CHICAGO — The complexion of the NASCAR Cup Series race on the Streets of Chicago changed considerably on Lap 46 when impending darkness shortened the Grant Park 220 by a quarter of the scheduled distance to 75 laps.
It shifted the dynamics of the race because there was a group of teams that pitted on Lap 42 and another group that pitted on Lap 31, and the timing of that decision being made public gave those slower teams track position and enough fuel to reach the finish.
As a result, a dominant Christopher Bell was shuffled to 12th, and would need to make some tough passes to get to the front instead of waiting for those teams to make their final pit stops. Sure, he had fresher tires and the race was ultimately won by Shane Van Gisbergen from a similar disadvantage, but those teams were forced to go on the attack rather than run a methodical pace.
So, Bell paid for it when he spun in Turn 1 on Lap 56 and lost the rest of his track position, effectively ending his chance to win. He finished 18th after leading 37 laps.
“Nothing we could have done about the strategy stuff,” Bell told Sportsnaut after the race. “I made a mistake getting into the tire barrier trying to come back through traffic.”
He says he lost sight of his brake marker while racing and paid for it.
His crew chief, Adam Stevens, believes NASCAR made the decision too late and could have made it sooner before the slower cars were gifted the track position and enough fuel to make it to the end.
He says he reached out to the scoring tower early in the race to make sure they were aware of the decision that would need to be made.
“I was reaching out to NASCAR to sure that they were aware, and they were, and they made the decision at a time … where they couldn’t back the race (finish) enough to (offset) those who backed into the track position,” Stevens told a pair of reporters including Sportsnaut after the race.
“They made the call too late and the people who pit on (Lap) 31 could make it on fuel with some cautions and those who pit prior to the stage end could make it on fuel so it was complete negligence that they let that happen. They should have called that prior to the lap to pit where we could have all made it to the end so we could have the same chance to pit.”
Stevens says he’s not going to reach out to NASCAR this week because he believes they are ultimately aware that the timing was unfair.
His words were a little stronger.
“They know it was stupid,” Stevens said. “I can’t make them change their minds on that.”
NASCAR explains reason for late decision
NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell indicated that the delay in making that call was a hope that they could get the full race in.
“At the time we made it, we waited as long as possible to see if we could get all 100 laps in,” O’Donnel said. “When we knew that wasn’t possible, we waited, we closed pit road. We wanted to make sure everybody knew what the race distance was going to be. Everyone had a chance to come in, pit the car, get fuel. We wanted to take fuel mileage out of it.
“I think we’ve had conversations with some who may have thought it was unfair who pitted on the same lap that the leader did and won.
“I think we’re more than comfortable with the way the decision was made in this case. Certainly it can be second-guessed anytime you have to do this, but I feel like the process played out well. Would have liked to get all 100, but we wanted to be as fair as possible for the fans and also not put ourselves in a position where we’re getting questions of why are you racing in the dark.”
Kyle Larson finished fourth and was ultimately bit by the timing of the caution, but also where the No. 5 car was placed in line following a caution later in the race. Crew chief Cliff Daniels declined an interview request on the matter.
While unlikely to have won the race, due to a spin in Turn 2 on lap three, Denny Hamlin was denied further track position due to the timing of the decision and expressed a degree of frustration on the topic.
“It literally was like hitting the lottery because you didn’t know when they were going to call it,” Hamlin said. “If it were like 5-10 laps, everyone has to pit, and there’s no luck involved. But again, if that’s all we have to complain about this weekend, where so many other things went right for the sport, we’ll take it.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.