29-year-old Christopher Bell got himself stamped as a Cup Series championship contender with a victory in New Hampshire on Sunday. He navigated through the damp Magic Mile with the expertise of a seasoned veteran and impressed many. His performance made it evident that it would almost be criminal to ignore him as a favorite to win the title anymore. Unsurprisingly, team owner Joe Gibbs agrees.
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Gibbs spoke to the press after the race ended and pointed out what he thought Bell’s caliber was. His words went, “Christopher has really sacrificed on his way up. He’s raced a lot in dirt and everything. When I first met him, he said, ‘Coach, this is all I can do, I have to be successful in racing.” 162 Cup Series starts later, there’s little to deny that the driver has found the success he was looking for.
A broom AND a lobster.@CBellRacing | @NHMS pic.twitter.com/GWibHQzniA
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 24, 2024
For Gibbs, the ambition and skill mean Bell will stay at Joe Gibbs Racing for a long time to come. Joking that his services could be used for another 20 years, he added, “I just think Christopher, he’s gifted, and the further he goes, we all just really appreciate it. I think he’s a real talented, young guy. I’ll tell you, he’s the all-American guy. Sponsors love him. He’s just a kid that everybody loves.”
Bell is now tied with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and William Byron as the driver with the most wins (3) in 2024. Should he maintain this level of performance through the second half of the season, he is certain to be one of the four drivers racing for the championship in Phoenix. As things stand, he is sixth on the points table heading to Nashville.
How Christopher Bell won his third Cup Series race in 2024
Sunday’s victory for Bell was boosted by his appearance in the Xfinity Series race the previous day. He had won the second-tier race and came into the Cup Series event brimming with confidence. Had it not been for NASCAR’s decision to complete the race on wet weather tires, Tyler Reddick would’ve been declared the winner with 82 laps to go.
However, fortune was on Bell’s side. The race resumed and was filled with late wrecks and cautions. At the end of the 82 laps and an added four laps, Bell emerged as the victor. Gibbs and crew chief Adam Stevens both left Loudon happy men with the awareness of having a potential champion in their midst.
