Christopher Bell has been bad fast all weekend at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Saturday, he led all but one lap in Stage 1 of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 to take the Stage win.
Bell, is already locked into the Championship 4 at Homestead next week by virtue of his win last weekend in Texas.
Justin Allgaier, who is still looking to lock his place into the championship fight, finished second in the Stage. Allgaier is still looking for his first win of 2019.
Fellow championship contenders Cole Custer, Tyler Reddick, CHase Briscoe and Michael Annett placed third through sixth in Stage 1.
Brandon Jones, who got his first career win at Kansas a few weeks ago, was seventh,
Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-10 finishers in the opening Stage of the race.
Landon Cassill has been on pit road and behind the wall for work on Morgan Shepherd’s No. 89 car. Cassill is 20 laps down at the end of Stage 1 and Riley Herbst back his No. 18 car into the wall on lap 13 after battling with Michael Annett.
Herbst sits 34th, three laps off the pace in 34th.
