Having secured a pole position for the playoffs race at Kansas Speedway, Christopher Bell was eyeing his fourth win of the season. However, unforced errors and rookie mistakes saw the JGR driver settle for only a P7 finish. The big hitters or the playoff drivers are feeling the pressure to live up to their billing, but these demands seem to have taken a toll on them. And last Sunday, it was Bell who went home with his head in his hands after failing to hit his markers.

Leading the most laps (122) on the day just goes to show how quick the #20 Toyota Camry was. However, as far as control was concerned, Bell wasn’t able to keep his nose clean and ended up brushing the outside wall. Not just once, but twice during the race that would see him miss out on a strong run. Although the likes of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch made the news for all the wrong reasons, Bell also found himself on the bitter end of things. And it was Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, who didn’t pull any punches in questioning Bell’s racing talents.

Christopher Bell couldn’t keep himself out of the wall at Kansas

Playoff drivers often jostle for stage wins, providing significant gains beyond just overall victories. Christopher Bell aimed for this at the end of Stage 1, having led 71 laps. However, under pressure from William Byron, he got loose in Turns 1 and 2, hit the wall, and fell to fifth. The second mishap proved even more costly. During a caution in Stage 2, Bell decided to stay out for stage points but ended up hitting the wall exiting Turn 4. This allowed Alex Bowman to secure his first stage win of the season, while Bell dropped to 16th.

It wasn’t just Bell struggling; drivers like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott also faced challenges. However, Bell had the most control over his finish and points situation. “Looking at the playoff bubble at the moment, it seems like some of our drivers had some trouble, such as Christopher Bell, although he managed to still get a strong day. He did hit the wall twice.” Casey said this on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.

To which T.J. Major tried to get an answer on how he ended up hitting the wall twice. And, in a hushed-up tone, Freddie Kraft replied, “He’s fast and ran out of talent.” Despite leaving a significant amount of points on the day, Christopher Bell still managed a modest P7 finish, which keeps him away from the cutline for the time being. He’s placed 3rd, 28 points above the danger zone.

But why are the playoff drivers so eager for stage wins and not prioritizing an overall race win? This is what Bell’s teammate Denny Hamlin had to say about this growing trend on his podcast show.

Non-playoff drivers can risk it all for a win

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Chris Buescher won the playoff race at Watkins Glen, and Ross Chastain did the same, clinching his first victory at Kansas last weekend. These are the two drivers who missed out on the playoffs without having enough points in the bad. However, without the pressure of competing for the trophy, they can force the issue and not rely on stage wins to stay afloat in the title race like the rest of the playoff drivers.

“That’s the advantage that the non-playoff drivers will have that they don’t care about the stage points. You’re going to see us at the Roval and all these racetracks, selling out for stage points. What happens is that all the cars that flip are going to end up front. They’re going to be the ones racing for a win, not the playoff cars. Teams become more conservative in the playoffs; I know it’s the unpopular opinion, but it’s totally true.” Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

With the Talladega race lined up next on the playoff schedule, the teams are going to draw out new plans and strategies to tackle this challenge. This leaves the door open for non-playoff drivers to script a win as they do not have anything to lose.