The P2 finish at Gateway Park was Denny Hamlin’s fifth consecutive top-5 finish since his victory at Dover. Before this run, he was pitted against, Kyle Larson, who was seen as his direct rival. However, with Larson’s trouble with the waiver and two consecutive races without points, the JGR star now looks to be in a prime position to aim for his championship run.

While Larson’s championship challenge has taken a hit recently, there’s a new contender back in the mix. And, it’s none other than Denny Hamlin’s teammate, Christopher Bell. But why is the driver of the #20 team considered to be a genuine contender, despite the inconsistent runs? Well, Hamlin had the answer to that while sharing his thoughts on the recent episode of Action’s Detrimental podcast.

Flat ovals are a strong suit for Bell and the #20 team

Last weekend’s race at Gateway was more of a game of chess than racing. With no tire fall-off, teams and drivers had to rely on strategies to gain track positions. But regardless of the tactical play, the #20 car was the quickest of the bunch. Had it not been for Bell’s engine issues, he could’ve bagged his third win of the season.

This performance was reminiscent of his run from Phoenix, where the race was flat and drivers were struggling to make a pass. But, the #20 car found a little bit extra and racked up their first win of the season. Taking note of his teammate’s strong runs at intermediate tracks, Denny Hamlin feels Bell can be a serious contender for the title this season. Especially given that the season finale is in Phoenix.

Despite his engine troubles, the #20 car secured a seventh-place finish. Acknowledging his teammate’s strong run, Hamlin said, “He was still running really fast through the corners I can tell you that. I mean, this is kind of the second track in a row of these mile-flat tracks where the 20 is really shown a lot of speed, and certainly, if he can make it to Phoenix, he is going to be a threat.” Hamlin said this via his podcast show Actions Detrimental.

Not to forget, Bell has picked up nine playoff points in his last two races, which is huge considering that he has secured his spot in the last 16 with his wins. He is well on course to make it to his third straight championship four this season, and this is enough reason to even make his veteran teammate, Denny Hamlin, cautious. However, the #20 team will have to get their act together to pull off more consistent runs.

Speaking of contenders, Brad Keselowski from the RFK Racing team is another prominent pick. While he might not be in the limelight like Hamlin, Larson, or Bell, he sure is making headway and progressing with the #6 team, plotting an underdog success story.

Another strong run for Keselowski and the #6 RFK Racing team at Gateway

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Earlier in the season, it looked like the championship battle was only a two-team affair, with JGR and HMS going head-to-head each week for the wins. But that soon changed with Keselowksi’s win at Darlington. His third-place finish at the World Wide Technology Raceway was his third consecutive top-5 finish. Had it not been for his early race pit-stop muckup, we could’ve seen him compete for a win.

Even before his win at Darlington, he had four top-five results to his name. Through the runs of 15 races this season, the veteran driver has already matched his top 5 results from last season (seven). For a driver who has struggled with the Next Gen race car for quite some time, this season’s run is a huge turnover. Going by the numbers and statistics, he is currently the best Ford driver to have a shot at a championship run.

So while the hype might be about the HMS and JGR drivers, do keep an eye out for Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing. They are cooking their winning recipe and have all the right ingredients to pull off a big upset this season.