046 33.206 33.329 33.412 33.506 33.631 162.666 1 10
7 Corey Lajoie Chevrolet 28 164.444 32.838 0.902 2 27 33.078 33.413 33.587 33.756 33.894 0 161.638 1 10
77 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 31 163.994 32.928 0.992 1 25 33.101 33.434 33.631 33.811 33.947 0 161.531 1 10
9 Chase Elliott Chevrolet 20 165.538 32.621 0.685 1 28 33.075 33.416 33.680 33.849 33.950 0 161.627 1 10
17 Chris Buescher Ford 32 163.959 32.935 0.999 1 28 33.323 33.622 33.787 33.854 33.966 0 160.634 1 10
43 Erik Jones Chevrolet 26 164.544 32.818 0.882 2 14 33.188 33.519 0 0 0 0 161.123 1 10
41 Ryan Preece Ford 25 164.835 32.760 0.824 2 32 33.036 33.401 33.627 33.798 33.970 34.084 161.697 1 10
99 Daniel Suarez Chevrolet 12 166.646 32.404 0.468 1 29 32.945 33.506 33.797 33.913 34.025 0 161.230 1 10
1 Ross Chastain Chevrolet 16 166.538 32.425 0.489 1 25 32.950 33.318 33.516 33.598 33.716 0 162.102 1 10
23 Bubba Wallace Toyota 1 169.088 31.936 0.000 1 25 32.610 33.130 33.422 33.619 33.791 0 163.049 1 10
24 William Byron Chevrolet 21 165.502 32.628 0.692 2 28 32.938 33.229 33.489 33.639 33.769 0 162.526 1 10
78 Josh Bilicki Chevrolet 36 159.165 33.927 1.991 3 22 34.208 34.236 0 0 0 0 157.734 1 10
45 Tyler Reddick Toyota 8 166.935 32.348 0.412 1 28 32.817 33.279 33.568 33.724 33.846 0 162.305 1 10
31 Justin Haley Chevrolet 22 165.416 32.645 0.709 2 19 33.017 34.207 0 0 0 0 157.874 10 19
42 John Hunter Nemechek Chevrolet 30 164.134 32.900 0.964 2 27 33.230 33.438 33.640 33.804 33.910 0 161.503 1 10
20 Christopher Bell Toyota 4 167.650 32.210 0.274 1 33 32.783 33.296 33.539 33.711 33.872 33.985 162.233 1 10
2 Austin Cindric Ford 2 167.999 32.143 0.207 1 26 33.398 33.613 33.723 33.815 0 0 160.665 5 14
14 Chase Briscoe Ford 10 166.744 32.385 0.449 1 33 32.782 33.259 33.532 33.723 33.937 34.071 162.406 1 10
21 Harrison Burton Ford 23 165.320 32.664 0.728 2 27 32.977 33.392 33.648 33.796 34.023 0 161.751 1 10
54 Ty Gibbs Toyota 29 164.299 32.867 0.931 2 27 33.142 33.604 33.862 33.971 34.051 0 160.735 1 10
38 Todd Gilliland Ford 33 163.815 32.964 1.028 1 22 33.313 33.869 34.099 34.222 0 0 159.491 1 10