Denny Hamlin 'a great barometer' for Christopher Bell, No. 20 team

Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell both race out of the Joe Gibbs Racing stable and are first and second in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings after Bell's win in Sunday's Southern 500 at Darlington. 

After an 18th-place finish due to damage incurred in the race's final stage, Hamlin, the No. 1 Chase seed and the championship favorite, has only a 12-point lead over Bell in the standings. 

Denny Hamlin has the respect of Adam Stevens, No. 20 team

"It’s a great barometer," Bell's crew chief, Adam Stevens, said of Hamlin and the No. 11 team on Sunday. "I have a lot of respect for Denny as a driver and what he brings to the program and how much he understands his car and how his affect on his balance and his setup and how he uses his tires, and he does such a good job elaborating that in our competition meetings.

"He’s a rare breed in that regard from the way that he grew up and as long as he’s been doing this. Thankful to have him in our stable, and we’ve learned a lot from him. [Chris] Gayle has been around forever. We’ve kind of up through the ranks similarly. You know, they don’t have any weaknesses."

Hamlin may not have any weaknesses in regard to what he can control, but as Sunday proved, he's also at the mercy of his competitors in the championship hunt. The drivers who exploit Hamlin's misfortune and capitalize, as Bell did on Sunday, are the drivers who can beat Hamlin for the title. 

Bell, who finally has a win under his belt this season, might be the favorite to do just that. 

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.