"He’s so good" - Kyle Larson highlights "very sneaky" JGR underdog as NASCAR Playoffs intensify
Ahead of last weekend's race at Las Vegas, Kyle Larson spoke about fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Christopher Bell "flying under the radar." Before Sunday's Round of 8 race, the HMS driver was asked for his thoughts on Bell.
Despite Bell being the driver with the best average finish, a journalist said, he is not regarded as a championship favorite by many and was perhaps "flying under the radar."
Speaking about the JGR driver, Kyle Larson said,
"I got asked the question last week, like who’s 'the guy,' and I mentioned four or five people without mentioning Christopher (Bell). And like, he’s so good. Sneaky.. like, very sneaky, quiet, good. I mean that’s his personality, too. Just quiet. He’s not out talking about how good he’s doing, he’s just doing it. Him and his team are super strong. Yeah, I think they’ve been doing a great job over the last three years, or whatever it’s been. And two, I’ve raced with Christopher for so long, so I know how good he is. He is just a quiet, just a smooth, person...smooth racer" (15:20).
Larson added he wasn't sure why Christopher Bell has flown under the radar for his entire NASCAR career, even though he has made multiple appearances in the final 4.
So far in the 2024 Playoffs, Bell has finished outside the top 10 only once. Along with that, Bell has 3 wins to his name in 2024, including a key win at Phoenix, the venue for the year's most important race.
Christopher Bell would be "hard to beat" if he gets to Phoenix, as per Bubba Wallace's spotter
During an episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast after ROVAL, NASCAR analyst Leigh Diffey made the case for Christopher Bell being a "quiet achiever." Diffey claimed that Bell being the only driver who has featured in the last two final 4 lineups, his time to win the whole thing is now.
The podcast's co-host Freddie Kraft chimed in with his take on the JGR driver. He said,
"Going into the Round of 8, if he can get there, still gotta get there, but if he gets here, he's going to be hard to beat."
So far this season, along with his 3 wins, Christopher Bell has had 8 finishes inside the top 5. But importantly, in the last 9 races, Bell has finished inside the top 5 on 6 occasions, including back-to-back top 5s in the last two playoff races.
He's currently only second to Joey Logano in the playoffs standing table with an advantage of +42, heading into Homestead and Martinsville.
Interestingly, Christopher Bell was victorious at Homestead in 2023, and at Martinsville in 2022, both the seasons in which he made the final 4.