At the start of the 2023 playoffs, Joe Gibbs Racing had three drivers hunting for the championship. As weeks passed, it looked like they would have at least two of them. They now have only Christopher Bell in contention. It is a pity how neither Denny Hamlin nor Martin Truex Jr failed to make it. However, it all comes down to the 28-year-old bringing more glory to Joe Gibbs and the team.

In his fourth full-time season, Bell has been nothing short of impressive. Sunday’s race at the Phoenix Raceway would see him make back-to-back appearances in the final. This time around though, he would hope to go all the way.

Christopher Bell feels confident with his preparations for the final at Phoenix Raceway

The 2023 playoffs provided plenty of unpredictability with its outcomes. Safe to say, few thought Christopher Bell would make it to the final considering how strong Denny Hamlin , Tyler Reddick, Chris Buescher, and the Hendrick Motorsports drivers looked in the first half of the playoffs.

However, Bell capitalized on a tempting opportunity at the Homestead-Miami Speedway and now he is in the finale. While he has a tough competition going to Phoenix this Sunday, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver seems to beam with confidence. In his latest press conference, the 20-year-old expressed how his preparations have been.

Bell said, “Much more relaxed than last year, for sure. Just having that extra time to prepare has been really good. Last week, I don’t know, I feel like last week we did a lot of our homework, then this week was just kind of relaxing and preparing, relaxing and taking it easy. I’m ready.”

Last year, the #20 driver wasn’t aware of his championship chances until he won the penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway. Speaking about it in the press conference ahead of the race, the JGR driver said, “I don’t think we didn’t get to accomplish anything last year in our short preparation time, but everything just felt crammed and rushed, where now winning at Homestead allowed us to just be a little bit more methodical.”

Bell then explained how the extra time has been critical. He said, “I’m sure it helps Adam and engineers make more educated decisions on what we’re going to put inside this Phoenix car as far as the setup.” The Oklahoma-born driver would count on his preparations to overcome his not-so-impressive record at Phoenix.

In seven races, Bell is yet to register a win and only has four top-ten finishes to his name. With a sixth-placed finish being his best, he would make sure that he’s prepared well. However, there’s one more factor that favors him going into the final.

Christopher Bell reveals the “slight advantage” he possesses as compared to the other championship competitors

Without a doubt, winning at Phoenix Raceway will not be easy for any of the Championship 4 drivers. It’s not just about the experience but also about having that composure in handling the intense pressure that comes with it. While all four drivers can perform well, Christopher Bell feels he may have an advantage on Sunday.

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Bell has the most experience overall among the four finalists if we count Xfinity and Truck Series. Speaking about how it is helpful, he said, “I think it helps. I don’t think it’s a big advantage, but I do think it helps. I think it helps manage emotions and nerves going into Sunday.”

He further added, “I have been really fortunate. I think six of my eight years, I made the Final 4 in my NASCAR full-time career. So that’s really cool. But everyone’s going to be competitive. Maybe I have a slight advantage of managing nerves, but maybe I don’t.”

He is not wrong. Since starting to race full-time in Xfinity in 2018, Bell has made it into the Championship 4 twice each in Xfinity and Cup Series. One thing for certain is that Bell looks pretty confident heading into the race on Sunday. Now the question is, can he turn this into a victory? Well, only time can tell.

READ MORE – Could Christopher Bell Become a Real Threat to Hendrick Motorsports Despite his Lackluster History at the Track?