After about nine months and 35 races since the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season began back in February, it all comes down to Sunday’s championship event at Phoenix Raceway.
Surviving the first nine races of the playoffs and edging out the other 12 title contenders, four drivers — Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Christopher Bell — will compete on the one-mile Arizona track for the 2023 championship.
The final four drivers represent three different teams and manufacturers with Larson and Byron competing in Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets, while Blaney is in a Team Penske Ford and Bell a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
So ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series championship race Sunday at Phoenix (3 p.m. ET, NBC), here are five things to know about the Championship 4 drivers.
This is probably not the last four drivers many had standing in the NASCAR Cup series postseason, or even a combination of some of them. But here we are in a Hendrick Motorsports versus Joe Gibbs Racing versus Team Penske battle, and it doesn’t …
This is probably not the last four drivers many had standing in the NASCAR Cup series postseason, or even a combination of some of them.
But here we are in a Hendrick Motorsports versus Joe Gibbs Racing versus Team Penske battle, and it doesn’t include the names Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., or Joey Logano.
The 2023 edition of the Championship 4 is not the sexiest, flashiest, most experienced or even the most quote-worthy. These four, however, represent the future of NASCAR for years to come, and they’ve put together respectable, but different kinds of seasons that still landed them all here.
Kyle Larson is the only previous champion in the bunch. He could become just the third driver to win multiple titles under the elimination format and at 31 years old, he’s the oldest of the bunch.
Christopher Bell, 28, is making a repeat trip to the Championships 4. How many playoff brackets had Bell as the lone representative for Joe Gibbs Racing?
William Byron has dominated the season and, at 25 years old, is experiencing his first championship battle. Byron returns to Phoenix as its most recent winner.
And then there’s 29-year-old Ryan Blaney, who has given Ford a chance to win a championship in one of its toughest seasons. Blaney, who bucks the stock car trend in not doing celebration burnouts, has reached the promised land in his eighth attempt.
Here is more on the drivers who will compete to be the next NASCAR Cup series champion:
Larson is the only previous champion in the final four. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Wins: 4 (Richmond I; Martinsville I; Darlington II; Las Vegas II)
Laps led: 1,127
Top 10 finishes: 17
Finishes in the playoffs: First, fourth, second, 31st, 15th, 13th, first, 34th, sixth
Championship 4 appearances: 2 (2021; 2023)
Larson clinched his spot with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first race in the third round. It will be the first time Larson has been among the Championship 4 since winning his first championship in 2021. His other two finishes in the round were 34th at Homestead-Miami Speedway (when he arguably had the best car) and a quiet sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.
It was pretty smooth sailing for Larson & Co. in the playoffs. Larson won the opening race of the playoffs, Darlington, to immediately clinch his spot in the second round. In the first round, Larson finished no worse than fourth. Although his numbers in the second round weren’t as pretty (his average finish was 19.6), it never felt like Larson was in a perilous position of not advancing.
Larson’s season has been solid but not without inconsistencies. During the regular season, Larson won twice in the first 10 races but also had four DNFs in that span. Of his eight DNFs, six came in the regular season. But no matter how far off the No. 5 team might be one weekend, there should never be any panic about the wheels completely coming off when Cliff Daniels is at the helm. Once the postseason started, Larson and his team have looked like the championship contenders they’re expected to be.
Bell is making his second consecutive final four appearance. Lesley Ann Miller/Motorsport Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Wins: 2 (Bristol dirt; Homestead-Miami)
Laps led: 599
Top 10 finishes: 19
Finishes in the playoffs: 23rd, eighth, third, fourth, 14th, 15th, second, first, seventh
Championship 4 appearances: 2 (2022; 2023)
Bell and his team have dug deep all year to perform and it’s brought them to the championship race once more. Multiple times during the regular season, Bell spoke of the potential the team was capable of but how they weren’t showing it. Mistakes. Misfortune. Just not being fast enough.
A victory on the Bristol dirt clinched Bell’s spot in the postseason and at one time, sat as high as second in the championship standings. Bell’s playoffs got off to a rocky start with issues on pit road and Bell making his share on the racetrack. But by the time the Round of 8 came around, it seemed everyone was settled and ready to take the next step.
Las Vegas was nearly flawless for the team as Bell won the pole and finished second. It went as well as it could have, being one spot short. Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Bell won, was the best example of how much they’ve dug deep this year. Bell drove with determination, the team did their jobs on pit road and got the car where it needed to be after early adjustments took them in the wrong direction.
The 28-year-old is quickly becoming one of the best the Cup series has to offer and by stacking up appearances in the championship round, seems well on the way to becoming a champion. Perhaps sooner rather than later in his career.
Byron is the youngest driver in the final four. Motorsport Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Wins: 6 (Las Vegas; Phoenix; Darlington; Atlanta II; Watkins Glen; Texas)
Laps led: 921
Top 10 finishes: 20
Finishes in the playoffs: Fourth, 15th, ninth, first, second, second, seventh, fourth, 13th
Championship 4 appearances: 1 (2023)
Byron, Rudy Fugle and the No. 24 team have been the best all season long. Byron leads the series in victories, top-10 finishes and is tied with two other drivers (Larson and Denny Hamlin) for the most top-five finishes. Their victories have come on every type of racetrack.
It is fitting and satisfying that the No. 1 seed in the postseason is racing for a championship. Byron had an incredible first two rounds with an average finish of 5.5 and after two top-10 finishes in the first two races of the third round, it seemed like Martinsville Speedway should have just been a formality with a 30-point advantage.
Instead, Byron and his team showed what they are capable of with one of his most impressive drives in the series. Byron battled his car and his body to reach the finish, while Fugle kept this driver in the game, and the team did what they needed to do on pit road. It wasn’t pretty, but the playoffs are about surviving and advancing, and they did when put in that position.
Competing for the championship is the next step in Byron’s career. Since being paired with Fugle, the two have continued to knock down different milestones, from how far they’ve gone in the postseason to how many races they’ve won in a season. Now they have an opportunity to cap off what has already been a career year.
Blaney heads to Phoenix with momentum on his side. John Harrelson/Motorsport Images
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Wins: 3 (Charlotte; Talladega II; Martinsville II)
Laps led: 560
Top-10 finishes: 17
Finishes in the playoffs: Ninth, 12th, 22nd, 28th, first, 12th, sixth, second, first
Championship 4 appearances: 1 (2023)
Until Austin Cindric was moved into the Cup series last season, Ryan Blaney had always been “the other Penske driver.” Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were champions with multiple appearances in the Championship 4, while Blaney could never seem to get over the hump and played the wingman to his more accomplished teammates.
Blaney was there but never really championship-relevant.
Finally, Blaney has broken through the ceiling, and he did so with a great third round of the postseason that made it hard to write him off. Blaney’s average finish was third in the Round of 8 with speed, execution, and a solid pit crew doing their part. Sunday at Martinsville Speedway was a masterclass and a bit unexpected, considering that Blaney has gone there in the Round of 8 before and left disappointed.
Momentum is real and it’s on Blaney’s side. The No. 12 team has to be feeling dangerous, having made it this far and the way they’ve been running. Also, don’t forget Blaney felt he had the best car in the finale at Phoenix last year but played the bridesmaid … to teammate Logano’s championship effort. But now, it’s finally all eyes on Blaney.
This NASCAR crew chief believes Christopher Bell is a “generational” talent. Find out what else this crew chief had to say about Bell!
[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] sarcastically told spotter Stevie Reeves on the radio that he would “start trying” after the latter said he should fight to stay on the lead lap in Stage 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Well, the next 100 laps proved why Bell is the most clutch driver of the NextGen car era as he willed the No. 20 car to victory lane for a Championship 4 spot.
It was a very impressive performance by Bell and the No. 20 team as crew chief Adam Stevens threw the kitchen sink at the car throughout the event. Following the race, Stevens talked about the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and had very high praise after watching him preserve at Homestead.
“Yeah, (Christopher Bell) is a generational talent in this sport,” Stevens said. “He is as good as they come. He’s still learning. We’re still learning each other as a team. If you get him close, he can get the job done. We’ve proven it time and time again.”
CHRISTOPHER BELL WILL RACE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. Repost to congratulate the No. 20 team on their WIN at Homestead-Miami Speedway! pic.twitter.com/mlfhx89B2u
“We got to do a better job as a team and as a company keeping him in contention. When we do that, he’s able to claw his way up there and make stuff happen like the great ones do.”
Bell and Stevens are in their third year together, and they are only getting better. The No. 20 team will now put its focus toward Phoenix Raceway as they return to the Championship 4 for a second straight season. After coming up short in 2022, Bell will hope to finally secure his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
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.
CHRISTOPHER BELL WILL RACE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. Repost to congratulate the No. 20 team on their WIN at Homestead-Miami Speedway! pic.twitter.com/mlfhx89B2u
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.
Check out a couple studs and duds from the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway!
The NASCAR Cup Series went to Homestead-Miami Speedway and every race at the race track puts on a show. On Sunday afternoon, it was no different as [autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] shocked the racing world with an out-of-nowhere victory. Bell was able to pull ahead late and hold off Ryan Blaney despite a poor handling car all day.
Several playoff drivers didn’t have good days, including Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Chris Buescher. Near the end of the event, Hamlin and Truex suffered issues that ruined their stance in the standings. Meanwhile, Buescher was nowhere to be seen all day and struggled to run in the top 20 spots.
Following the Cup Series race at Homestead, here are a couple of studs and duds from the overall field.
Christopher Bell will compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship for the second consecutive year after a come-from-behind win Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bell made the winning pass on William Byron on lap 252 of 267. He led the final 16 …
Christopher Bell will compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship for the second consecutive year after a come-from-behind win Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Bell made the winning pass on William Byron on lap 252 of 267. He led the final 16 laps unchallenged and won by 1.6s over Ryan Blaney.
It was a fight to get to that point. Bell qualified 13th and was in danger of going a lap down in the second stage. When he was informed of this by his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team, Bell sarcastically replied, “OK, I’ll start trying.”
It was not until lap 221 that he ran a green flag lap inside the top five. A caution with 46 laps to go further pushed Bell toward the front. He lined up fourth (second in the outside lane) for the restart and made a three-wide move in Turns 3 and 4 to clear Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney for the lead.
The No. 20 led until a caution flew a few laps later and the field returned to pit road. He came off pit road third and again chose to line up fourth for the final restart that took place with 25 laps to go.
The late charge resulted in his second win of the season. It is his first at Homestead.
“I’ve got the best team behind me,” Bell said of the rebound. “Honestly, I don’t know man, that race was a whirlwind and I was ready to throw the towel in in the second stage, and I got really frustrated on the radio and Adam [Stevens] kept after it. Adam, Tyler Williams, the guys back at the shop working over the adjustments…it gave me what I needed. When we got some clean air, this thing was really good.
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“I cannot say how proud I am to be here with our partners Rheem and DeWalt, driving these Toyota Camrys. I’ve been with Toyota since day one, so thank you to everyone who supported me. This is better than a dream come true.”
Blaney finished second after leading 53 laps. The Team Penske driver avoided potential disaster when Kyle Larson ran into him coming to pit road under green flag conditions on lap 213. Blaney was leading and Larson was trying to close the gap when he hit the Penske Ford in the bumper and then hit the sand barrels to bring out the red flag.
Tyler Reddick finished third, Byron fourth and AJ Allmendinger fifth. Bubba Wallace finished sixth, Ty Gibbs seventh, Joey Logano eighth, Aric Almirola ninth and Austin Dillon 10th.
Chris Buescher finished 21st. He is now in a must-win scenario going into the elimination race next weekend.
Martin Truex Jr. finished 29th with a potential engine issue. Denny Hamlin finished 30th after hitting the wall in Turn 1 on lap 236 while running inside the top five.
Larson finished 34th. He led the most laps (96) and won the first stage. Blaney won the second stage.
There were 25 lead changes among nine drivers in the 4EVER 400, and five caution flags.
Christopher Bell felt his gold ticket to the championship race slipped through his fingers last weekend in Las Vegas when he could do nothing but chase Kyle Larson across the finish line. Bell, although gracious in defeat, took the loss hard. Aside …
Christopher Bell felt his gold ticket to the championship race slipped through his fingers last weekend in Las Vegas when he could do nothing but chase Kyle Larson across the finish line.
Bell, although gracious in defeat, took the loss hard. Aside from wrecking Larson, which wasn’t an option Bell was willing to use, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver felt he did all he could to grab the victory. But it was just the first race in the round – Bell still has two chances to earn a return trip to the Championship 4, even if it didn’t sound like it with his outlook on Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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“I wish it was another track, I’ll be honest with you,” Bell said this week. “I do wish we were going to a handful of other racetracks. But with that being said, Homestead is certainly a place where you can control your own destiny, and if you go there and you’re fast, you’re going to have a great day. If you go there and you’re slow, you’re going to have a really bad day.
“My track record there is full of ups and downs, so it’s not my most confident track, but it’s a great racetrack. It’s a place where, if you’re fast, you can control your own destiny. We just have to be fast and if we’re not fast, we don’t deserve to be going to the final four. So, it is what it is.”
Bell has three NASCAR Cup series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a best finish of eighth from the 2020 season. His average finish is 13th with four laps led.
The numbers are similar for Bell from his time in the Xfinity series and Craftsman Truck series at the track: an average finish of 17.3 in the Xfinity series with a best finish of fifth from 2019. It was an 11.7 average finish for Bell in his three Truck series races at the 1.5-miler in south Florida, finishing a best eighth in 2016.
In the third round of the postseason, Bell views each race as a must-win. And if that doesn’t happen, a driver better be taking all the points possible.
Bell came close in Las Vegas, scoring 52 of 60 possible points. He and Larson were the class of the field, but it was Larson who clinched a spot competing for the championship.
“The reason why I felt like that was my moment was because going into the race, we had a great Saturday, we won the pole, I passed the 5 car early on in the race and ran in front of him for a period of time,” Bell said. “So, we had everything we needed to go out there and win the race and you never know what’s going to happen and certainly, my opportunity to make the final four is not over by any means, but that was a golden ticket that was a car length away from me, and it didn’t happen.
“I know that if I want to make Phoenix, I’m going to have to basically win at Homestead and Martinsville. If everything goes normal.
“Now, certainly, if people have issues, then it can be dramatically different, but we’re going to have to duplicate what we did at Las Vegas at Homestead and again at Martinsville.
“Frankly, if I’m a championship driver and we’re a championship team, we need to be doing anyway. So, I guess I felt like that was our moment to make the final four, and it was a moment to make the final four, but I don’t think that it was the only moment to make the final four.”
Bell is two points below the Cup series playoff grid going into Homestead (Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
Jimmie Johnson praises Christopher Bell following his recent comments about the finish at Las Vegas. Find out what Johnson said to Bell!
[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] came up just short at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he came off Turn 4 with a one-tenth deficit to Kyle Larson. It was disappointing for Bell as Larson clinched a spot in the Championship 4 while he sits two points below the cut-line following the race at Las Vegas. Still, the driver of the No. 20 car made a statement last weekend with his performance.
Following the event, many wondered why Bell didn’t show more aggression in the final corner as he caught Larson. Some called for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to rough Larson up and others said he should have flat-out wrecked him to clinch a spot. On Thursday, Bell said he did “everything he could” to beat Larson and admitted that he had heard the criticism. Well, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson weighed in on Bell’s comments.
A seven-time champion telling a driver to “keep being you” and comparing their two styles is a good situation. Johnson said he had similar critics during his career and he ended up being one of the best NASCAR drivers ever. If Bell keeps being himself for the rest of the 2023 season and beyond, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him win a title at some point.
Kyle Larson made a bold statement about Christopher Bell at Las Vegas. You don’t want to miss out on what Larson had to say about Bell.
[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] barely held off a hard-charging [autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] for the victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but it could have been much uglier. Bell could have made things dirty in the final corner but kept the No. 20 car clean and raced it out with Larson. While it didn’t work for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion has a chance at another title.
Larson and Bell have undoubtedly butted heads in the past, including after Watkins Glen International in 2021 when the two went back and forth through the media. However, following the race at Las Vegas, Larson talked about Bell and there was nothing but a glowing review about his abilities.
“I definitely have a ton of respect for (Christopher Bell),” Larson said. “Always have. In my opinion, he’s one of the best race car drivers in the world, and could do everything that I get to do outside of NASCAR if his team (Joe Gibbs Racing) would let him.”
First driver to make the Championship 4 in 2023: KYLE LARSON. Repost to congratulate the No. 5 team! pic.twitter.com/24kYq2fdVX
“It’s just fun to get to battle with a guy like that. I knew his car was going to be good the whole race. I got to lead right off the bat, then he was better than me there the first run. I knew he was going to be the guy to beat probably all race.”
The two drivers go back a long way as they have battled in dirt racing and now the Cup Series. Larson came out on top this time but it is clear that respect is shown both ways. For now, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will prepare for the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway while Bell looks to join him with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.
Christopher Bell talks about coming up short to Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8.
[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] had one of the fastest cars on the race track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but it wasn’t enough to claim the victory. In the closing laps, Bell tracked down Kyle Larson but needed one more lap to have a shot at the victory. The No. 20 car reached Larson on the final corner of the final lap and finished in second place.
Bell now sits three points below the cut-line and while it was a fantastic day in terms of making up ground in the point standings, a locked spot in the Championship 4 was so close. Following the event, Bell talked about coming up just short of Larson and a guaranteed spot at Phoenix Raceway.
“I mean, I don’t know what else I could have done so…very I don’t know,” Bell said. “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.”
“A great day, great day for sure to get the stage points, get a second-place finish out of it. I think I saw we’re minus two, so we’re not out of it by any means. It would have been nice to lock it in.”
Bell was very impressive at Las Vegas but now he needs to look forward if he wants to make the Championship 4. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has not been strong at Homestead-Miami Speedway but needs a good points day. Bell can always win at Martinsville Speedway like in 2022; however, he needs to maximize points over the next two weeks.
