NASCAR Veteran Writes Off Denny Hamlin’s Championship Hopes, Favoring Another JGR Driver

"I'm very quiet, reserved. I keep to myself," Christopher Bell said in 'NASCAR: Full Speed.' Joe Gibbs Racing's speedster has been around NASCAR since 2015. Since then, it has been an upward climb – winning the 2017 Craftsman Truck title and accumulating Xfinity and Cup Series wins for JGR. However, one characteristic stood out in Bell's stellar journey – his reticent nature.

And that very quality might be making people overlook his growth. While the public fusses over Denny Hamlin and how his 19th season may deliver him the title, Bell is working hard too. So much so that a veteran Cup Series driver predicts another heartbreak for Hamlin, and victory for Joe Gibbs' other driver.

Denny Hamlin has competition inside his own team What have NASCAR headlines highlighted since the postseason began? We usually hovered over Kyle Larson's Bristol sweep, Martin Truex Jr's playoff heartbreak, or Denny Hamlin's spectacular recovery from a points deficit. However, Christopher Bell is like a phantom – he intentionally avoids the spotlight and focuses on gathering his momentum. Most recently, he scored a third straight Cup Series pole for Kansas Speedway – posting a balanced lap of 179.336 mph.

So in a recent interview with NASCAR journalist Shannon Spake, retired racer Clint Bowyer's prediction is clear. While admitting Kyle Larson to be a solid contender, Bowyer highlighted Denny Hamlin's formidable teammate. "You go back to the notes at the beginning of the year, and old Clint said that Christopher Bell is very quiet. We all know that – quiet interviews, quiet on the racetrack, quietly gets those results...quietly in the championship four almost every single time you look over your shoulder." Bell is the only driver to have made the Championship Four twice through three years of the Next-Gen car.

So Bowyer harped on Bell's silent but steady progress toward the title. "He's gonna quietly win this championship and everybody's gonna go, where the hell did that come from? ...Kyle Larson is who he's gonna have to beat." While Bowyer also predicted Denny Hamlin 's advancement to the final round, Bell might overshadow him. "Somehow, some way I know, I didn't wanna say it...But Denny Hamlin's probably gonna be a part of that four. And then I think there's gonna be a surprise...it's gonna be Joey Logano. Same guy that gets it done every single time. I don't know, where did he come from? ...wins the championship and drives off into the sunset...I think this time, old Christopher Bell gets it done."

And Christopher Bell's less-words-more-racing attitude is nothing new, as his aim has always been the same.

Christopher Bell is a winner Well, divulging your career goals and trumpeting them may not be in your best interest, a lesson Christopher Bell has learned well. Notably, Netflix producers didn't initially consider him their first option for the series. Bell's racing journey began with dominating dirt tracks, followed by his NASCAR debut in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He has since achieved significant success, with nine wins at NASCAR's premier level. In 2020, Bell racing for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, secured 19 wins. His career goals were already clear in his mind at that time.

Bell admitted in 2020 that all he can focus on is on winning races. "Ultimately, my future is not really in my hands. So the only thing I can control is to go out there and try and win races and do as good as I can." This clarity persisted through the years as Bell admitted in February: "I don't want to be known for social media or known for doing dumb stuff. I want to be known for winning races." And Christopher Bell is quietly progressing – currently, he is second in points among Cup Series playoff drivers. Denny Hamlin would need to pack a punch in order to beat his rival.

Evidently, both Bell and Larson pose challenges to Denny Hamlin. The fights with them will ultimately determine the path to Hamlin's much-awaited Championship title.