NASCAR expert Jeff Gluck has positioned Christopher Bell ahead of his fellow Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in his latest outlook for the season‘s championship race at Phoenix Raceway, giving Bell an edge over Denny Hamlin in the Phoenix ranking discussion. With the high-stakes Round of 8 finale approaching at Martinsville, Bell stands 37 points above the playoff cutline, making his momentum a key storyline as the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series nears its climax.
Expert Predicts Bell Could Be JGR’s Flagbearer at Phoenix
On his most recent episode of The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck outlined why he views Christopher Bell as a standout among his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates for the Cup finale. Bell currently holds third place in the playoff standings above the elimination line as the series approaches its penultimate race. Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, by winning the two previous races, have already booked their spots in the decisive Championship 4.
According to Gluck, performance dynamics at Phoenix heavily favor certain contenders depending on which teams make it to the final. He emphasized his belief in Bell’s potential advantages, should he make the Championship 4:
“If Bell makes it, I think Bell becomes a favorite of the JGR drivers,”
Jeff Gluck, NASCAR Insider
Gluck further analyzed the competition, weighing the strengths of various organizations:
“If a team Pensky cars in, they’re the favorite for Phoenix. If they if it’s like Larson or Byron or Elliot. I have to put the JGR I have to put the Hendrick Car forth and JGR above them. … Not saying they couldn’t do it because execution-wise I think Hendrick always finds a way. But speedwise you’re going to think, okay, JGR maybe has the edge there. So, if Bell makes it, I think I have to put Bell over Brisco and Hamlin,”
Jeff Gluck, NASCAR Insider
Bell’s recent form at Phoenix supports this opinion. He’s the reigning Cup event winner at the desert oval, demonstrating commanding short-track pace earlier this season. Notably, Bell also drove to victory at the 2024 spring race at the one-mile venue. However, his career average finish at Phoenix is 10.1, trailing behind Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and William Byron on this metric.
Race History and Standout Performances at Phoenix
Chase Briscoe, another standout, scored his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Phoenix back in 2022. Despite that achievement, his recent form there tells a different story: Briscoe finished 35th in the March race this year and 36th last November, posting a modest average finish of 15.6 at the track. Notably, this marks the first time Briscoe, now the No. 19 driver, has advanced to the Championship 4 in his Cup tenure.
For context, both Hamlin and Briscoe are chasing another Championship 4 appearance, while other drivers like Kyle Larson and William Byron remain in the hunt, aiming to capitalize on any opportunity as the field tightens heading to Martinsville and Phoenix.
Bell’s Resilience Mirrors Previous Playoff Challenges
Bouncing back from tough playoff moments is nothing new for Christopher Bell. He earned an eighth-place result last Sunday at Talladega, putting him only a single point ahead of fellow title contender Kyle Larson, who finished 26th. The razor-thin margin underlines the pressure facing Bell and his competitors as they prepare for the cutoff event at Martinsville.
In this critical playoff round, any win by a driver ranked below the cutline could oust the fourth-placed driver from the Championship 4. The stakes are significant, as proven talents like William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott have all taken wins at Martinsville. Byron and Blaney each have two wins at the Virginia short track, with Elliott also securing a victory there in 2020.
This isn’t Bell’s first stint on the playoff bubble. Last year, he found himself in a similar playoff scenario but was ultimately eliminated following a high-risk maneuver on the last lap at Martinsville Speedway—a move NASCAR penalized for safety reasons, resulting in Bell dropping from 18th to 22nd in the final running order and missing out on the Championship 4 opportunity.
The penultimate race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled for this Sunday, October 26, with the field tightly stacked and playoff dynamics shifting with each lap.
Impact of the Phoenix Finale on Cup Championship Aspirations
Phoenix Raceway serves as the championship battleground, shaping the legacies of drivers and the strategies of powerhouse organizations like Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, and Hendrick Motorsports. The Denny Hamlin Phoenix ranking remains a hot topic as analysts debate whether Bell’s momentum or Hamlin’s consistency will ultimately prevail.
For competitors such as Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Briscoe, the race at Phoenix not only offers a shot at NASCAR glory but also adds urgency to every decision made at Martinsville. With names like Jeff Gluck spotlighting key individuals, the series underscores just how closely matched the top contenders are as they chase the season’s biggest prize.
Fans and analysts alike await the next chapter, as the outcomes at Martinsville will decide which four drivers will battle for the NASCAR Cup championship in the desert, continuing a season filled with tight margins and electrifying finishes at some of the sport’s most storied tracks.
If Bell’s in the Champ 4, he might just outrank his teammates… 👀@jeff_gluck | @Jordan_Bianchi pic.twitter.com/ifCt0htFXp
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) October 20, 2025
