MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 16, 2024) – Phillip Bell and Sammy Smith pulled off a thrilling victory Oct. 5 at Talladega to earn a spot in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, becoming the first JRM entrant into the second round.
With Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway on the docket for the Round of 8, there are ample opportunities to advance, as Bell has been part of JRM victories at each track during his tenure with the team.
Of course, Smith has won at Phoenix Raceway, the site of the series championship race, in the past, but getting to the final race is the key.
To get the Championship 4 at Phoenix on Nov. 9, there are a couple of things Bell, Smith and the No. 8 Pilot Flying J team need to do well over the next three races.
Consistency: “We have to be consistent,” Bell said. “Looking at the average points needed to make the Round of 4 over the last five years, we need to average 45 points a race. We have to be consistent again. We have really good tracks coming up for us at the No. 8 team and for the company. We know how to win at all three of them, so we just have to do it.”
Score Points: “We all want to win a race, and we can point our way in,” Bell pointed out. “I think we can easily go out and win a race, but we can also point our way in.”
As was the case in the Round of 12, there is a wild-card race in the Round of 8, and Bell knows it well.
“The wild-card in this round is Martinsville,” he said. “It’s a strength. There’s not a weakness in these three races, that I can see, but a little more is out of your hands at Martinsville.”
