After a miserable last four weeks, Christopher Bell gets things steered back the other way and wins the pole award at Kansas. This NASCAR season has been up and down for this team and now Bell has his eyes on a win.
Before winning, Christopher Bell needs to focus on finishing. That has been hard to do for this 20 car lately. Wrecks, mistakes, and other problems have plagued them in the last month.
We know that Bell is great at qualifying. He is strong, specifically at Kansas in qualifying, but still needs a strong finish. He will lead the field to green on Sunday with his first pole award of the season.
Christopher Bell won at Phoenix but since then it has been a struggle. In the four races before Martinsville, Bell had a win, two top-10s, and a top-5. In the four races since then, he has had finishes of P35, P17, P38, and P34. A rough time.
On the season, Bell has five finishes of P33 or worse. He has to finish better and more consistently in these races or he will fall behind. Even with a win, he has to step up his performance.
Toyota has been strong at Kansas in the Next Gen era. Bell will try to get another win for the manufacturer in the AdventHealth 400.
Ross Chastain, Noah Gragson, Kyle Larson, Kyle Bush, Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Chase Elliott, and Chase Briscoe are the rest of the top-10 from qualifying. William Byron hit the wall making his day on Sunday more difficult.
Christopher Bell lagging behind JGR teammates
It feels like the last two years we have all been waiting for Christopher Bell to emerge as the next torch bearer for JGR. That 2022 season looked like it was a breakthrough. Then Bell had a lackluster season until late in 2023 when he made a run for the Championship 4.
He might just be a late-season bloomer. Saves his best for last. However, if Bell is ever going to be the face of JGR, or at least the second-best driver, he has to be consistent. Martin Truex Jr. doesn’t have a win, but he’s consistent. Ty Gibbs, no wins, but consistent.
Then you have Denny Hamlin out front with his three wins. My point is, that we keep getting our hopes up and then coming back down and then getting them up again for Bell. When are we going to see Bell make that jump?
Christopher Bell has time to improve. He has time to make me eat crow and prove that he is the next one to carry the mantle for Joe Gibbs. The past month has not been ideal, to say the least.
More must-reads: