Every NASCAR driver has a track type that suits their strengths. Drivers such as Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott, and Martin Truex Jr. lean toward road courses. Someone like Denny Hamlin tends to favor intermediate or short oval tracks. Bubba Wallace — given his consistent showings at Daytona — would likely favor superspeedways.
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However, their spouses may or may not always share the same enthusiasm about superspeedways. Take Morgan Bell, wife of Christopher Bell, for instance. During her recent appearance on Believe in the Good with Haley Dillon, Morgan openly expressed her unease with superspeedway races.
Interestingly, Bell’s numbers on superspeedways paint a mixed picture as well. So Morgan’s dislike could also be because her husband is not too comfortable on these tracks. His current average finish on such tracks sits at 19.2. Morgan, however, has her own reasons.
“I’m not a superspeedway fan. I don’t love that. I feel like they all have little to no control of what’s happening. Like they have control, but your control is only as much in control as the other 35 people around you,” said Morgan.
She reiterated her stance with a touch of humor, saying, “I mean it’s just… Yeah, superspeedways aren’t my fav. Those are definitely… the stress might become a little more pegged on superspeedway days.”
Stress is part and parcel of a racer’s life, and by extension, it reaches their family members as well. Bell, though, has had a good year so far on superspeedways. After he stumbled out of the gate with a P31 finish at Daytona, Bell quickly turned the tide, winning the very next superspeedway race in Atlanta. He has followed it up with two more wins in a row.
As for Morgan’s favorite venue, she didn’t hesitate one bit while naming Bristol. In her words, the Bristol night race offers an event like no other. The action in Bristol happens at a fast pace, and the close-quarters seating allows fans to see every move as it happens.
Bell, of course, has his own favorite and not-so-favorite tracks. Needless to say, he finds superspeedways the most challenging.
Bell reveals the track he finds the toughest
In a recent interview on Rubbin’ is Racing, Bell singled out Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway as the toughest tracks in his playbook. He attributed the challenge to the drafting-style racing required on these tracks. That puts him behind the eight ball due to Toyota’s limited presence on the grid compared to the larger fleets fielded by Chevrolet and Ford.
On superspeedways, teamwork often makes or breaks a race, and Bell knows he’s playing catch-up in that department. When it comes to tracks that reward pure driving talent, he pointed to Darlington Raceway as his ultimate test.
“The track is super narrow. It’s super slippery. You’re sliding all over the place. You have to be right up against the fence and do that consistently without hitting it. So, yeah, I mean, Darlington is probably one of my favorite tracks because it is the true test of driver skill,” said Bell.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver explained that Darlington demands precision, the surface is slick, the groove is narrow, and drivers constantly slide around with little margin for error. They must run inches from the wall lap after lap without putting a foot wrong.
According to Bell, it’s the kind of track that exposes even the slightest weakness and calls for perfection under pressure, which is why it’s one of his favorites.
