Rivalry in motorsport is not unknown. While it may not quite ascend to the legendary status of Kevin Harvick vs. Joey Logano, Kyle Petty’s clashes with David Pearson, or the iconic Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon, it is always weighed. One such is the ongoing rivalry between Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, which is carving out its own place in NASCAR’s annals of competition. Their numerous duels on the dirt tracks have woven a compelling tapestry, setting the stage for an electrifying atmosphere at this Sunday’s championship showdown.

The road to the championship has been a thrilling one, with Larson securing a victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to snatch the first of four coveted positions for Sunday’s season-ending race. Bell swiftly followed suit, clinching the second spot with a win at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. However, the buzz of rivalry seems to have taken a back seat for Bell recently.

Christopher Bell reflects on earning his place in the championship four

Notably, William Byron‘s jest of calling Ryan Blaney his “brother-in-law”—a nod to his relationship with Blaney’s sister—adds a personal twist to the competition. And now, with the stage set, dirt car racing rivals Bell and Larson are poised to battle for the most prestigious accolade in their careers to date. Yet, the journey to this point for Bell was not without its internal challenges.

During the critical round of 8, his competition was as much with his two teammates as it was with other drivers, each vying for that coveted championship spot. Amidst the celebratory mood of the #20 team, Bell senses a tinge of disappointment from Joe Gibbs, who had likely envisioned multiple cars from his fleet in the final quarter, particularly those driven by Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. 

Christopher Bell eloquently expressed this sentiment: “It’s not hard for me to be happy. But Joe, I’m sure Joe is probably I’m sure he’s disappointed. He had three opportunities to win the championship, and I’m sure that he thought, especially in the starting round of eight, that he had two of them that were above the cut line and I was the one below the cut line. So I think that he probably expected to have more in the final four than just one.”

He continued, “Whenever homestead happened and we had you know two mechanical problems, I think that that was a really big downer for you know him, but I think on Sunday he’s gonna be all you know all in on the #20 car and trying and all of them trying to win the race and championship.”

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However, despite the setbacks and a seventh-place finish at Martinsville, Bell’s confidence is unshaken. He feels an even stronger sense of preparedness for the championship race, a testament to his resilience and focus amid the high-octane drama of NASCAR racing.

Is Bell primed for a triumphant finale at Phoenix Raceway?

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Christopher Bell approaches the season finale at Phoenix Raceway from a vantage point of strength, a stark contrast to the frenzied battle he faced a year prior. With a more strategic entry into the Championship 4, his confidence is palpable.

“I feel more prepared just because of the time we’ve had to get ready for this moment compared to last year being so far beneath the cutline and being in a must-win going into Martinsville. We didn’t even talk about Phoenix until we left Martinsville, and now we’ve had two solid weeks to game plan what we’re going to do in practice and how we’re going to execute qualifying. I just feel much more prepared,” Bell reflects on the difference a year makes.

Securing his place with a commanding victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Bell stands as the lone banner carrier for Joe Gibbs Racing and the Toyota Camry in the final quartet. This season, however, the journey to the final race was less of a nail-biter; he wasn’t tasked with a dramatic, last-minute dash across the finish line to seize his championship chance.

Rewind to 2022: Bell faced a daunting 30-point deficit beneath the cutoff, and the only path forward was through a win at the Martinsville Speedway elimination race—a feat he remarkably achieved in a clutch, career-highlight victory. He was a formidable contender until a fateful pit stop where a tire changer’s mishap—a finger trapped between nut and spindle—snatched away his title hopes.

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After finishing 10th in the race and 4th among the championship hopefuls last year, Christopher Bell now looks to the Phoenix finale not just to compete but to claim the victory that narrowly eluded him. With lessons learned and a renewed strategy, he’s poised for what could be a defining moment in his racing career.