Ross Chastain’s Kansas win turned into misery for the Toyotas, with Christopher Bell suffering the biggest setback. What should have been his race after a dominant qualifying performance became a nightmare. Following the disappointing finish in Kansas, Joe Gibbs Racing star Christopher Bell faces an uphill battle and knows exactly what he must do.

After the Kansas Speedway disappointment, Bell has resolved to adopt a more aggressive strategy at Talladega, especially with main rivals Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric gaining momentum.

Joe Gibbs star publicly reveals plan to take the fight to Team Penske

The Kansas Speedway race clearly demonstrated one thing: Joe Gibbs Racing had the fastest car on track. After all, the top spots initially belonged to Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, with Christopher Bell securing pole position. However, by the end of the race, neither of the top two Toyotas (Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell) secured a top-3 spot. This outcome, especially in the first round of the 12-race playoffs, paints a worrying picture for the team and for Bell, who must fight for every point.

To begin with, the Kansas race didn’t go according to plan. Despite leading for 71 laps, Christopher Bell made a crucial mistake between Turn 1 and 2, losing control of the #20 Toyota. Bell took a hard hit from the wall but managed to stay in the race, dropping positions as William Byron seized the opportunity to win Stage 1. Bell secured only six stage points with his fifth-place finish. In Stage 2, Bell worked his way back to the lead but stayed out when Austin Cindric spun out, causing a caution. With four laps remaining in Stage 2, Bell spun again, this time in Turn 4, hitting the wall and plummeting to 16th. From there, it was a recovery drive in the final stage, with Bell working his way up to a modest 7th-place finish. This result was a shadow of what could have been a stunning victory and an early ticket to the next round of the championship. However, Bell appears to have learned from his mistakes, and the Joe Gibbs star has a clear plan for what he needs to do.

Ahead of the Talladega race, Christopher Bell spoke to NASCAR radio and set a very clear goal for himself: aggressive driving. As the driver of the #20 Joe Gibbs explained, it’s all about fighting for every last scrap of points he can. “You’re gonna have to be aggressive and go for it. We know the Penske cars, #2, #12, and #22, they’re all going to be very aggressive and pushing for stage points. With your competitors doing that, it forces your hand too. You can’t just lay over and give them free stage points. Talladega is a very unnerving race, especially in the playoffs, the round of 12. You’re gonna have to go hard. I think anybody who lays back and purposely tries to not get stage points, I don’t think that’s the right strategy,” Bell remarked.

Losing out on stage points proved a significant deficit in Christopher Bell’s Kansas race. Minor errors on two occasions cost him a total of 14 stage points – four from Stage 1 and ten from Stage 2. Furthermore, he would have earned one playoff point from each stage win had he maintained his lead. In a tight playoff battle where every point counts, an aggressive mindset to secure each stage win will be crucial. Although it may seem risky, pursuing every point can ultimately lead to a win, as Team Penske well knows. At the Quaker State 400 in Atlanta, Joey Logano’s aggressive approach from seventh on the grid paid off with a victory. Similarly, Ryan Blaney took extra pit stops, compared to his teammate, and pushed all the way to third place, even contesting second place at times.

If Christopher Bell takes up the same aggressive approach the Penske cars embraced, it would mean a clear improvement in his performance at Talladega, right?

Christopher Bell’s looming threat in Talladega

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The #20 Joe Gibbs car dominated Kansas qualifying with a pole position. The Toyota looked incredibly fast, with Tyler Reddick also cracking the top five. Does this mean Bell will have an easier time with the addition of his new philosophy at Talladega? For starters, Bell’s rapid Kansas performance may have been track-specific. He excels at Kansas, securing his third consecutive pole position there in 2024. Interestingly, on all three occasions, the pole failed to translate to a win. In the September 2023 and May 2024 races, Bell dropped to eighth and sixth place, respectively.

Talladega presents an even greater challenge. Out of the last nine Talladega races, Bell has started inside the top five only twice. Both times, he secured pole position but finished disappointingly, placing 22nd and 17th. If Bell takes the pole again, a recovery drive might seal the fate of his Round of 8 hopes. However, if he pursues stage wins aggressively, his chances of advancing to the championship race remain alive. When Bob Pockrass asked Bell what finish would be acceptable at Talladega, the #20 Joe Gibbs driver surprisingly responded with 20th place.

The good news for the Joe Gibbs driver is he has a car that can perform. He knows that and so does his team. And well, we can also say that now he knows the pixie dust to his pole positions. Kansas was proof of that. Despite falling to 16th place, he clawed his way back into the top 10.

Moreover, his performances at superspeedways in recent times have drastically improved. In drafting tracks such as Talladega, Bell had three top 5 finishes of the five times he raced at similar tracks just in 2024. Perhaps, his aggressive approach and renewed vigor can bring some respite to his poor luck at Talladega and let him secure a birth in the round of 8 this weekend!