The 2024 campaign saw several drivers fight all year round to make it to the playoffs who are now trying their best to make it to the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. While Kyle Larson’s name often pops up when talking about the favorite to win the title this year, NASCAR veteran Clint Bowyer believes that it will be Joe Gibbs Racings’ Christopher Bell who will pip the Hendrick Motorsports driver this time.
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While speaking on NASCAR Daily with Shannon Spake, Bowyer said, “Easy this is easy, of course, you have the five-ball in Kyle Larson… I said at the beginning of the year it’s Christopher Bell’s year.”
“He’s gonna quietly win the championship and everybody is going to go where the hell did that come from… Kyle Larson is the one who he’s gonna have to beat we all know that… I think this time ol’ Christopher Bell gets it done,” he concluded.
Completing his championship four-driver lineup, he mentioned that Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano would be the other two drivers who’d make it in. But ultimately he believes it’ll be Bell who triumphs over everyone.
Interestingly, the JGR driver is the only one in the field who has made it to the Championship 4 round in both years of the Next Gen car, coming up with clutch performances when it mattered most.
Throughout the regular season, Bell has remained consistent and scored three wins, 17 top 10s, 11 top 5s, and led 721 laps. He currently sits second in the playoff standings, right behind Larson. If Bell wishes to win the title this year, he’d have to continue with his run of form and attempt to finish ahead of the 2021 Cup Series champion in the upcoming races.
The Cup Series will now begin the round of 12 with three races starting from Kansas this weekend, before the elimination for the round of eight kicks in. Drivers currently on the bubble are — Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, and Chase Briscoe. Meanwhile, drivers like Hamlin and Logano are currently 6th and 8th in the playoff standings.
