Bell is confident that he will perform even better in the upcoming NASCAR season.

Bell’s win in the previous season’s competition at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marked the beginning of his most successful year in the Cup Series.

The 28-year-old native of Norman, Okla., ended the 2022 season with three wins – two in the playoffs – and qualified for the Championship 4 at Phoenix. He ended a career-best third in the final standings.

Bell and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team already have a win this year – at the Bristol Dirt Track – and he’s currently fourth in the series standings but Bell believes he and his team have the potential for much more.

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Rheem / WATTS Toyota Camry

Photo by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images

“I believe we haven’t fully achieved our goals yet,” Bell expressed. “Although we’ve experienced some encouraging moments, we’re still facing difficulties in integrating all the components effectively. Hopefully, this indicates that we will see improvement as the season progresses.”

“But I believe we haven’t assembled it completely.”

Bell is aiming to win again this Sunday at New Hampshire, and he is currently in a significantly better position compared to this time last year.

The fight for playoff points

Bell’s progress through the playoff rounds last year was challenging due to the absence of playoff points. There is a significant opportunity to earn 15 points by winning the regular season title. Currently, he trails leader William Byron by 37 points with seven races left.

“I cannot reword”

“I am currently competing for points against several cars. During the previous weekend, William (Byron) in car No. 24 had a fantastic performance, while the other drivers faced similar challenges.”

“I haven’t fallen behind anyone except for William, and I believe Kyle Busch is now ahead of me by a single point, whereas he used to be slightly behind. Just one poor race is enough to eliminate the safety cushion that William currently enjoys.”

Race winner Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry

Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

With seven races to go before the 16-driver field is set for the playoffs, five drivers are within 70 points of Byron – a difficult but not insurmountable deficit. A driver can score up to 60 points by winning both stages and a race.

With New Hampshire followed by the season’s second trip to Richmond, Va. – where Bell finished fourth in the spring – he is in an excellent position over the next two weeks to make big gains.

“It seems that we perform well on short tracks currently,” Bell stated. “I anticipate us being competitive at Loudon, although the competition is fierce. Based on their performance at Phoenix earlier this year, the Hendrick cars were impressive. Kevin Harvick consistently excels at Loudon, as does Kyle Busch.”

“I do not anticipate it being a homerun in any way, but I anticipate the Toyotas to perform well on this type of track.”