CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Christopher Bell likes pressure-packed moments and he believes he is well prepared to rise to the occasion during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs that kick off Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver enters the playoffs as the second seed after consecutive seasons where he battled from behind during the 10-race post-season run to qualify for the Championship 4
“I just really, really enjoy these moments and being a part of something that is as pressure packed as the NASCAR playoffs,” Bell said on Wednesday. “These 10 weeks are very, very stressful and once the 10 weeks are over, it is something that is very relieving that you’re in offseason, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The way I look at it is, there are 20 other drivers that would love to be in this spot right now so it’s a privilege. It’s a privilege to be here and I don’t take that for granted.”
Bell knows that three victories during the regular season helped set him up for success in the post-season.
“Our path is definitely a lot different this year than what we’ve had the last couple years because of our seeding position, our playoff points that we have,” Bell noted. “So, hopefully, our path is much different. In ’22 I had to win, in ’23 I basically had to win and now we’re in a position where we might not have to win. Yeah, we need to win, so the path is definitely different than the past couple of years.”
Like many of the 16 drivers who qualified for the playoffs, the three races in the round of 16 have his attention. Sunday’s race at Atlanta is followed by the road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
“I’ll be honest, the first round is the scariest it’s been in a long time with Atlanta, a superspeedway starting us off,” Bell said. “We all know how that can go. And then we go to Watkins Glen, which should be a normal race track, but with the expected tire degradation with the tire change that we’ve had, it could be a Bristol style race where people are wearing tires out really early and struggling to make laps and having to pit all of the time.
“So, that could be another wild card race,” Bell continued. “And, then Bristol, I think everybody is expecting it to be more of the same as what we had in the spring. So, the first round could be very different than what we’ve seen in the past.”
Bell said there is definitely a greater intensity surrounding the final 10-race run when compared with the 26-race regular season.
“I would say, I take away as many distractions as I can,” Bell said. “Through the regular season, it’s very long and you need that break to get away and to – whether it’s during the week, taking a mini vacation or hobbies and stuff like that.
“This is go time,” he added. “All of my focus, my energy is going to be on the following week. You’ve got 10 weeks to be at your best and perform at your best and you don’t have time for distractions like you do in the regular season.”