Bell singles out JGR ‘weakness’ in NASCAR playoff – Sports News
Just a week after lashing out over his crew radio in frustration following one other underwhelming race, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell returned to victory lane for the primary time since March, taking the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
The NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16 finale, Bell’s win secured him a spot in the second spherical, together with a clean sweep of the spherical for JGR and Toyota after Chase Briscoe’s win at Darlington Raceway, and Denny Hamlin’s at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Heading into the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bell informed 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick that he’s optimistic about how “the schedule lays out” for JGR – with one exception.
“I don’t see a weakness in the schedule, except for Talladega, and I would feel a little bit better about Talladega if it wasn’t in the Round of 8,” the 30-year-old admitted on ‘Harvick’s Happy Hour.’ “But with that being said, you can kind of look at it from two different viewpoints.
“It’s not notoriously been a great track for the Toyota group and Joe Gibbs Racing, especially since NextGen, but with that being said, there is going to be a lot more opportunity for a non-playoff car to win, which will open up another points spot to get into that championship event.
“So, I think everybody probably feels the same thing, but if I was a [Team] Penske guy, I’d be happier than what I am now for sure.”
Penske could have gained the final three championships, twice through Joey Logano and as soon as Ryan Blaney, however up to now the Playoffs haven’t been variety to the storied crew. Not solely have Logano, Blaney, and Austin Cindric up to now didn’t win in the Playoffs, however they’ve but to crack the highest three in any of the three races up to now.
As such, Blaney enters the Round of 8 in fifth, 19 factors above the cutoff line, with Cindric ninth and a level under, whereas Logano is in tenth and two under the road.
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Discussing Penske, Bell admitted that “It feels like every time we get into the Playoffs they’re able to step up a notch.
“And a lot of people talked about the Penske cars and say that the Penske cars sandbag through the regular season and then they show up with the best stuff in the Playoffs, and you can see that a little bit, but I definitely feel the same thing from our group, not that we’re sandbagging in the regular season, but they find a little bit more whenever the stakes are highest.”
Unsurprisingly, Hamlin, Bell, and Briscoe are all within the highest six forward of New Hampshire, whereas 4 of the highest eight are Toyota-powered.
Bell may even make his strategy to New Hampshire because the reigning USA Today 301 winner, with two wins at Loudon in the final three years, doubtlessly setting him up for the right begin to the Round of 8.
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