Snubbed by His Own Teammate, Can Christopher Bell Prove Joe Gibbs’ Champion Wrong With Roval Repeat?

The chase for the championship is shaking out to be a tough ordeal for Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Toyotas. Before the regular season switched gears into the playoff rounds, JGR’s 2017 Cup Series champion looked like he was on cruise control into the championship, as did his teammates, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. However, as the extravaganza reached the playoff rounds, only Hamlin was able to make a mark for himself as he took over the sword in Bristol.

While the veteran’s win got NASCAR Nation their new villain, the community also saw his teammate Bell‘s spectacular streak go in vain. When it comes to qualifying, there is no stopping the #20 driver. Bell put on an impressive show to take all three poles in the first playoff rounds but fell short when it came to finishing off the deal. Though the driver is ranked third in the rankings, one below his teammate Hamlin, can Bell actually bounce back from the disappointment and prove his veteran teammate wrong, repeating last year’s Roval run? Well, let’s find out.

Christopher Bell and his dispiriting playoff runs: will he be able to rebound and prove his veteran teammate wrong?

Last year’s Cup Series race in Charlotte at the 2.2-mile road course was a proving ground for Christopher Bell, who put on a show to emerge victorious, proving that he is more than just a consistent driver, more than capable of acing any track and surface. Known for his road racing capabilities and his racing prowess, Bell, who was 14th in the final lap of Stage 1, shattered all expectations when he worked his way through the field in the mid-laps of the race.

While the field was struggling to hold the line through the 17-turn track, Bell put on an absolute clinic to edge out veteran Kevin Harvick to advance into the next stage. And going into the 2nd playoff eliminator, Bell is a clear favorite, but can he prove his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., wrong and work his magic? That is the million-dollar question that is lingering right now.

The short answer is, probably, yes. If the #20 team doesn’t choke themselves as they did a few weeks ago in the playoff races, Bell’s lightning pace coupled with the JGR Toyota’s agility will most likely seal the deal, and break Truex Jr.’s final 4 prediction, proving that he is indeed a championship-caliber driver.

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Can Joe Gibbs Racing add a 6th title with their trio turning up the heat in the playoffs?

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The Coach, Joe Gibbs’ team currently has 5 titles under their belt, 2 of them coming from their former driver Kyle Busch when he seized the throne in 2015 and 2019. Starting the 2023 season with a bang was Busch’s former teammate Martin Truex Jr. The 42-year-old veteran looked invincible, dishing out consistent performances one after the other to win the regular-season championship.

This, along with Hamlin’s impressive top-position finishes and Bell’s blistering speed, had the pundits claiming that there would be three cars in the playoff for Joe Gibbs. And that came true. However, reaching playoff 16, Truex Jr. quickly lost the steam he built up. In fact, the driver was staring down the barrel, looking like he was about to be eliminated.

While he barely dodged a bullet there, the veteran is yet to find his rhythm. On the other hand, Hamlin, NASCAR’s newly proclaimed villain, won the eliminator in Bristol; as for Bell, he is the defending race winner as the action heads to Roval. However, all is not well in the Toyota camp. The team’s pit crew has been criticized for their inconsistent ways, despite the boss’ crew change.

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This, along with the driver’s constant tussle with misfortune, certainly has JGR fans worried. But keeping those aside, the agile Toyotas and their capable drivers are indeed a potent combination—one that could pose a challenge to any team or driver.