“I Don’t Know What I Need” – Joe Gibbs’ Star Takes a Dig at His Team as He Exposes Their Inconsistency

Joe Gibbs Racing has been placing at least one driver in the Championship 4 since NASCAR introduced the current format in 2014. Misfortune struck Denny Hamlin with a steering wheel malfunction at Homestead-Miami, but Christopher Bell grabbed the seat in the championship race for JGR. However, last weekend’s race at the Virginian Paperclip was not quite a smooth ride for Christopher Bell.

Although Bell was able to secure a top-10 finish, what he told his crew over the in-car radio got the community wondering if the #20 JGR team faced issues running on short tracks. And that, in turn, poses a question about his run at Phoenix next week. Is the Toyota team in trouble?

Is Christopher Bell struggling?

A lot of anticipation revolved around the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville for many reasons. For starters, it was the ultimate elimination race that would determine the complete line-up for the Grand Finale at Phoenix. However, perhaps the most intriguing factor was that, whether the thicker Goodyear tires would pay off at the 0.5-mile short track. Speaking of which, Christopher Bell’s performance hasn’t been top-notch on the short tracks this year.

Bell finished 20th at Richmond and 16th at Martinsville earlier this year. Hence, could it mean that Christopher Bell‘s team is struggling to unleash their full potential due to car-related problems? And even though Bell had won last week’s race at Homestead-Miami, it wasn’t till the 221st lap there that he ran up front in the top-5.

Moreover, Bell radioed to his team, “I don’t know what I need here. Sometimes I slide loose, sometimes I slide tight.” It is indeed alarming to have such helplessness resonate in the voice of a Championship 4 contender.

However, when Bell came out of his machine after the 500-lap race, he didn’t express anything against his team. In fact, he said, “This team has been amazing at just pulling the rope the same direction”, the direction being winning the race at Phoenix Raceway. Bell confidently added, “If we all do our jobs, great things are gonna come.”

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Bell seems to be laser-focused on the ultimate race of 2023. During an interview, Bell revealed how the preparation for Phoenix this year is entirely different from that of last year.

Christopher Bell revealed the shift in his focus from last year

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It was after winning at Martinsville that Christopher Bell qualified for the Championship run at Phoenix Raceway last year. It was an extremely emotional moment for Bell, for sure, to have locked his spot in the most coveted race of the year and that too, for the first time in his career. However, he’s in a different position in 2023. The difference is that of a week and that seems to have made all the difference for this 28-year-old speedster.

When he won at Homestead-Miami, Christopher Bell knew that regardless of his performance at the shortest track in NASCAR, he would be revving his engine at Phoenix. Hence, he has been preparing day and night for his second consecutive Championship 4 appearance.

It’s a major advantage when one wins a race leading to the closing race of any playoff round. It drops the burden of preparing for the remaining races off their shoulders. When asked about what’s different about this year than last year, Bell said, “The shift of focus for going to Phoenix, knowing that you’re racing for a championship instead of having to focus on Martinsville.”

“Last year, we didn’t even talk about Phoenix, and the word Phoenix never even came out of our mouths until we left this racetrack. Having the extra 7 days to get prepared and to know that we’re in the hunt, is a big advantage,” he added.

The entire community will brace up to watch the final rumble play out on the 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. We are as excited as you are!

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