Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing have taken turns dominating the playoff rounds. With regular-season champion and initially top seed Martin Truex Jr. struggling to find his best form, his teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell have taken up the burden on their backs for Joe Gibbs. As for Rick Hendrick and HMS, William Byron and Kyle Larson have stood up to expectations and pulled the fans out of the misery of Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman missing out.

Choosing a clear favorite for the championship has never been this difficult. Every race has witnessed a different winner, and the story of the last two rounds has differed. While a dark horse in Chris Buescher could spring a surprise anytime, another dark horse has been unable to find his finishing touch. JGR’s #20 driver, Christopher Bell, has yet to find a win in the playoffs this season, despite already starting the race in P1 four times.

Christopher Bell puts his faith in Toyota

Toyota drivers have shown their versatility this season. Having won on all types of tracks in the regular season and playoffs, the drivers still in contention have also been equally good as the cars. Maybe a bit less sturdy on short tracks, but the Camrys have displayed an immense raw pace and haven’t given much room for error either.

Denny Hamlin showed his prowess in the #11 Camry in the first round, being the driver to beat. Truex cannot be counted out with everything he has done this season. Tyler Reddick already has a win in the playoffs, beating Hamlin to the finish line. Christopher Bell could have capitalized on his qualifying performances and won 4 races by now instead of none. And now Las Vegas presents him another opportunity at that, following his pole-winning performance in Saturday’s qualifying session.

“I don’t think it really matters with the style of racing that we’ve got coming up at Vegas, Miami, and Martinsville,” claimed Christopher Bell in a post-race presser in Las Vegas.

“But with that being said, it’s a showcase for how good the Toyotas are right now you know, we’ve got really good drivers in them too. Tyler Reddick, Denny, and Martin are no slouches, and we’re in a good place. ” 

With JGR having three drivers in the final 8, Christopher Bell could also receive or provide help for his teammates based on how his race unfolds. A pinch of teamwork could even help them have the same crop of drivers in the Championship 4 as well. Truex Jr. had a headstart of 15 playoff points for his regular-season performance also puts them on a higher pedestal for this.

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Jeff Gordon’s successor could be the man to beat, according to Bell

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While the round of 16 was all about Denny Hamlin’s dominance, the story turned around in the round of 12. The ball was in Rick Hendrick‘ court this time. #24 Camaro driver William Byron came into the three races in the round in his finest form, delivering an average finish of 1.67.

With P2 and above finishes in all three races, he underlined his credentials as this season’s winningest driver. His performance definitely sent a statement to other teams and their drivers. Some of Bell’s words suggest that maybe the statement of intent is being taken seriously. As Christopher Bell continued the conversation, he shed light on the drivers who have an advantage in the title race due to their place in the table.

“William and I think Denny and Martin have good points, but William has a lot of points so it’s going to get all of them in the final 4, but hopefully, we can do our best and get as many as we can,” added Bell.

Bell is currently sixth in the playoff standings, 8 points behind the final eligible place in the championship. Although 2 drivers from the team Rick Hendrick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin, still remain the favorites to fight for the title in Phoenix, Christopher Bell won’t be ducking the challenge. A pole-winning performance of kick-off things shows that he won’t be backing out either.

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