“At some point, you have to be able to take Christopher Bell seriously from where everybody else sits.” This was all Kevin Harvick could say after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s performance flew under the radar yet again. A neck-and-neck race against Kyle Larson for the top spot at the Charlotte Roval saw Bell cross the line in second, effectively securing his spot in the Round of 8. And second place in the standings! But he doesn’t seem to be getting the praise he deserves.

Hasn’t that been the story of his Cup Series career so far, though?

The Oklahoma native made it to the Championship 4 in just his third full season in the Cup Series (his second with JGR). Then, last season, Bell secured two wins and a series-leading six poles to return to the Championship 4. For someone who’s been within touching distance of a first title for the past couple of seasons, you would think that Christopher Bell would receive more attention from all around. But as Steve Letarte pointed out, that hasn’t been the case.

The former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte took to his podcast, Dirty Mo Dough, with feelings of guilt towards Christopher Bell’s public perception. “Most disrespected driver in NASCAR, I think, by the media – I blame myself – and the books. No one ever wants to talk about Christopher Bell, and yet you know, he wins, he runs great, he’s up front,” said Letarte. The No. 20 driver has had an incredible season so far, notching up 3 wins and 20 top-10s (7 of which have come in the last 8 races).

Sitting right behind championship leader Kyle Larson heading into the first race in the Round of 8 at Las Vegas, the bookies have released their lines, and it appears that Christopher Bell is not receiving enough credit. Alluding to this, Steve Letarte added, “Even the books may be a little disrespectful, but some of that sharp money came in right away and said, ‘We’re going to get on this Bell action right away.'”

Letarte believes that Christopher Bell‘s current odds of +650 for the Las Vegas Speedway race are a steal, given the circumstances. Bell had an incredible race at the South Point 400 last year, finishing second just behind Kyle Larson, who once again stands in his way. Larson has +290 odds for Vegas, and understandably so. The No.5  has back-to-back wins in Vegas and has his eyes firmly set on a three-peat.

Earlier this year, unfortunately, Bell did not have the best outing at Vegas, finishing in 33rd in March. He did win stage points in Stage 2, but overall, it was a disappointing race for the Joe Gibbs No. 20. However, the playoffs invite a different kind of pressure, and Christopher Bell seems to thrive in it. In fact, if you ask him, the +650 odds would indeed be a steal. At least, that’s what was evident during his appearance on Inside the Playoffs.

Despite the fact that his average finishing position in Vegas since 2021 is 16.4, he’s confident a win at the circuit is coming. Following the Roval race, he said, “I feel like we’re capable of scoring points at all of [the remaining tracks], which is super important…. I haven’t won [Vegas] yet, but I feel like that’s one of our best tracks and definitely a place where we’re capable of competing for the win. I think that first Vegas win is right around the corner.”

Seeing how confident he is (and has been throughout the season), it’s almost impossible to believe that he hasn’t been talked about much. One possible reason could be the controversies surrounding Joe Gibbs Racing. It was recently revealed that one of their former employees sold critical team data to a rival team. Additionally, the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11, Denny Hamlin, is filing a lawsuit against NASCAR along with 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan. Even though off-track drama tends to shape media narratives, should Christopher Bell get some recognition for his performances? Especially considering…

Christopher Bell leads the power rankings heading into Vegas

The No. 20 of Joe Gibbs Racing has been a hallmark of consistency this season, and it’s no surprise NBC has him right atop the power rankings. Bell has finished 7th or better in 7 of the last 8 races and has an average finish of 8.5 in the last 10 races. This level of performance deep into the playoffs is quite remarkable for the 29-year-old.

A little throwback to last year’s playoffs seems appropriate, as Bell was 0.082 seconds shy of victory at the South Point 400. Thus, he was visibly distraught. “I really feel like that was our chance,” Bell said in 2023 after Las Vegas. “That was our chance to make Phoenix this year, and it slipped away from us. So I don’t know. We’ve still got two more races to get ourselves in position. So I feel good about that. But to be that close really stinks.”

Larson and Bell might have battled it out in Vegas last year, but neither of them went home with the Cup Series championship as Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney edged them out. Blaney is in contention this year, too, but accidents in Talladega and Watkins Glen have derailed his season. Larson and Blaney both have championship-winning experience, and Bell would be determined to add his name to that list by becoming the 37th different driver to win the Cup Series. Do you think Christopher Bell will get his maiden championship this year?