​Christopher Bell has been close enough to Victory Lane this season to know exactly what he is missing.Seven times, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished second. Four of those runner-up finishes have come in the past seven races alone. Yet with the NASCAR Cup Series regular season nearly over, Bell is still searching for the win that has repeatedly seemed within reach.If there is a place to finally get it, New Hampshire Motor Speedway might be it.Bell enters Sunday’s race at one of his best tracks, with recent results pointing in the right direction and only the unpredictability of Daytona remaining on the regular-season schedule. He isn’t downplaying what that makes New Hampshire, either.“We know that this is a huge opportunity for us and then Daytona is going to be a complete unknown,” Bell said Saturday.For a driver who has spent so much of 2026 knocking on the door, this weekend may offer his clearest chance yet to finally kick it open.New Hampshire gives Christopher Bell an opportunity Daytona can’tBell’s confidence at New Hampshire is backed by considerably more than optimism.The 31-year-old has won two of the past four Cup Series races at the one-mile track. His No. 20 Toyota also showed speed during Saturday’s practice session, ranking inside the top five on the speed chart early in the session and posting a top-10 average over 10 consecutive laps.Bell will start sixth Sunday.Then there is his current form. Bell has finished inside the top five in five of the past seven races, a stretch that includes four of his seven runner-up finishes this season.He has been consistently close. New Hampshire gives him a chance to turn close into something more.“I think this one is kind of in our hands to where we can control our own destiny,” Bell said. “And then Daytona, we’re just going to go out there and basically ‘go to Vegas and gamble’ and see what happens.”That distinction matters.Daytona can erase a strong car and a good afternoon in seconds. New Hampshire presents a different challenge, one where Bell’s history and JGR’s current speed give the No. 20 team considerably more control over the outcome.There is also something else at stake beyond ending the winless streak.Bell can strengthen his position before the Chase beginsBell enters New Hampshire seventh in the championship standings, tied in points with sixth-place Chase Elliott and only 20 points behind fifth-place JGR teammate Chase Briscoe.With the Chase approaching, Bell has an opportunity to do more than finally collect a trophy. A strong finish could improve his position at a point in the season when every point becomes increasingly valuable.“Obviously with Briscoe having that huge day at Richmond [runner-up], we got some ground to make up on him,” Bell said. “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.”Those circumstances have made Bell