The NASCAR Cup Series will return to the iconic Daytona International Speedway for the second time this year on Sunday. Drafting tracks are tricky and it’s difficult to get a good finish all by yourself. A driver needs all the help he can get from teammates or drivers from the same manufacturer to have a shot at taking the checkered flag.
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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell spoke about the teamwork that’s required to be successful at Daytona in a recent media interaction as he looks to win his fourth race of the year.
One of the characteristics of superspeedway racing is bump-drafting. It is the technique by which a driver pushes the car in front of them and goes ahead themselves ahead of others thanks to the drafting effect. It’s not possible on short and intermediate tracks but is highly effective at the massive ovals. According to Bell, it will be important to have drivers of the same manufacturer behind him to be able to finish high up the pack.
“Ultimately, you don’t want another manufacturer behind you because you are going to be left out to dry,” he said. “I think it is always positive to have more cars at speedway races. I think all of us Toyotas are going to do the best we can to help each other, but having two more cars in these races is definitely helpful for us as a whole.”
The driver of the #20 car has already made his way into the playoffs with three wins so far this season. Another victory in the remaining two regular-season races will only bolster his chances of reaching the championship round for the second year running. Last year, he was not able to finish the final race in Phoenix.
JGR star explains what he “hates” about superspeedways
Bell has finished P3 in two of the last three Cup races at the Daytona International Speedway. He is a fan of superspeedway racing but not everything about it is good. There is a lot of unpredictability that goes into these events. Anyone can win but anyone can crash out as well, no matter how good they have been over a year. This unpredictability can be a bit scary to some.
“The light switch goes off and the intensity just skyrockets, and guys just start pushing and shoving where you are not supposed to be pushing and shoving. The thing I hate about superspeedway racing is you never feel like you are in control in those moments when you are getting pushed around. It changes dramatically in those last couple of laps,” he explained.
The 29-year-old has not won a race since New Hampshire. He had a fantastic performance in the Daytona 500 earlier this year but Talladega was a nightmare. It just highlights the uncertain nature of superspeedways which he will be hoping to conquer on Sunday.
