Tire gamble doesn't pay off for Christopher Bell at Richmond

It's not quite Dale Earnhardt and the Daytona 500, but Christopher Bell's struggle to win a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2026 has been both enthralling and heartbreaking to watch. 

Bell didn't notch an eighth runner-up of the season on Saturday at Richmond Raceway, but he was leading late and once again fell short of victory. 

An alternate strategy from crew chief Adam Stevens had Bell leading the race on old tires, which was a relatively risky move but the only path to victory for the No. 20 on a night where Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe had far superior cars. 

Christopher Bell's gamble doesn't pay off

The gamble didn't work. It didn't really even come close, as Logano easily scooted around Bell for the race lead, with Bell falling all the way to seventh by the checkered flag. 

The race was, for all intents and purposes other than victory, a success for the No. 20 team. Bell is tied for sixth in points with Chase Elliott and still has plenty of momentum on his side going into the Aug. 23 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is arguably his best track. 

Bell could absolutely snap his 31-race winless drought at New Hampshire next week, but if he once again comes up just shy of victory, it'd be another painful weekend for a team that can win a slew of races this year.