Veteran Insider Exposes Joe Gibbs’s Superstar’s Emotional Baggage as Biggest Championship Roadblock

The scene was spectacular for HMS’ Kyle Larson as he clinched his 5th win of the season and his 2nd playoff win to book his berth in the final 4. While the once-in-a-generation talent showed the community how fast the #5 Chevy was another car that set the track on fire with a splendid qualifying run was beaten to the punch by a razor-thin 0.082-second gap.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who won his sixth pole in the last 14 NASCAR Cup Series races, quickly lost his lead to Larson just 3 laps into the race. However, he managed to track down the 2021 Cup Series champion in the closing laps of the race in what was a very close finish.

While the JGR driver was disappointed with the finish as the win slipped right off his cusps, NASCAR veteran and NBC commentator revealed the driver’s mental blockade that will probably get him on the back foot as the championship chase nears its conclusion.

“The Mayor of NASCAR” exposes the chink in the armor as he mentions the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s frustrated psyche

Christopher Bell and Toyota fans were in for an anti-climatic race finish. While the driver has a keen eye for pole position, securing an exceptional 6 poles, 4 of those in the playoffs, a sought-after win in the post-regular season has eluded him all along. Bell, who is currently in the bubble, sitting in the 5th spot, just lost a golden opportunity to secure his place in Championship 4 despite posting the fastest lap in qualifying.

Starting the race first in the grid, the #20 driver quickly lost his head-start as Larson took the lead in the 3rd lap of the race. Refusing to give up, the JGR driver tracked down the HMS Chevy like a heat-seeking missile that locked onto the checkered flag. Bell then methodically readied his guns as he went hunting, slowly closing the gap on Larson.

In quick succession, the window separating the race leader and the runner-up came down from 5 to 0.082 seconds as the JGR Toyota chased down the HMS Chevy. However, Bell just couldn’t finish it off in time, leaving the driver disappointed and frustrated. Reflecting on his performance and his post-race interview, Jeff Burton put out a message for the driver, revealing his fragile state of mind that he needs to come out of.

He said, “I’m surprised about this, he doesn’t view Homestead as one of those racetracks, right? So that’s where we’re going next. He doesn’t view it as one of his better racetracks he just had an opportunity to to be locked in, he’s not locked now he has work to do, that’s emotionally hard to take, that’s emotionally hard to put in the backseat forget about it and move forward.”

Christopher Bell’s heartbreaking 4-word admission after his Vegas disappointment

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The #20 Camry driver’s story is one that can bring tears to any racing fan’s eyes. Misfortune and untimely, inefficient pit stops all took Christopher Bell further away from a much-deserved win. While the team boss, Joe Gibbs swapped his crew with his grandson’s potent crew for the playoffs, bad luck seems to be at the driver’s side as he loses a close one by a razor-thin margin.

WATCH THIS STORY: Christopher Bell had Kyle Larson’s heart in his mouth during lucky championship 4 escape 

Despite his exceptional run in the qualifying, a rather slow pit stop from the #20 team with 57 laps remaining became the deciding factor that gave Larson the edge. Larson came out as the fastest off the pit stop while Bell looked to make up for the lost time with brute speed but in vain as the HMS driver secured his 5th win of the season to seal his 2nd championship shot.

Dejected and disheartened to see the win taken away from him, Bell in his post-race interview said, “I mean, I don’t know what else I could have done so…very I don’t know.” He further stated, “I feel like that was my moment. That was my moment to make the Final Four. Didn’t quite capture it. I don’t know. Coming to the checkered there, I knew he was going to be blocking, so I’m like, ‘I’m going to try to go high.’ He went high. I don’t even know if I had a run to get by him there coming to the line. Just wasn’t enough.”

READ MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr Gangs up With HMS Legend, Dissecting Ty Gibbs’ Pain

With the driver torn up with his Vegas disappointment and the playoffs nearing its conclusion, Bell urgently needs to recuperate and reconsider his thought process as Burton suggested if he needs to advance further in the tournament and get a shot at the title.