By Dipti Sood

Copyright sportskeeda

Christopher Bell left Kansas Speedway disappointed after missing out on a win in the Round of 12. The Hollywood Casino 400 came down to two overtime restarts, where Bell started on the front row.Both times he was pushed up the track, and Chase Elliott ended up taking advantage. Elliott won the race, while Bell had to settle for third place behind Elliott and Denny Hamlin. The mistake came on the restart timing. Bell admitted afterward that he got caught in the wrong spot.“That was a bummer when I lost the lead on the restart when I caught the wrong timing line,” Bell told NBC Sports.He explained that choosing the inside or outside lane was a “50/50” call, and in this case it didn’t work out.Bell had the lead in position but couldn’t hold it, and Elliott turned that into a playoff win. Bell, meanwhile, still got 50 points, which gives him a strong chance to move into the Round of 8 even without the Kansas victory.Even with the frustration, Bell said he was proud of the effort. He said,“I felt like we left it all on the table. It was rewarding to be restarting on that front row and knowing that if I win I advance, and I get out of here and don’t win, that we are in a really good spot. I’m proud of our team.”The Charlotte ROVAL is next, and Christopher Bell goes into the race with a 44-point cushion above the playoff cut line. That gap means he does not need to win to advance, but he has made it clear that winning is still the goal. Bell has been one of the top road course drivers this year, though Shane van Gisbergen has been the one to beat in that category.Christopher Bell speaks on Hamlin-Gibbs clash before KansasBefore the Kansas race, Christopher Bell was asked about the Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs incident at New Hampshire. The two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates made contact while fighting for 11th place, and Gibbs spun out. Bell shared his view in an interview with NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass,“I think it’s definitely fair to say that a line was crossed, and that was bad. We don’t need to get any teammates wrecked. Hopefully, we do better moving forward,” Bell said.When asked if the team’s perspective had changed since the incident, Christopher Bell did not go into detail but said the discussions had been useful. He explained,“I only think that I will sum this up is that we had a productive meeting. And I feel optimistic about changes and moving forward,”At New Hampshire, Christopher Bell finished sixth. That strong run gave him momentum heading into Kansas, where he started fifth.