​Christopher Bell captured his second consecutive top-five finish in NASCAR Cup Series action last Sunday at Chicagoland, placing runner-up to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe. The strong showing helped Bell extend his margin over the Chase cut line, as there are seven races left in the regular season. He currently sits 10th in the standings, holding a 105-point cushion above the playoff threshold. Despite not sitting among the top five in points, Bell remains confident about his championship prospects as The Chase approaches.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Bell spoke candidly about his 2026 season. After three straight results of 26th or worse from Michigan to San Diego, the Oklahoma native admitted concern about simply making The Chase in 2026. Yet a fifth-place finish at Sonoma followed by a runner-up at Chicagoland has him feeling more optimistic about his campaign, especially with races on the horizon that suit his car and driving style. “Now, I’m feeling a lot better about making it and just trying to improve our position as high as we can in the standings. We’ve got some great racetracks coming up where I’m going to be really competitive at and have the ability to score a lot of points,” Bell said.
Bell’s outlook got a further lift from watching Denny Hamlin catch and surpass Tyler Reddick to grab the points lead, a development Bell said reinforces the sense that the field is tightening. “Just watching Denny be able to close the gap over Tyler Reddick throughout the last month or so, I think everybody is feeling a lot more in the mix,” Bell added. Nevertheless, Bell acknowledged that to climb past the leaders, he would need to go on a significant winning streak once The Chase begins. “It doesn’t appear that we’re gonna end up in the top 3 or top five, so we’re gonna have to go on a really big run in (The Chase). We’re still feeling like we’re in the mix, which is really good,” he said.
Bell’s season has been uneven at times, including a near-disastrous moment last month at Michigan. He and Chase Elliott were racing side-by-side for position when they collided and slammed into the outside retaining wall in turns three and four. The crash left Bell with a fractured left wrist and a bruised ankle, yet he has continued to compete in every Cup Series race since. He did sit out the Coronado Street Course event in San Diego, handing the reins to Brent Crews, though Bell still earned points for the race. The injury, however, did not derail him completely, as evidenced by back-to-back top-five finishes in the last two events.
With 19 races completed, Bell remains in search of his first win of the 2026 season. He is the only JGR driver yet to visit Victory Lane in 2026, a fact he and his team are eager to change as the season progresses and The Chase looms closer. As Bell continues to navigate the schedule, he remains focused on maximizing points wherever possible and positioning himself to make a strong run come playoff time.
If you’re following our coverage, stay tuned for more updates on Bell’s progress as the season unfolds. This article uses ongoing race results and team perspectives to provide the clearest view of Bell’s path toward The Chase and beyond.