Remember when Tyler Reddick won the regular season championship by 1 point, and everyone was in awe of 23XI Racing’s superstar? Well, that was months ago, and now the scene has changed. Reddick sits in third place behind Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. Despite finishing second at the ROVAL, the media did not talk about Bell, but the driver finishing P11, Tyler Reddick, was sung high praise. Why is that so?

Well, one possible reason could be the owner of 23XI Racing being one of the most recognizable faces, Michael Jordan. Jordan has been a fan of Reddick even before he signed him to his team in 2022. Another could be the team’s ongoing lawsuit against Jim France and family. However, speaking of Tyler Reddick, Jordan bought out the rest of Reddick’s contract with Richard Childress Racing to ensure he races for 23XI at the start of the 2022 season. This is the tale of a 28-year-old basking in his well-earned fame, while on the flip side, another Toyota driver, Christopher Bell, is having a season to remember without anyone uttering a word.

Kevin Harvick feels the next two races are set up for a Christopher Bell show

In the Roval race, Tyler Reddick started slow, dropping from 2nd to 5th early on. However, after Shane van Gisbergen’s pit stop on Lap 22, Reddick seized the lead and won Stage 1. Later, a collision forced him into multiple pit stops, dropping him down the field. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell faced his own challenges but clinched a playoff spot by Lap 58. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car held steady in 2nd place behind Larson for much of the race.

Now, the 2014 NASCAR Cup series champion Kevin Harvick gave his thoughts on the ROVAL outcome and Christopher Bell on ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’. He said, “Let’s not forget who finished second because it’s, it’s Christopher Bell. And I watched the broadcast, I watched the race live, and it’s typical Christopher Bell not being talked about, not being shown, and he comes home second.”

“In the playoffs, he’s had a, you know, a little over a six-place average finish in these races. And at some point, you have to be able to take him seriously from where everybody else sits because, you know, he’s second in the points so with the reset, with 13 points up on the cut line but you know, I think when you look back at Las Vegas at the beginning of the year, these are their types of race tracks and, and you know they had some trouble there at that particular track,” Harvick added.

Christopher Bell has been a beacon of consistency these playoffs, and it’s no surprise why he sits 2nd in points. Bell has finished in the top 10 in 5 out of the 6 playoff races this season, his only one outside being a 14th-place finish at Watkins Glen. All this consistency will come to the ultimate test at Las Vegas next week, where his record is topsy-turvy.

Talking about C. Bell’s chances going into the Vegas weekend, Harvick said, “But I think when, when you look at the speed, I don’t think that is going to be the issue. I think that Las Vegas has been a great racetrack not only for Kyle Larson, but for Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. When you look at, when you look at Bell and Las Vegas, they, I believe they’ll have the speed to win there. I think he, you know, obviously winning the race last year at Homestead with everything that that he’s been able to accomplish at those race tracks, I think those two race tracks will be strong for him.”

The next two races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami bring contrasting prospects for Christopher Bell. Earlier this season, he stumbled at Las Vegas, finishing 33rd after starting 10th. However, Homestead is a stronghold for him—he claimed victory there last year, leading 26 laps. Bell’s No. 20 car hasn’t shown much promise in Las Vegas, but he has managed a 2nd-place finish in 2023, after leading 63 laps and securing top-3 finishes in both stages.

“I don’t think that pressure scares him. I think that it allows them to fly under the radar. But I also believe that they deserve some of the headlines and, and things that, that they’ve been able to do throughout the playoffs with the finishes that they’ve had,” Harvick added.

Harvick feels that being an unspoken performer can work to Bell’s advantage as he has less pressure on his back to go out and perform. However, Bell has never been one to shy away from pressure, the best example being last year at Homestead, Miami, where Bell was in a must-win situation to stay alive in the playoffs and won the race. His response after the race? “I love it. I live for those types of moments … whenever you have an opportunity to be great,” said C. Bell.

Christopher Bell will be looking to put his demons from Phoenix 2023 behind him

Trending

Despite 2023 Disaster, Chase Elliott Risks Angering Rick Hendrick by Choosing Alex Bowman’s HMS Banned Tactic

Kurt Busch Finally Breaking Radio Silence After Criminal Charges Forced 3-Month-Long Hiatus Has NASCAR Fans Breathing Easy

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Sister Recalls the Sacrifice Forced on Them by Tony Stewarts’ Stranded Mentee Before Their Big Moment

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Was Caught Off-Guard by Ken Schrader’s Boozy ‘Bargaining’ Tactic

Kyle Larson’s Efforts Reap Results as America’s Oldest Sprint Car Racing Makes Its Return After a Year of Hiatus

With just four races to go, the NASCAR playoffs are heating up big time. Christopher Bell would relish his Homestead heroics from last season but not so much the title race in Phoenix. He saw his title hopes dash after his right front brake rotor exploded at lap 109. A distraught C. Bell placed 4th for the season, which saw Ryan Blaney win the championship.

He spoke after the race, and it was clear to see his mentality going into these playoffs. “Obviously, just wanna be one better… I felt like me and him (Kyle Larson) were pretty evenly matched once we got spaced out… I hope I get a redo in Phoenix,” Christopher Bell said. Bell has his eyes set on the championship race in Phoenix and exudes confidence.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind of the talent of the JGR driver; it is just a matter of time before he takes the championship home, and 2024 could be the year.

• C. Bell placed 3rd in 2022 and
• 4th in 2023, coming agonizingly close to the elusive title.

With a healthy points lead to go with some sublime racing, do you think Christopher Bell will be the 2024 Cup Series Champion?