Christopher Bell 'didn't have the pace' to compete for the win at New Hampshire

One of the most surprising aspects of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the lack of speed shown by Christopher Bell and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team. 

Bell, the defending New Hampshire winner, has made the "Magic Mile" his playground in recent years. In addition to his two Cup Series wins at the track, he also boasts four Xfinity Series wins at NHMS in four starts, as well as a Truck Series win at the track in 2017. 

But on Sunday, Bell, who qualified a distant 19th, could only watch as Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney dominated the Mobil 1 301, with Blaney ending up the victor. 

New Hampshire performance not what Christopher Bell wanted

Bell did manage to score five stage points in Stage 2 and finish sixth to salvage a good points day, but Sunday's performance was likely not what JGR nor Bell himself were expecting. 

"I think from a points standpoint, we did well," Bell told USA Network. "We just didn't have the pace. We didn't have the pace to run with the top competitors. We walked out of here with a lot of points, so I think it was a successful day." 

Bell is fourth on the playoff grid after New Hampshire, 29 points above the cut line. He's looking to advance to the Round of 8 for the fourth year in a row as he chases his first Cup Series title.