Christopher Bell sends strong message after being the lone JGR driver without a playoff victory: “We are underperforming”

NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol - Qualifying - Source: Getty
Christopher Bell - NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Christopher Bell made a candid admission about his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team. He was disappointed by his seventh-place finish at Gateway, while his teammates secured the top-2 positions.

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Bell has been having a tough time lately. After his three straight wins early in the season, the No. 20 driver hasn't found much success in ovals. His recent top-5s have all been from road courses, while Kansas marked the last time he finished among the frontrunners in an oval.

Moreover, both his JGR teammates have secured a spot in the Round of 12. Chase Briscoe won at Darlington and came in second to Denny Hamlin at Gateway.

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Noting the same, Bell admitted that his team No. 20 wasn't meeting expectations, despite having a race-winning car.

"I just think we are underperforming. Clearly, the JGR Camrys are amazing. I don’t know. Our team cars are really good, and I felt like I had what I needed to race with them, and we finished seventh and they finished one-two. I honestly think the cars are as fast as I’ve had in my Cup career, and we are just not getting results out of it. That is a bummer," he said via NBC Sports.
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Christopher Bell is currently ranked eighth in the playoff standings with 32 points above the cutline. He's the worst ranked among the Toyota stable, as Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick place ahead of him as well.

The No. 20 driver now heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Round 3 of the playoffs. He previously finished eighth in the one-mile concrete, making it his fifth consecutive top-10 at the track.

The race is scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at 7:30 PM ET. Fans can watch the 500-lap event on USA and HBO Max or listen to radio updates on MRN or SiriusXM.

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Christopher Bell expresses his disappointment over the team radio

Christopher Bell snapped at his crew after getting praise for his performance at Gateway. Despite a top-10 finish, the JGR driver was left frustrated with his pit strategy and let out his frustration over team radio.

After Bell crossed the finish line, his crew remarked (via X/Steven Taranto),

"That's what we needed today. Take the pressure off next week. Good job, guys." [00:14 onwards]
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The No.20 driver was not satisfied with his race results and said,

"We just [expletive] ran seventh with the best car on the track! Every [expletive] week, it’s the same [expletive]. We’re the last car to pit road. I’m over it!”

Christopher Bell also had a pit road misfire in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. He collided with Carson Hocevar's No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy when the latter pulled into his pit stall. The two teams have apparently discussed the incident, and Bell is now confident it won't happen again.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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