Christopher Bell opened the year with fireworks, reeling off three straight wins that made 2025 look like his season of dominance. Yet the streak gave way to a string of top 10s and top 20s without a victory, leaving fans to wonder if the early spark had fizzled. His playoff run also did not kick off with the best of starts.
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After a P29 at Darlington (first race of the Round of 16), he rebounded with P7 at Gateway before outdueling Brad Keselowski to take the checkered flag at Bristol.
Before the Round of 12 kicks off at New Hampshire, Bell reflected on his postseason ups and downs during a media session. Asked what the grind had taught him, he admitted it might have hardened his heart a bit. He pointed to Martinsville in 2024, where a P22 finish kept him out of the Championship 4, calling it the lowest point of his career.
By contrast, his 2022 Martinsville playoff win stood as the pinnacle. Those swings, Bell explained, “just kind of mellows you out a little bit and you understand that no matter what happens come February, we’re all going to be chasing the Cup back there again.”
With every lap and every season, he believes the process becomes more natural. The scars from heartbreak and the thrill of wins, he said, are filling in the middle ground of his emotional spectrum. For Bell, both the glory of 2022 and the sting of 2024 are lessons tucked under his belt.
Asked if the playoff grind had put him through the wringer, the No. 20 JGR driver got stumped a bit but didn’t flinch. “It has for sure. I love where we’re at, and obviously, I’m glad that we’re on a positive, but you never know what the next week brings. I don’t know. I feel like maybe Adam [Stevens, crew chief] does a little bit better job of managing the highs and lows than I do.”
Still, Bell will enter the Round of 12 with momentum at his back and numbers in his favor. His average finishes on the next slate of tracks lean his way, and with last year’s New Hampshire victory fresh in memory, he’ll look to defend his ground and keep his title chase alive. All that remains to be seen now is if he can capture the elusive title this year and finally shake off the tag of the underdog in the field, a moniker often associated with him.
