Bell feels calmer than ever before ahead of postseason hunt

Christopher Bell is over what happened that ended his NASCAR Cup Series postseason run in 2024, but it did give him one bit of insight.

“You’re not guaranteed anything,” Bell said this week, “and that was a friendly reminder of that.”

Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing team were eliminated in the final race of the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway. In a battle with William Byron for the final spot to make the championship race on points, the two finished tied to advance, with Bell holding the tiebreaker. However, NASCAR deemed Bell had ridden the wall on the final lap, a move outlawed after Ross Chastain did it in 2022.

It was not intentional, according to Bell. He slid into the wall when trying to pass Bubba Wallace. There was also the controversy of Byron having helpers from his Chevrolet teammates.

When the dust settled, Bell was on the outside looking in after having made the Championship 4 the previous two seasons. He begins his hunt for another opportunity from the No. 5 seed. He is one of six drivers who have 20 or more playoff points in their pocket.

“I definitely feel calmer this year than I have in years past,” Bell said. “I remember being very nervous going into the playoffs in years past, and now I feel calm, and I’m excited. I’m happy and excited about the opportunity.”

Bell started the year with three wins in the first month of the season. But he has been winless since. Although he finished the regular season in the top five in the championship standings, Bell didn’t hide that he felt it had been a rough season after the hot start cooled off.

In the first 16 races of the season, Bell won three races, 11 top-10 finishes, and led 153 laps. However, in the final 10 races of the regular season, Bell earned three top-10 finishes and led only 72 laps.

How does the team reset and get to Phoenix Raceway to win the championship? Bell said he didn’t have a magic answer.

“But I go back to history,” he said, “and this [No.] 20 team, [crew chief] Adam Stevens, these mechanics, these engineers have just done a really good job of showing up when it matters the most. I have all the confidence in the world that they’ll do the same thing again.”