On the back of a couple of Xfinity Series wins, Christopher Bell is being considered the favorite to take the checkered flag this Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series makes its official debut at Iowa Speedway this Sunday. However, the 7/8th mile-long track has recently seen a partial repave due to which the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is taking a cautious approach this weekend.
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“I honestly don’t know. If we were on the old pavement, I feel like it would’ve been a really big advantage to have my Xfinity starts. But with the repave we have, it’s essentially a new race track. It’s basically anyone’s ballgame,” the driver of the #20 car said according to Speedway Media.
Bell was one of the drivers who took part in NASCAR’s tire test at the venue in May but he has been quite critical of it recently. During Friday’s practice session, the #20 Toyota Camry XSE driver lost one of its tires and crashed into the wall. It brought out the red flag and the JGR driver was left frustrated. The 29-year-old will be looking to make amends this coming Sunday as a result.
Christopher Bell SMACKS THE WALL. 😳
📺 : #NASCAR Cup Series practice on USA Network pic.twitter.com/cPaW2uxJH7
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 14, 2024
Despite his issues, the bookies still consider Bell to be a favorite for the win on Sunday. His record and his performance on flat tracks like at Iowa are the reasons why.
Why is Christopher Bell the favorite to win at Iowa?
According to Ed Salmons, VP of risk management at the SuperBook, JGR has always run well at flat tracks and Bell is one of the best in the competition on such a surface. With a couple of Xfinity Series wins at the Iowa Speedway already to his name, it’s no surprise that he is being slated as the favorite to be the Cup Series’ first winner at Iowa.
“He’s great on flat tracks, and his history in Xfinity (at Iowa Speedway) is just dominant. It’s just insane how good he is here. Plus, Gibbs usually runs really well on these flat tracks. That’s why he’s a favorite,” Salmons said as per NASCAR.
It remains to be seen whether the Oklahoma native can excel at Iowa Speedway driving the Next Gen Cup Series car in an event that is touted to be a one-groove race for the majority of the event’s distance. The inaugural Iowa Corn 250 goes live at 7:00 pm ET this Sunday.
