NASCAR icon reveals what is holding Christopher Bell back

Christopher Bell has experienced mixed results during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

He is tied for the second-most wins in the series (three) with Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen and won all three consecutively, becoming the first driver to do so in the Next Gen Car (since 2022).

While he also tacked on an All-Star win at North Wilkesboro in May, the summer months have not been kind to Bell with five finishes outside the top 10 in his last nine races, including an 18th-place finish on Sunday at Dover.

That was the result of a pair of spins while battling for the lead, which led to 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick calling out this tendency of Bell's that he believes could use some improvement if he is going to compete for championships.

"This is the difference between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. Denny's going to go as fast as he can go and not spin out," Harvick said on the latest episode of his "Happy Hour" podcast. "You look at a Bell and you look at (Kyle) Larson and some of those guys. They get themselves into these positions. It's the dirt car mentality. It's like drive it to the edge, and if it spins out, okay. If it doesn't, I guess it works.

"I think in these scenarios, this is still one of Bell's weaknesses, in my opinion. ...When you're racing for the win, you've got to be able to capitalize on if you don't win, finish second and being able to do that, not step over the edge. That's just one of the things that Bell needs to get better at, in my opinion, of not stepping over the edge. We've seen it happen a number of times, and it puts him in a bad spot. I think that makes it harder to win a championship, because you're going to make those mistakes in pressure moments of not finishing second."

Bell has become one of the most consistent drivers in the Cup Series, having finished in the top five of the final standings each of the last three years. He may have lost control multiple times at the "Monster Mile," but he led his most laps (67) in a points-paying race since the last of his three consecutive wins at Phoenix (105) on March 9.

On top of that, he spun while battling for the lead on both occasions at Dover, so it was not like he was off the pace or running toward the back of the field and the car just came around on him. 

Bell has proved he has the speed and talent to win races and compete for championships, but his tendency to go past the edge and spin out could still prove costly when points are at a premium and consistent finishes are rewarded.

Whether this continues to be an issue or not, there is no denying that Bell is giving it everything he's got, which is all you can ask for in a points system that puts a greater precedence on winning. If he makes the same mistake in the playoffs, though, it could be the difference between advancing to the next round or getting eliminated.