There isn’t any scarcity of fine vibes surrounding Christopher Bell because the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing crew embarks on their newest pursuit of the NASCAR Cup Collection championship however there may be an apparent ‘query mark’ too.
They received thrice over the course of the common season and enter the chase for the championship because the No. 5 seed. Nonetheless, these wins got here within the second, third and fourth races of the season consecutively and no extra since.
Within the months since, there was principally a whole lot of consistency and usually race contending velocity however Bell really not too long ago requested crew chief Adam Stevens if that they had something to fret about approaching the playoffs.
“I’ve really requested Adam that as a result of I obtained just a little bit involved about it a pair weeks in the past,” mentioned Bell throughout the Playoff Media Day occasion in Uptown Charlotte. “He mentioned, ‘look, we’re not doing something completely different than after we received three races in a row earlier within the season.’
“We now have an excellent crew; an excellent course of and we’re going to maintain after it and have some nice racetracks for us. I believe we have now all of the instruments we have to go on the market, execute and win races, and hopefully we are able to try this.”
Bell reached the ultimate 4 within the first two years the Cup Collection raced on the NextGen platform and had seemingly made it three consecutive till NASCAR penalized him for what it felt was an unlawful wall journey maneuver.
He conceded that ‘every thing fell our manner’ throughout that three-week stretch at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas and Phoenix. Bell cited that Atlanta is a drafting monitor and solely led one lap and that he solely led eight laps in Austin.
“It went our manner and we had been in a position to capitalize on it,” Bell mentioned. “…It comes and goes on this sport, and it’s been robust sledding right here by way of the summer time months, however I’m excited for what comes forward of us.”
To wit, Stevens has Bell believing that they’re simply as able to making the same run over the following 10 weeks too.
“Completely,” Bell mentioned. “Any week. Any week. It might occur. It might occur this week at Darlington. It might occur any week.”
And the playoff schedule this yr particularly makes him really feel assured.
“We’ve been actually shut at Darlington however haven’t received but,” Bell mentioned. “The playoffs are plagued by tracks like that — Darlington, Kansas, Vegas and Gateway. All these locations the place we’ve been tremendous sturdy however simply haven’t received. It might occur this week and it might occur subsequent week.”
Bell additionally says he seems like that is his greatest probability to win a championship but having completed second at Martinsville within the spring and profitable the newest race at Phoenix.
“This yr is my greatest yr for a championship,” Bell mentioned. “I do know that. Adam is aware of that. I’m able to take it to him.”
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