Christopher Bell, the star driver of Joe Gibbs Racing, made history by clinching a hat-trick of wins with the Next-Gen car in the Shriner’s Children 500 race at Phoenix Raceway. Bell, who pilots the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, shattered the prevailing notion that successive wins were unattainable in the Next-Gen era.
Breaking the jinx surrounding the Next-Gen car, Bell has emerged as the first driver to score three consecutive wins since the debut of the Next-Gen car in 2022. The car, known for its unique single-source parts and complex aerodynamics, had levelled the playing field, making it challenging for drivers to consistently dominate races. The last driver to score a three-peat was Kyle Larson, who achieved the feat in 2021, a year before the Next-Gen era started.
Bell’s victory at Phoenix Raceway marks a turning point in the perception of the Next-Gen car. Initially, the car was notorious for its unpredictability, leading to a number of accidents, such as Denny Hamlin’s crash at Daytona and Kurt Busch’s career-ending concussion at Pocono. Despite his six wins, even Kyle Larson struggled to control the Next-Gen car, ultimately losing the championship to Joey Logano, who had only one regular season win to his name.
Yet, Bell proved critics wrong. He not only mastered the challenging Next-Gen car but also led his team to victory. After his historic win, Bell lauded his team’s synergy, describing them as a single organism. He expressed his pride in his team’s dedication and hard work, attributing his success to their joint efforts.
Bell’s historic win, however, left team owner Joe Gibbs puzzled. He admitted that he was at a loss to explain Bell’s mastery of the Next-Gen car. Bell’s journey to a three-peat victory was far from straightforward. He had to adapt his race strategies following caution flags on laps 268 and 295. Despite these obstacles, Bell managed to outpace Denny Hamlin by a mere 0.049 seconds in a nail-biting finish, marking the closest finish in Phoenix Raceway’s history.
Joe Gibbs Racing has been under immense pressure this season, having previously failed to secure a place in the Championship 4 for the first time in the ‘playoff era’. After a dry spell since Bell’s win at New Hampshire in June, the team’s fortune changed with their first-ever pole at the Daytona 500 with Chase Birscoe. Since then, they have been on an upward trajectory, with a notable 1-2 finish for Bell and Hamlin at Phoenix.
The team’s resurgence implies a potential dominance in the Cup Series grid this season. Both Bell and Hamlin have shown remarkable consistency, with Hamlin bouncing back from a disappointing 21st-place finish at COTA to a stunning P2 at Phoenix.
Bell’s glorious three-peat victory is largely credited to his team’s concerted efforts and the strategic brilliance of his crew chief, Adam Stevens. An experienced hand in guiding drivers to three consecutive wins, Stevens first achieved this feat with Kyle Busch back in 2015. Though Stevens and Busch parted ways in 2021, Stevens has successfully replicated his winning formula with Bell.
Bell’s victory marks a milestone in the Next-Gen era and stamps Joe Gibbs Racing’s dominance in the NASCAR circuit. As Bell and his team celebrate their historic achievement, their competitors will be plotting their strategies to break their winning streak. This fierce competition promises an electrifying season ahead for NASCAR fans.