Not Teammates Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin But This NASCAR Legend Reached Out to Christopher Bell Before Phoenix

As the NASCAR Cup Series 2022 season rolls to its end, the focus has shifted toward the Championship 4 race, which is to be held at Phoenix Speedway at the end of the week. The grid will feature Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Christopher Bell. But who will take the W on the most important race weekend of the season?

Christopher Bell, racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, is in his first Championship 4. The young driver has had a beautiful year racking up 3 wins, with the most important ones coming in crucial junctures, i.e. Charlotte Roval and Martinsville.

Speaking ahead of Phoenix, he was asked, “So you’re in your first Championship 4 appearance but you have some great teammates you could lean on – Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin. Those guys have all been in the position you’re in over the past few years. Did you reach out to any of those guys to maybe get some information, or just ask questions heading into this weekend?”

Bell revealed, “Honestly, I have not. All 3 of those guys are great teammates and they’re so focused on their own race at Phoenix ahead so I haven’t talked to those guys. But honestly, Kurt Busch reached out to me earlier in the week and that meant a ton to me.”

“He’s not a JGR teammate but he’s a Toyota teammate and a guy that I really respected for a number of years. I thought that was really cool that Kurt reached out to me, coming from a guy who has a ton of experience as well.”

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The 27-year-old is among the younger group of drivers on the grid, and a first Championship 4 experience is going to be a massive step up from his usual racing experiences. For Kurt to help out like this is admirable.

Does Christopher Bell have an edge on others in the Championship 4?

One of Bell’s 3 race wins this year came at Loudon, New Hampshire. Most people club Phoenix and New Hampshire together due to the fact both tracks are shorter-flat tracks.

In the interview, Bell was asked about the similarities between New Hampshire and Phoenix, considering that he won the first one. 

He said, “Absolutely. Phoenix 1 was so early in the development of the next-gen car that I feel very confident in saying that the car that won the race at Phoenix 1 is likely to bring a completely different setup going into Phoenix 2, just with the amount of knowledge gained and arrow gains and setup gains throughout the course of the year. So I think Loudon is a great feather in our cap because we’re definitely leaning on those notes…”

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Another performance like the one he gave at Loudon could very well crown him the Champion. But can he pull it off? What’re your thoughts?