Christopher Bell catching fire at the right time in 2026 NASCAR season

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a whirlwind for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell. 

From an inconsistent start of the season to a broken wrist suffered at Michigan on June 7, the 31-year-old from Norman, Okla., has been on quite the rollercoaster ride. 

But Bell and the No. 20 team have caught fire over the last month. Bell has four top fives in the last five races, with three of those being runner-ups. While he hasn't won yet this season, Bell has six second-place finishes, making it clear he's consistently putting himself in a position to win. 

Can Christopher Bell be a top five Chase seed?

Not that there was ever much doubt that Bell would make the Chase, but he's solidified his spot in the postseason over the past month as well. With four races left in the regular season, Bell is 10th in the standings, 129 points above the cut line. 

Most importantly, Bell has the opportunity to ride in the standings over the next four races. With drivers believing they must be a top five or six seed in the Chase to have a legitimate shot to win the championship, Bell breaking into the top five would be huge. He's only 29 points back of fifth-place Carson Hocevar going into the Aug. 9 race at Iowa Speedway, as fifth through 15th in the standings are separated by only 101 points. 

With Bell catching fire and drivers such as Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson fading, Bell is heating up at just the right time to position himself inside the top six at the end of the regular season. 

Bell will take a 29-race winless drought into Iowa, where he finished 17th in 2025.