Joe Gibbs Racing heads into the 2025 playoffs with momentum that few teams can match. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the “Magic Mile,” has been a stage where JGR drivers consistently shine. In the last three Next Gen-era races, they led nearly three-quarters of all laps and swept every stage, giving the team a tangible advantage as the playoffs start. With the stakes high and the championship on the line, the atmosphere at JGR is already charged. And Christopher Bell recently gave this very excitement away.

Bell arrives at New Hampshire fresh off a dramatic Bristol victory. The race was chaotic, with 14 cautions and relentless tire wear demanding flawless strategy, ending his 24-race drought. Combine that with his strong record at Loudon (two wins, three top-5s in the last four starts, and an average running position of 8.4), and it’s clear why excitement is running high. How Bell and JGR capitalize on this could shape the opening playoff round. Most teams know this advantage to the schedule ahead of race day, and as recent comments would indicate, so does JGR.

NASCAR schedule favors Bell and team

The NASCAR schedule announcement brought out a visible reaction from Bell. Ahead of the New Hampshire race, he made his feelings known. “I was definitely excited whenever the schedule came out and I saw that Loudon was getting a playoff race,” he admitted. For Bell, it wasn’t just a happy moment. It was a calculated opportunity. He continued, “Obviously, this is a great track for me. You need to start out the rounds with a positive race.”

With a track that suits him and his team, Bell sees a chance to put himself in contention from the very first laps. Every lap led, every strong position gained, could pay dividends in the points race. This makes the round of 8 very different from the first round.

Bell framed the Round of 12 in pragmatic terms. “If you’re putting yourselves in that position where you are leading laps and contending for the win, even if you don’t win, you get enough points,” he explained. Wins are valuable, but in this round, consistency and points are critical.

He drew a contrast with later stages. “The round of eight you really need to win. But the round of 12, getting through here with a lot of points is the goal.” Bell’s words reveal a driver balancing emotion with strategy. This shows a team leveraging its experience to maximize playoff potential.

The advantage extends beyond Bell’s own skill. JGR’s track dominance, coupled with adaptive strategies like tire choices at Bristol, reinforces the team’s playoff edge. Bell’s excitement is not merely personal. It signals awareness of a tangible opportunity. As the field lines up for the NASCAR schedule, the combination of driver ability, team execution, and playoff structure creates an interesting scenario. JGR could again dictate the narrative, turning early optimism into a concrete competitive advantage.

New Hampshire may prove pivotal for both Bell and JGR. Strong performances here could set the tone for the rest of the playoffs, while later rounds will demand victories rather than points.

While JGR has proven its mettle so far, Bell has also identified its weaknesses. Recently, he spoke about how the team can be better in the playoffs.

Bell identifies where JGR needs to improve

Christopher Bell has been candid about where his team must improve as the postseason continues. While results have kept him in the championship fight, he believes qualifying is exposing cracks that could become decisive in later rounds. The laps led, the stage points, and the ability to control a race is slipping away because of Saturdays.

The numbers back him up. Bell has led just 239 laps this year compared to 1,145 last season. Moreover, his average starting position has dropped from 11.2 to 13.5. Those statistics point to a consistent problem. Weak qualifying sessions have put him behind from the green flag. He admits frustration is mounting when his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are regularly locking down poles while he’s left chasing from mid-pack.

With a blunt assessment, he said, “What we have to do better, is we’ve got to start qualifying better. That is mission critical,” Bell said. “All of us are frustrated a little bit of how we’ve qualifying.  If the team cars are qualifying well, then you should be qualifying well too.” The gap has been especially stark this summer. His teammates have combined for multiple poles while Bell has just one.

The problem, as Bell outlines, compounds deep into the playoffs. “Whenever you get deeper into the Playoffs, you have to be scoring stage points, and a lot of the stage points are dictated by your qualifying effort,” he explained. “Along the lines of qualifying better, that’s how you lead laps… I feel like our race performance has been on par with most of our competitors, it’s just we’re starting from a hole after Saturday.”

For Bell, finding Saturday speed is no longer optional. In fact, it is the key to ensuring his playoff run continues.