Amidst the chaos in the Cup Series playoffs, one driver has been consistently getting the results while flying under the radar. Christopher Bell has been somewhat of a dark horse in the ongoing campaign, even though he’s currently second in the championship, having secured three wins in the season so far. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has shown great consistency over the last few weeks, finishing no lower than seventh in the last four races.

Despite the attention going towards the traditional favorites such as Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, a prominent NASCAR Insider isn’t ruling out Christopher Bell as a genuine title contender if he does make it to Phoenix Raceway later this year.

Is Christopher Bell a championship favorite?

He might not be in the headlines, but Christopher Bell has every reason to be optimistic about his championship hopes going into the last four races of the season. The 29-year-old has shown tremendous consistency over the last few months, having finished inside the top ten in 9 out of the last 11 races. As a result, the No. 20 Toyota Camry driver finds himself just behind Kyle Larson in the standings going into the Round of Eight. Even though Victory Lane has eluded the Oklahoma native, Bell is playing the long game, hoping to remain in contention, going into the Championship 4 race.

Highlighting his expectations from Christopher Bell, NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, “I don’t think enough people give enough credit to Christopher Bell. To me, he’s that quiet achiever and I love the fact that how honest he was at Kansas where he made the mistake at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 when he hit the wall, said that’s totally on me. I just think he’s the only guy who’s made the Championship 4 the last two years in succession, and I just think the time is now for him.”

Diffey makes a valid point. Christopher Bell is a force to be reckoned with, even though he may not have secured a victory in the playoffs just yet. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver tends to excel at flat mile ovals, having already secured victories at Phoenix Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway earlier this season. With the final race of the season coming on a track where he has already excelled before, all Bell needs to do is remain in contention for the championship race and snatch the victory when it matters the most.

Over the last two years, Christopher Bell has come agonizingly close to clinching the Cup Series title. The driver finished third in 2022 and fourth in 2023, indicating just how small the margins have been separating him from the elusive trophy. If he does make it to Phoenix Raceway later this year, Bell will have the experience to go one step further and lift the silverware. All he needs to do is show consistency at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville Speedway to remain in the hunt during the final race of the season.

Bell outlines reasons for being away from the spotlight

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Quietly confident. That’s what Christopher Bell will be feeling heading into the Round of Eight. Why shouldn’t he be? The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been cruising through the opening six postseason races and is driving with maturity and experience beyond his years to get consistent results. In many ways, Bell has outperformed all his teammates, including Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series so far, and is looking like the most in-form Toyota driver heading into the business end of the season.

When asked if he felt he was flying under the radar, Christopher Bell said, “It does, a little bit. But this time for good, because we’ve just been kind of safe, you know. I think going into Bristol, I don’t think we were locked in, but we locked in rather quickly. Had a lot of points in the bank. Same thing here in the Round of 12. We haven’t won, which is a bummer, but we’ve done a really good job accumulating points and we’ve been above the cutline, so we’ve been on the safe side of things, so I’m happy with that.”

As things stand, Bell has a staggering 20 top-ten finishes in the opening 32 races, a testament to his consistency throughout the Cup Series season so far. With momentum on his side, the 29-year-old will look to build on his performances heading into the remaining races. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won the 2023 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami last year and will want to replicate that result this time around. If there was ever a time for Christopher Bell to secure a playoff win, it’s in the Round of Eight.