HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Kids continue to yell “6-7” despite it having no meaning and no context. Christopher Bell, however, could yell “11-2” and receive a tip of the cap, for it holds serious meaning and strong context for the driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE.
In the 35 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season, Bell’s average finish is 11.2. That’s more than a position better than his nearest pursuer in this category, Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Chase Briscoe, and more than two positions better than Kyle Larson, who bested Bell by seven points Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to take the final, coveted spot in the Championship 4 finale this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
Despite owning the best average finish this year – a number bolstered by Bell earning a single-season career-high four victories – the 30-year-old racer from Norman, Oklahoma, is a bystander in Sunday’s winner-take-all championship.
“We just weren’t strong enough at Martinsville,” said a subdued Bell after the race. “We practiced in the teens, we qualified in the teens, and kind of raced back there most of the day.”
With William Byron dominating Martinsville by winning the pole, sweeping both stages and leading three times for a race-high 304 laps en route to the win, he locked himself into the Championship 4. Byron joined the JGR duo of Denny Hamlin and Briscoe, who secured their Championship 4 berths by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, respectively, in the penultimate Round of 8 where only the top-four drivers after Martinsville advanced to Phoenix’s Championship 4.
Bell held a single-point advantage over Larson coming into Martinsville, but with Larson finishing fifth to Bell’s seventh-place result, the die was cast.
“I feel content with the results,” Bell said, ever gracious in light of his disappointment. “I think the four going there are legitimate contenders. Whoever the champion is, it’s going to be well-deserved. This year there’s four great drivers. All have had championship seasons. Whoever the champion is, it’s going to be well-deserving. I think the format worked out this year.”
The format, where 16 drivers become playoff eligible by either winning a race during the 26-race regular season or by pointing their way into the playoffs, and then joust for position during three elimination rounds where the lowest four drivers are jettisoned until a final four remains for the season-ending championship, is likely to change in 2026. Whatever the format ends up being, Bell and his Cup Series counterparts will attempt to strategize their way to the top step of the championship stage.
“I’m definitely more seasoned now. Every year that goes by, you have more experience and understand the name of the game a little bit more and how to play it,” said Bell, a back-to-back Championship 4 member in 2022 and 2023. “Whatever the format ends up being next year, I’ll continue to improve and work within whatever the parameters are. I haven’t reached my ceiling.”
Bell’s words are particularly appropriate at Phoenix, where on Sunday he will make his 216th career Cup Series start and 12th at the 1-mile, desert oval.
After his first Cup Series start at Phoenix in March 2020 resulted in a 24th-place finish, Bell has since become a master of its flat and fast layout. He has won two of the last three Cup Series races at the track, including the series’ most recent visit in March, and he has led a total of 298 laps.
“Phoenix is definitely a strong track for us. We know we should be competitive if we execute the way we’re supposed to,” Bell said.
And despite being out of the Championship 4, the motivation to win remains the same.
“The motivation is simple. There’s still a lot on the line, there’s a lot of money invested, and we have partners who expect results,” Bell said. “Interstate Batteries has been with Joe Gibbs Racing since its very beginning, and they’re on the car at Phoenix, sharing it with DEWALT. Between them and the 600-plus employees at Joe Gibbs Racing that put effort into this racecar, it’s unfair if we don’t put our best foot forward to try and win. There’s still a lot on the line.”
