Christopher Bell’s emergence as NASCAR’s most clutch driver in the NextGen car

Christopher Bell doesn’t want to be labeled NASCAR’s new “closer” but he has emerged as the sport’s most clutch driver in the NextGen car.

[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] didn’t need a victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2022 but it ended up being the reason why he raced for a championship. Well, one of the three reasons. Without that win, Bell likely would have missed the 2022 playoffs in a disappointing season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Instead, the driver of the No. 20 car rose to the moment two more times.

At the Charlotte ROVAL, Bell had a 45-point deficit to the playoff cut-line and needed a win to advance. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver accomplished the goal and even had the biggest walk-off victory in playoff history. Fast forward to the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway and Bell did it again with a 33-point deficit, which is the second-biggest walk-off to this date.

It didn’t end with a NASCAR Cup Series championship but it showed how Bell is the most clutch driver in the NextGen car era. That was further proven at Homestead-Miami Speedway when crew chief Adam Stevens figured out a way to give the No. 20 car what it needed to not only stay on the lead lap but also win the race. Bell just needed the car and got it done at one of his worst tracks.

Now, Bell will fight for a title at Phoenix Raceway next to Kyle Larson, who is the driver that prevented his victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the previous event. While many have called him NASCAR’s new closer, Bell doesn’t want to take away from Kevin Harvick’s greatness when asked if he will carry the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s legacy. He just wants to be himself.

“I don’t know. I mean, Harvick is obviously one of the greatest to ever do it. I’m a far stretch from that,” Bell said. “I am proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish I guess is the right way to say it. But I don’t think that anybody will be The Closer. That’s Kevin’s motto, that’s what he did. Hopefully, I’m Christopher Bell.”

Out of respect for Harvick and Bell’s wishes, the sport can refrain from calling the latter NASCAR’s new “closer.” Instead, the sport’s competitors can acknowledge that the Joe Gibbs Racing driver will continue to persevere through whatever comes his way. Bell won’t be the favorite at Phoenix in two weeks, but it would be incredibly foolish to count him out.

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