Despite a remarkable performance with three back-to-back wins, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing has not been able to clinch the top position in NASCAR’s drivers’ standings. William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports, who triumphed in the Daytona 500 season opener and has shown more consistency in the first four races, currently leads the standing with 165 points, a 13-point lead over Bell.
Bell, however, isn’t fazed by this seemingly contradictory situation. A native of Oklahoma, he’s keeping his eye on the long game, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Kyle Busch, who brought glory to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019.
While three early victories would usually secure a top spot in most motorsports disciplines, NASCAR’s unique scoring system places a premium on consistency over the number of wins. Stage points and the Xfinity fastest lap also contribute to a driver’s overall standing, a lesson Bell has learned.
Bell acknowledged this during a pre-race press conference in Las Vegas. Despite his victories, he has not scored as many stage points as his rival Byron, which explains his current position in the standings.
Analyzing his performance in detail, Bell secured fifth place in stage 1 of the Daytona 500 and ended up with 11 points. At Atlanta, he won the race and earned 40 points but failed to make the top 10 in either stage or secure the fastest lap. At COTA, despite winning the race, he finished ninth in stage 2, adding only two additional points to his tally. His best points haul came at Phoenix where he finished in the top five in each stage, netting 57 points for the race.
Despite these results, Bell remains ambitious. With only four races completed, he understands that it’s too early to worry about the standings. His focus is on the long-term goal of winning the Bill France Cup, a feat achieved by Kyle Busch in 2019.
Last year, Bell narrowly missed out on Championship 4 due to the controversial Martinsville race, an experience that left him feeling cheated. Determined not to let that dampen his spirit, he’s geared up for the current season and is aiming for the regular season championship, a feat he hasn’t achieved yet.
Joe Gibbs Racing has had an impressive start to the season, with three wins in the first four races, largely thanks to Bell’s performance. However, NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick expressed concerns about whether they can maintain this momentum throughout the season. He feels that early success might dampen their motivation to keep improving.
Despite these concerns, Bell is motivated by the prospect of the regular season championship. He’s not too concerned about his current standing but is focused on the approaching races. He views the Las Vegas race as a crucial tune-up for the fall playoff race, which he lost to Joey Logano last year.
Rivals Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports are keen to make their mark in the Cup Series. As the season progresses, they will be refining their Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros in a bid to outperform Bell. Despite his current dominance, only time will tell if Bell can maintain his winning streak when the competition intensifies.