How Bell's mastering NASCAR's postseason game

Christopher Bell would rather have been at a ‘handful of other racetracks’ than at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It wasn’t a track that brought a ton of confidence. Prior to Sunday, he’d led just four laps at the place at Cup level, and had finished no better than eighth.

Still raw over not being able to win in Las Vegas, he knew eighth wasn’t going to be good enough. In the third round of the playoffs, every race, according to Bell, is a must-win, and doing so at Homestead was going to be a tall task.

Sunday became the struggle Bell feared when he was nearly lapped in the second stage and fighting the handling on his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. But he muscled his way to the front and into victory lane after the team worked and worked on his car, and track position started to come his way.

It was a showcase of a driver’s determination and a team refusing to give up. In the NASCAR postseason, it’s the way to becoming a champion.

“Bell is a generational talent in this sport,” crew chief Adam Stevens. “He is as good as they come. He's still learning. We're still learning each other as a team. If you get him close, he can get the job done. We've proven it time and time again.

“We got to do a better job as a team and as a company keeping him in contention. When we do that, he's able to claw his way up there and make stuff happen like the great ones do.”

Stevens believes the more that’s piled on Bell’s shoulders, the better he does. Bell has certainly proven that not only in this postseason but also what he did last year to carry them to the Championship 4.

In both the second and third rounds, Bell had to win to advance. Back against the wall. No other way forward. At the Charlotte Roval, Bell was 30 points below the cutline going into the overtime restart. He went toe-to-toe and beat former Series champion, Kevin Harvick.

It was a similar gap three weeks later at Martinsville Speedway. Again, Bell was elbows out and got to the front when it mattered. Those two wins in four weeks were the biggest of his career – ones that should be given more respect than they received.

Bell produced clutch wins at the Roval and Martinsville (above) during last year's Playoffs to get himself into the Championship 4. Motorsport Images

Bell was the most impressive player of the 2022 postseason, even if Ross Chastain is remembered more because of his Hail Melon move. Chastain made one move. Bell continually rose to the occasion and in this format, embracing the pressure and finding ways to succeed are important.

A strong regular season is great, but what really matters is 10 races. What really matters is what happens in the three race rounds and that one-race winner-take-all finale.

In three postseason appearances, Bell has qualified for the championship race twice.

“I think that's what we all look at and say: how many guys want to drive cars … how many get a chance to come up here then it winds up being only a small number can really, really get it done when they have to get it done,” Joe Gibbs said. “It's so hard sometimes. Like Christopher, it's only his fourth year. He got thrown in the first year, and we had no practice because of COVID. We were just throwing him into racetracks. He and Adam were able to work through all that. Then he comes back the second year, kind of gets his feet on the ground, takes off.

The great thing there is how young he is. I think Adam said it. I think Adam has done a great job of bringing him along. I think he's got great confidence in Adam. That certainly helps. I told him we'll put a saddle on Christopher and ride him for 20 years.”

Bell could be the newest NASCAR Cup Series champion in two weeks. Or he’ll be left to try again next year. Either way, what he has already shown is that he’s capable of being a contender, and someone who can be counted on to be great when the most important time of year comes.

“I would rather be the regular-season champion and be able to cruise in on points,” Bell said of his come-from-behind success. “In Phoenix, I would rather have a five-second lead and just cruise. I don't want to have to be put in those positions.

“But I do live for those moments. I love being great or trying to be great, I should say. Yeah, I love it.”