Bell’s overtime win in Atlanta boosts hopes

HAMPTON, Ga. — Christopher Bell believes he could be headed toward a big year with Joe Gibbs Racing following what he hopes will be a breakthrough win.

Bell clinched a playoff berth by winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in overtime on Sunday.

Bell said he would be disappointed if he doesn’t have more wins before the playoffs. Bell has big hopes for his No. 20 team following his unlikely win after qualifying only 32nd, beginning with next week’s race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He just didn’t expect his team’s breakout win to come in Atlanta.

“COTA is a good place to start,” Bell said. “Honestly we’re just getting into the bread and butter of what the 20 car likes. COTA should be a strong track. Phoenix, Vegas, Darlington, Homestead. All of these tracks coming up in the early part of the season is where we think we can compete for wins and do good, score a lot of points.”

Bell had less optimism about his team’s chances in Atlanta’s drafting style, speedway race. Winning in Atlanta has only boosted his outlook for a big season.

“Atlanta was not one of those racetracks we had circled,” Bell said. “It’s very refreshing to be able to get one early in the season, especially one where we didn’t expect to win at. Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.”

Team owner Joe Gibbs said Bell’s win provides evidence that offseason changes are paying off. In November, the team announced that Chris Gayle will serve as the crew chief for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team, with Chris Gabehart being promoted to competition director. Tyler Allen was named crew chief for Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 team.

“We felt like we needed some help for our crew chiefs in general, all four of them,” Gibbs said after Sunday’s race.

Gibbs said each crew chief is “so caught up in their cars” that he decided it would help to have Gabehart responsible “to look over all of it.”

The victory by Bell only raises the stakes for the remainder of the season, according to his crew chief, Adam Stevens.

“It frees you up a bunch,” Stevens said. “The position that our team is in, we expect to run up front. We wouldn’t think that even if we didn’t win a race that we would really be counting points when it came time for the playoffs to start.

“What we really need to be thinking about is winning that regular season championship and stockpiling as many bonus points as we possibly can.”

It was the first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing since Bell’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 23, 2024.

Bell edged Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson. Bell had a slight edge on the outside when the caution light came on in overtime following a wreck by Josh Berry.

It was the only lap Bell led.

Bell believes he benefitted from being given the clearance to race sprint cars on dirt tracks in the offseason. He believes that helped keep him sharp for the start of the NASCAR Cup schedule.

“I definitely feel the best I have as a race car driver,” Bell said. “I’m sure that some of it or part of it is due to the fact that I have been racing through the offseason. It’s a dream come true to be able to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in these Cup Series cars, and I’m honored and privileged to be able to have some fun outside of the Cup Series cars now.

“I hope that I can make this the best year ever and prove to the company that it’s the right thing for me to do to be out there racing.”