Christopher Bell is currently second in the playoff charts and he is only behind Joey Logano, who secured his final spot by winning at Vegas. Although he is having a better season than his teammates, it does not mean that he can take it easy. Every driver in the top 8 is a fierce competitor and taking a step back could really ruin his race.

During the practice sessions at Homestead, Bell had some difficulties with his car, which led him to bring the car back into the pits. Something hit his car from under and that caused his car to not perform as he wanted it to. In the end, Bell took his car back to the pits and hopefully for him, the issue has been taken care of.

Christopher Bell’s Homestead troubles

As Bell approaches Homestead, he’s not just aiming for a good finish; he’s looking to defend his title as the reigning champion of the track. He’s set for another strong showing with the possibility of starting in the pole position—something he’s achieved seven times in similar races. However, he’s aware of the stats that tell a different story: despite his pole position victories, he has struggled to convert them into wins.

“The No. 20 has failed to win the race 13 times after starting at pole,” he reflected, referencing his most recent near-miss at Vegas. Still, with the backing of Joe Gibbs Racing and the confidence he’s built this season, Bell is ready to tackle the challenge ahead and aim for that top spot once again. Reflecting on the incident that took place during the practice at Homestead, Christopher Bell shared his thoughts in the post-race interview.

“It’s going to be hard to say, but I don’t—I don’t think so,” stated Bell. “I think we got a number of competitive laps, and, yeah, we learned a little bit.” Although the No. 20 team had a few good laps during the practice session, luckily Christopher Bell realized that there was an issue with the car and reported it straight to his crew chief.

He explained his state of mind after the practice and said, “But I’m very thankful that I was able to catch it, and, you know, these guys gave me good direction to bring it in, because if you drag the underbody on these cars, it’s pretty much a weekend-ruiner. So I think we got away with one there.”

Sure, Bell found out what was wrong with his car, but now the question stands: Did the No. 20 team fix the issue with the car? In the tweet from the official NASCAR X page, Bell’s interview is documented as a reply to the clip from his practice session where he is informing his team about the car’s instability. Despite showing one of the most promising performances all season, some believe that this is not Bell’s year for the finals. So let’s dive in to see what that noise is all about.

NASCAR Insider does not believe in Christopher Bell’s chances of making it in the finals

As NASCAR’s playoff drama unfolds, Christopher Bell finds himself in a precarious position after a narrow miss at

Las Vegas. He was gunning for a Championship 4 spot but came up short, watching Joey Logano cruise past him thanks to a clever fuel-saving strategy from Logano’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe. Bell’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, had a solid game plan that just didn’t pan out this time. “They played the strategy that they essentially had to play, and Logano’s team played the strategy they had to play. One worked out, one didn’t,” Jeff Gluck reflected on the situation, emphasizing the tight margins that often define NASCAR races.

Now, with the playoffs hanging in the balance, Bell’s journey to the finale in Phoenix feels uncertain. On the Dirty Mo Media production episode of The Teardown, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi dissected Bell’s missed opportunity at length. “Unfortunately, the way the system is, it’s not much solace to Bell,” Gluck pointed out, highlighting the brutal reality of NASCAR’s elimination format. As the playoffs progress, Bell could easily find himself on the outside looking in, especially if new winners emerge in the next races. The pressure is palpable; Bell is currently sitting just seven points above the cutline, which means a bad race or another surprise win could spell disaster for his title hopes.

With the unpredictability of NASCAR, Bell can’t afford to let his guard down. The conversation shifts to the upcoming Martinsville race, where anything can happen. “You could say, ‘Oh, he’s so far above the cutline, he’s going to be fine.’ But not really,” Gluck cautioned. As the tension builds and the races wind down, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Bell can rally and secure his spot in the Championship 4—or if this year’s playoff run will come to an abrupt end. Share your take on Bell’s position in the finals in the comments below.