With seven runner-up finishes in NASCAR Cup Series competition this season, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell smiles and anticipates the question: how close is he to finally hoisting a trophy in 2026?
For what it’s worth, this week’s stop at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway one-miler has been a particularly strong venue for the 31-year-old Oklahoman native. He’s won two of the last four races in his No. 20 JGR Toyota and was strong in Saturday’s practice with top-five single lap speed early in the session and tops on 10-lap speed. It’s one of only two tracks (also Phoenix) where Bell has won multiple races.
Bell will roll off the grid from sixth position and comes into the weekend ranked seventh in the championship standings – tied with sixth place, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott – with a reasonable opportunity to move up in points considering he’s only 20 points behind fifth place, his JGR teammate Chase Briscoe.
Bell’s finished top-five in five of the last seven races – turning in four of his season’s seven runner-up efforts in that span.
“We know that this is a huge opportunity for us and then Daytona is going to be a complete unknown,” Bell said of the two remaining regular season races to formally set the 16-driver Chase-eligible standings.
“I think this one is kind of in our hands to where we can control our own destiny. And then Daytona, we’re just going to go out there and basically ‘go to Vegas and gamble’ and see what happens.
“Obviously with Briscoe having that huge day at Richmond [runner-up], we got some ground to make up on him. Myself and Chase Elliott, are tied for sixth place. I think we’re in as good a spot as we could have asked for given the circumstances of 2026 for us.”
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