The next round of the playoffs will serve as a litmus test, hinting at which drivers are truly ready to punch their ticket into the Round of 8 and then the Championship 4. Christopher Bell, however, exudes confidence that the upcoming trio of tracks plays right into his wheelhouse.
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At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the immediate stop on the calendar, Bell owns a 12.2 average finish and already knows the path to victory lane. Last year, he outdueled teammate Chase Briscoe, leading 149 laps en route to the win. Having already strung together back-to-back victories earlier this season, an encore would hardly surprise anyone.
Additionally, Bell, Ross Chastain, and Joey Logano also took part in the July 22-23 tire test on the track, providing Goodyear with critical feedback ahead of New England’s playoff return. That firsthand knowledge could hand them a leg up in preparation for Loudon.
Moving forward, Bell holds a 12.4 average finish at Kansas, the second race of the Round of 12, though he has yet to capture a win there in 11 starts. The Charlotte Roval, the sixth playoff race, brings stronger numbers: a 10.0 average finish in five starts and one victory already under his belt.
Given the statistics, Bell appears assured about tackling the stretch, particularly after already banking one win in the opening round. On Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, when asked about expectations, Bell replied,
“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s all in our hands. Certainly, there are three racetracks that we run really well at. I haven’t won at Kansas, but I’ve won at the other two and we have high expectations and goals of ourselves and hopefully uh you know, hopefully we can go out there and execute, but certainly there’s nothing that nothing that says we we won’t we won’t run well. That’s for sure.”
Beyond the No. 20 JGR driver, teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin already secured victories in the first round. And with Hamlin’s track record at both New Hampshire and Kansas, those venues could prove to be fertile ground for him as well.
