Christopher Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing team are focusing attention on improving Christopher Bell NASCAR qualifying performance as the NASCAR Playoffs advance, following a dramatic and unusual win last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. While the victory secured valuable points, Bell remains unconvinced that the race outcome signals future dominance, noting the unusual tire issues and sheer luck that influenced the finish.
Bell described the Bristol event as a race of chance, with significant tire cording affecting competitors’ strategies throughout the night. Though the No. 20 team managed to conserve enough fresh right-side tires to secure the win and outlast Brad Keselowski, Bell was candid about the element of fortune involved.
“Certainly, winning helps but we didn’t lead laps,”
said Christopher Bell, driver, Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Whoever won that race was going to have to have a substantial amount of luck and fortunately it was on our side. But I don’t know. I think we had a great car, but I think a lot of people would’ve said the same thing, and we got really fortunate last week. So, it was kind of a unique circumstance that played out. So, I don’t know that it necessarily was a true test of where the teams stack up,”
Bell explained, highlighting the lack of laps led and the unpredictability of the conditions.
Qualifying Performance Remains a Key Concern for Bell
Despite three early-season victories, Bell has not consistently led races, and his qualifying results have slipped from his previous performance. With only 239 laps led this season, compared to 1,145 last year, and an average starting position dropping to 13.5 from 11.2, Bell recognizes qualifying as a critical weakness. This gap is magnified when compared to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, who have been stronger in winning pole positions and securing top starting spots.
Addressing his qualifying struggles, Bell remarked,
“What we have to do better, is we’ve got to start qualifying better,”
Christopher Bell, driver, Joe Gibbs Racing.
“That is mission critical. Oh, my goodness. All of us are – we’re frustrated a little bit of how we’ve qualifying especially compared to our team cars. I say that because the team cars are the barometer. If the team cars are qualifying well, then you should be qualifying well too,”
Bell stated.
Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, two of Bell’s prominent competitors, have secured nine pole positions between them, while Bell has managed only one. Bell emphasized the consequences of this difference, saying,
“Whenever you get deeper into the Playoffs, you have to be scoring stage points, and a lot of the stage points are dictated by your qualifying effort,”
Christopher Bell, driver, Joe Gibbs Racing. He connected successful qualifying directly to both stage points and race leadership, citing it as the biggest opportunity for his team to improve in order to contend for a championship.
Looking for Improvements Among Teammates and Within the Team
Bell noted that his race-day performances have often matched his competitors’, but poor qualifying means starting in less advantageous positions. He pointed to a lack of car balance on qualifying days as a contributing factor, especially when compared to the setups achieved by his teammates within Joe Gibbs Racing.
“We have the capability and the teammates are showing we have the capability if we just get it right,”
Christopher Bell, driver, Joe Gibbs Racing, said.
“And, we just have been off a little bit, and it doesn’t take much to be a couple positions back. Our teammates have just been hitting it and getting the good qualifying results. We’re missing a little bit. Some of it has been on the balance side and some of it has been on the driving side as well. All of us – myself, Adam (Stevens, crew chief), the engineers, we all have to just buckle down and improve that if we want to go deeper here,”
Bell added, underscoring the collective responsibility of the team in seeking qualifying gains.
Playoff Points and the Road Ahead
With the Bristol win, Bell gains five additional playoff points, improving his margin above the playoff cutoff line. Entering a round that historically favors his performance, these points bolster his chances but do not guarantee advancement. Bell assessed the upcoming tracks and his competitors with measured optimism.
“I think, you look at the race tracks on paper and they say that we should be really good at all of these tracks, and we should be able to have good performance,”
Christopher Bell, driver, Joe Gibbs Racing, commented. He noted that execution and avoiding costly mistakes would be decisive, rather than simply having a fast car.
“We’re going to be capable so just got to dot your i’s and cross your t’s and do your job. I think if it’s up to car performance, we’ll probably be fine but the execution side and finishing the races out, making sure that you make the right decisions on restarts, the right strategy calls, not making mistakes on long green flag runs – stuff like that — is going to be the difference maker in the Round of 12,”
added Bell, highlighting how decisions and discipline could determine who advances among playoff drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, and Tyler Reddick.
Significance for Bell and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Championship Push
For Christopher Bell and the Joe Gibbs Racing team, elevating qualifying performance has emerged as the missing link to unlocking stage points and leading laps, especially as the Playoffs intensify. With strong performances from teammates and a competitive Toyota field, Bell will rely heavily on strategic improvements in practice and qualifying sessions to keep pace with rivals such as Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Tyler Reddick. The coming weeks will test whether Bell and his crew can address these gaps and capitalize on their car’s race-day strengths, aiming for a deeper championship run in the competitive NASCAR Cup Series.
