Baffled by Bristol Outing, Christopher Bell Makes Daytona Comparison With “Negativity” Claim

The Goodyear tires were the talk of the town after last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was the first time in three years that Bristol returned to a concrete surface and provided the fans with one of the most thrilling races at the venue. The severe tire wear proved to be a daunting task for the drivers to deal with, resulting in a rather unconventional style of racing.

While the fans and spectators witnessed a good racing show, the drivers were not pleased with the racing experience, demanding a change going into the next short track races. Making the arguments about the negative impact of the race at Bristol, JGR driver Christopher Bell drew similarities between the Daytona 500 race and the Bristol tire wear showdown, thus highlighting the negative aspects of both races.

A great show for TV but not for racing, says Christopher Bell regarding the Bristol race

While the veteran drivers were able to tackle the tire wear issue throughout the race, the young guns seemed to be hitting the wall in striking the right balance. Bell’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, was able to bag his first win, with Martin Truex Jr and Brad Keselowski also finishing inside the top 5 places. The No. 20 JGR driver did finish the race in #10, but it was not enough for him to be convinced that the race was a success.

Speaking ahead of the COTA race, Bell explained his disappointment with the tire issue at Bristol. He said, “I mean, I don’t know; I’m perplexed about Bristol and I think everybody is. You know there were a lot of positives that came out of it and there were also some negatives that came out of it. I think there was a lot of negativity around Daytona and the fuel savings that transpired there, well Bristol was the exact same thing.”

He further highlighted how the drivers had to rely on certain strategies in both races. “Nobody is pushing their car at all, and it was a complete ride-around session for 500 laps, and yeah, it showed great on TV, but I mean, it was the exact same thing as the Daytona 500, like we were all side by side running half throttle at Daytona too.”

Going into the first road course race at the Circuit of the Americas, Bell also went on to share his skepticism regarding the rule change at the racetrack.

Track limits at COTA are a major concern for drivers

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Yesterday’s Xfinity Series race had a controversial end after Shane van Gisbergen, who finished 2nd in the race, was penalized for cutting the racetrack in the final laps of overtime. A 30-second penalty saw him drop from 2nd to 27th position.

Sharing his thoughts regarding the track limit at COTA, Christopher Bell said, “I don’t love it, man. I wish that they would put the curbs down there or a wall just where it’s black and white, and it would eliminate the judgment call. Because, especially through the S’s, there’s a ton of lap time to be gained by pushing the issue. Reddick was the guy last year who was super aggressive through there and made it work. He never got busted for track limits. It’s going to force all of our hands to do that, and the guy who is the most aggressive is that guy that gets through the passes.”

Starting in 4th place at COTA alongside Tyler Reddick, Bell is certainly among the favorites to win today’s race at COTA. Let’s see how well he handles the peculiarities of the track.

Read More: Chase Elliott Hopes NASCAR’s Temporary Fix Could Prevent 2023 COTA ‘Embarrassment’ Repeat