Christopher Bell snapped his run without stage points by seizing a dramatic stage victory during the Challenge Four of the AutoTrader EcoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20, 2025. The pivotal Christopher Bell stage win at Dover came despite him spinning twice in the 400-mile contest, yet he managed to avoid major mishaps and secure his long-awaited result.
Battling setbacks to reach the front in Dover
Representing Joe Gibbs Racing and piloting the #20 Toyota Camry XSE, Bell performed well in qualifying, ultimately securing third place just behind teammate Chase Briscoe. As the race unfolded, Bell stayed near the front—finishing second in the opening stage, immediately trailing Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott. Building on that momentum, Bell surged into the lead to capture victory in the second stage, putting an end to his extended drought without stage wins.
As the race entered its latter stages, Bell continued to challenge for the lead alongside Chase Elliott at the beginning of the third segment. However, he spun on the first lap of stage three and faced another spin just eight laps before the finish. Remarkably, Bell managed to avoid any serious crashes despite these incidents, maintaining his composure through the closing laps.
“Yeah, it’s just refreshing to have speed again. You know, we haven’t had pace. And today we were able to lead laps, get stage points, won a stage. So, that is something that I’m super excited about and proud of. Even though I made mistakes and I spun out whenever I probably shouldn’t have spun out, you know, we’re going for the win.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
“And yeah, if we just keep bringing speed like that to the racetrack, then we’re going to be just fine. It’s, you know, that’s been a long time coming. I haven’t scored stage points in a long time, let alone won a stage. I think that’s my first stage win of the year,”
he added. —Christopher Bell, Driver
Strong season performance continues
This stage win solidifies Bell’s ongoing success in the 2025 Cup Series. With a current rank of sixth in the standings, he has amassed 635 points, demonstrating consistency with three wins, 12 top-ten results, eight top-five finishes, and a pole position from 21 race starts.
Christopher Bell addresses the road course shift in NASCAR
Bell’s excellent 2025 season has included a victory at a road course event—the Circuit of the Americas—showcasing his adaptability across track types. Addressing the changing landscape in NASCAR, Bell spoke candidly about the growing number of road course events as he shared his insights with FrontStretch Media.
“I’m good with it… I like it. It’s enough now where the teams and the drivers have to take it seriously. Before, whenever it was only Sonoma and Watkins Glen, you had a lot of teams that didn’t take the road courses seriously and didn’t put a lot of effort into it.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
“But now with so many road courses, you have to be good at them if you want any chance at doing well in the season standings,”
added Christopher Bell. —Christopher Bell, Driver
Looking ahead to Watkins Glen International
The next Cup Series road course challenge is set for Sunday, August 10, 2025, at Watkins Glen International. The 90-lap contest will air live at 2 pm ET, broadcast by USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch 90, and HBO Max. The upcoming event at Watkins Glen is expected to test drivers and teams as they adapt to the increasing prominence of road course races in the season.
Christopher Bell’s return to form at Dover, combined with his strong perspective on NASCAR’s evolving schedule, positions him as a key contender for the remainder of the 2025 season. Fans and teams alike will be watching closely as road courses become more decisive in the race for championship points.
