“He’s Not the Favorite”- Steve Letarte Unsure of Christopher Bell as He Highlights Joe Gibbs Biggest Achilles Heel

An incredible two months of stock car racing is ending soon. The Cup Series playoff displayed a remarkable racing catalog through the three elimination rounds. With Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and William Byron headed to Phoenix to battle for the title, the question lingering in the NASCAR community will finally get an answer.

The situation of Joe Gibbs Racing didn’t go as planned, surely. When the team had three drivers in the Round of 8, its goal was to send all three drivers to the Championship 4, maximizing their chances of a title. However, with Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin failing on Sunday, the burden now lies on Christopher Bell. Bell has shown a great pace throughout the playoffs and won at Homestead to seal a spot in Phoenix. But as per Hendrick Motorsports legend Steve Letarte, one factor could impede his title chase.

Clutch performances have been the key to success for Christopher Bell

Bell’s inclusion in the championship race contradicts what most experts and bookmakers bet on. While most of the claims were about the top 4 drivers in the regular season cutting, and although it did seem that way for a long time, the 28-year-old fought against the odds to strengthen his position. Letarte had a similar prediction for Phoenix as well.

However, looking at how things have turned out, he discussed the odds of each driver on NASCAR Motor Mouths. As the discussion shifted to the chances of the #20 driver emerging as a new NASCAR champion, he refuted it, saying, “If you look at the numbers maybe you would say he’s not the favorite, right?”

“Only 142 starts and six wins but let’s not forget six of these or three of these six wins came in playoffs when it all mattered with all the pressure on the line. Even though he’s 28 years old, it’s his second trip to the championship 4. I wonder what he learned going through the process a year ago. Perhaps he was a little bit emotionally worn out.”

Read More: Joe Gibbs’s Only Hope Sends 8-Word Warning to Championship Contenders for Phoenix

The statistics show that Bell has been JGR’s go-to man for winning races in the playoffs. Without a doubt, his legacy has yet to be on par with some of his team’s big guns. But has that stopped Bell’s progress to a successive Championship 4 appearance? Not.

Letarte believes Bell will have to work on his execution

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Last year at Martinsville, Christopher Bell produced the most sublime win of his career. The season’s penultimate race put the #20 team in a do-or-die situation, needing a win to qualify. While most people will remember the race for the iconic ‘ Hail Melon’ move, Bell turned up with his back to the wall. This season, he has been a lot more consistent. Qualifying sessions have been his forte in the 2023 playoffs.

Having racked up four pole wins in the playoffs, one would expect him to capitalize on their qualifying pace in the races. Yet, with only one win at Homestead, his ability to finish a race on top has come under fire. Bell even blitzed past everyone in the Round of 16 qualifying races, claiming three successive front-row starts and zero wins to his name in that period.

Letarte highlighted the same, as he stated, “Remember what it took to get there last year, this year they won early. I agree execution is the only question I have for Christopher Bell. It really comes down to can they put together the pit stops when it matters. I don’t know how many times we could talk about it. Pit road, pit road, pit road, that’s the Achilles heel that’ll be the question mark.”

Next week at Phoenix will be as challenging as ever. With a former champion in Kyle Larson also in the fray, Bell will undoubtedly need to make the most of his chances. If not, Joe Gibbs and co could bid farewell to their plans of a maiden championship for Christopher Bell.

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