[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] found himself in trouble after the first race of the Round of 16; however, Bell bounced back in a major way to easily clinch a spot in the Round of 12. The driver of the No. 20 car advanced with finishes of 23rd place at Darlington Raceway, eighth place at Kansas Speedway, and third place at Bristol Motor Speedway. All of this came after sweeping the pole positions in the Round of 16.
Bell’s playoff run will be determined by the lack of mistakes that are made by him and the No. 20 team as the speed is present for another Championship 4 appearance. So, how does the Round of 12 stack up for Bell as he tries to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series title? Let’s take a look at what tracks are coming up over the next three races.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will take a five-point advantage to the playoff cut-line and head to Texas Motor Speedway, which is a track that has been kind to him in the past. Last year, Bell blew a tire which ended his day but showed brilliant speed in Stage 1. Texas should be a track that Bell runs well at so it is crucial to have a good start.
CHRISTOPHER BELL WINS THE DIRT RACE AT BRISTOL! pic.twitter.com/tkNfFFFyYX
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 10, 2023
Moving onto Talladega, it hasn’t been too terrible for Bell but it is very unpredictable. In his last five starts, he has four top-20 finishes which also include two top-10 finishes. Bell has been fast at superspeedway tracks but finishing out the events and stages without mistakes has been his biggest issue to this point.
Finally, the Charlotte ROVAL should be another solid track for Bell. Last year, he walked off the Round of 12 with a victory at the venue while finishing in eighth place the previous season. Plus, Bell has been a top-5 points earner at road courses during the 2023 season. There is a very high ceiling for the Oklahoma native to close out the Round of 12.
As previously stated, Bell and the No. 20 team simply need to limit their mistakes. If this takes place, Bell has the speed to make the Round of 8 and go even further into the NASCAR playoffs. All three races were very unpredictable during the 2022 season and Bell needs to take advantage of his speed to turn that into stage points or a victory.
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