“We know this is a big opportunity”: Christopher Bell looks to lock his place in the championship 4 showdown with a win at Las Vegas

With the odds seemingly in his favor, Christopher Bell is poised to secure his Championship 4 ticket at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He said this is the race the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing team has been eyeing, describing it as a big opportunity.

In the last two playoff races at Las Vegas, Bell started from pole and finished second both times. The 30-year-old Oklahoma native currently sits four points below the cutline in fifth, so a strong result this weekend could provide valuable breathing room.

Speaking about the upcoming 267-lap race, Bell said (via Dustin Long on X):

“This is the one we have circled... We know this is a big opportunity.”

Dustin Long

@dustinlong

Christopher Bell has finished second in the Las Vegas playoff race each of the past two years. "This is the one we have circled," Bell said of Sunday's race here at Vegas. " ... We know this is a big opportunity."

His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, enters the South Point 400 as the playoff standings leader ahead of Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson, respectively. Regular-season champion William Byron is the last driver above the cutline of the Round of 8.

The drivers behind Christopher Bell are Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano, who won last year's event after Bell led the most laps by a mile.

The Las Vegas playoff race will take place on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The following race at Talladega Superspeedway is expected to be far more unpredictable, a wild card event where anything can happen. The Round of 8 will then wrap up at Martinsville Speedway, where Bell will look to capitalize on his success earlier this season after finishing second at the Virginia short track.

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“It's a good time to be driving that #20”: Christopher Bell on his Joe Gibbs Racing racecar amid playoff push

Christopher Bell expressed optimism in the speed of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the playoffs. He noted that his racecar has been strong throughout the postseason, as evidenced by his recent performances, including a win in the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

In an interview with WCNC, the 13-time Cup race winner said:

“I'm feeling really good right now. We're coming off a really good stretch of races. The playoffs are well underway. We survived the Round of 16, was able to get a victory in the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway a couple weeks ago.” [1:12]

“We kicked off the following round with a great race last week in Loudon, New Hampshire, and going to Kansas Speedway, followed up by the Charlotte Road Course, which are two really good racetracks for me and my group. So certainly feeling good and it's a good time to be driving that #20 car,” he added.

Christopher Bell drives the #20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing - Source: Imagn

Christopher Bell joined JGR after his rookie season with Leavine Family Racing in 2020. He has taken the #20 Toyota to the Championship 4 twice (2022 and 2023). Last year, he was disqualified for a safety violation by riding the wall on the last lap at Martinsville Speedway, allowing William Byron to take the final transfer spot for the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.