Christopher Bell secured two back-to-back race wins in the first three NASCAR Cup Series races so far, and for the same reason, he is expected to cross the finish line first on Sunday at the Phoenix Raceway for the Shriners Children’s 500. A victory for Bell would make him a part of a legendary league of NASCAR drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Richard Petty, who won three races at a stretch.
If Bell wins the Shriners Children’s 500, he would become the 18th driver to achieve the feat. What adds to his chances of winning the Phoenix race is that he secured victory at the same location last year, showcasing his strength around the technical track.
Despite not having a dominant car, Bell raced his way to victory at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) last weekend. His confidence levels remain elevated heading into Phoenix, but the ultimate goal for him, the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team, and crew chief Adam Stevens is to secure the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Bell said after the win at COTA:
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“Last year, there were so many race wins that got away whenever I had the fastest car. The last two weeks at Atlanta and here I kind of won without the fastest car, so it’s really nice to get those back that I lost last year.
“I’m excited about what’s to come. We have high expectations and high hopes and goals for this year. Frankly, the last couple of years being at Joe Gibbs Racing in this No. 20 car, I haven’t been living up to the standards that I hold for myself.
“Our goal going into 2025 is to do that, or my goal is to do that for myself. I know, Adam Stevens, he feels the same way. He feels that we’re capable of a lot of great things. We haven’t done that yet in the NASCAR Cup Series season. Maybe 2025 will be the year.”
Several factors suggest that Bell could be the winner at Phoenix this weekend. Apart from his strong showing in 2024, he completed a staggering 193 laps at the venue in the last two race starts, which is almost twice as many as his immediate competitor, Joey Logano, who completed 107 laps in the last two races at Phoenix.
Bell holds the best average finish at Phoenix of 3.0, thereby adding to his chances of a victory on Sunday. The sight of a driver winning three Cup Series races in a row could be witnessed again, four years after Kyle Larson impressed with the achievement in 2021, when he won 10 Cup Series races and the championship.