Christopher Bell will line up ninth in Sunday's Go Bowling at The Glen, but his focus ahead of the green flag has been on tactical aspects of the restarts. With NASCAR's recent change to the restart zone at Watkins Glen International, Bell says both lanes have advantages, and that makes the choice less predictable than it might seem."They each have their strengths, and it's not a clear-cut lane winner. And if you pick the right (lane), it's just mission critical to clear the guy on the left because it… happened to me where if you don't clear that guy, they get the side draft all the way down the straightaway," Bell told NBC’s Dustin Long.For Christopher Bell, that ability to 'clear the guy' off the line is the difference between controlling the first corner and being stuck in a vulnerable spot. He noted that the outside lane (left lane) can gain a significant edge after launch from the driver's seat perspective."The outside or the left lane gets the side draft down the straightaway and then they're in position and into Turn 1. So yeah, I don't think there's a clear-cut favorite and I think that's a positive for it to create a little bit of unknown going in there," Bell added. (0:21 onwards)This weekend also marks the debut of Watkins Glen's new restart zone location - moved to the entrance of Turn 7 instead of its previous spot further down the straightaway. The change allows drivers to pull out of line before the flagstand once they leave the zone, giving them earlier opportunities to set up a pass.Christopher Bell (20) during the 2023 Go Bowling at The Glen. Source: ImagnIt aims to reduce the bottlenecks in Turn 1, which has been the site of numerous incidents in the past. Bell's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe sees merit in the change."It'll definitely help some of the chaos getting into Turn 1. You're still going to have that. But I do think it'll just make it a little bit better. It won't put all of us in such a bad spot. When we took the green in the middle of the straightaway, there's just no time to get any separation and makes it extremely difficult to even get away from each other," Briscoe said speaking to Frontstretch before the race. For Christopher Bell and others, that means adjusting timing, launch point, and how they position their cars entering the esses. The earlier restart may also make the side-draft even more potent, and the choice of lane even more critical.Christopher Bell chasing first win in five months at Watkins GlenChristopher Bell during NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear Tire Testing on July 22, 2025. Source: GettyChristopher Bell's weekend at Watkins Glen started on Friday in the Truck Series, where he nearly stole a win. Driving the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota for injured owner-driver Stewart Friesen, Bell led the closing laps on a fuel-saving gamble before a late caution upended the plan. Multiple overtime restarts forced him to pit for fuel, but he still rallied to finish fourth.That run could serve as a confidence boost heading into Sunday's 90-lap Cup race, Go Bowling at The Glen (2:45 miles per lap, 220.5 miles total). Bell will roll off from the fifth row after posting a 72.210-second qualifying lap, as Ryan Blaney won pole.Watkins Glen has been a favorable venue for him. In four Cup starts, he's scored three top-ten finishes. The challenge now is to translate that track history into a momentum shift. After opening the season with three consecutive wins, Bell has gone five months without a points victory, outside of the non-points All-Star Race. He has only one top-five finish in his last seven starts.With the playoffs looming, Sunday offers Bell a chance to reset his trajectory, and if his restart execution matches his Truck Series tenacity, Watkins Glen could be the place where his season's second act begins.