Even though Bell’s performance has seemingly exploded onto another level in recent weeks, it’s something that his crew chief Jason Ratcliff felt has been there all season long.
“I really don’t know that he’s doing anything different,” said Ratcliff. “If you look all the way back to Atlanta, = he’s done a nice job of running in the top two or three at most of these tracks and competing against Kyle (Busch) and Brad (Keselowski) and Kevin (Harvick) and running up there with (Kyle) Larson and all those guys, so I think he’s doing the same things as a driver. We’re just giving better race cars. I think we’re learning a lot about what he needs and we’re doing a better job or making adjustments through the race and it’s just all coming together now.
“It’s one of those deals where you stay after it and you keep doing what you do best … and the things you’re not doing well, you just keep growing and trying to build on what you have,” Ratcliff continued. “I think that we started the season capable of winning races and Christopher is doing a good job of communicating what he needs with the race car every week. The guys are building better race cars at the shop, so I think all around – his ability, the race cars, the pit crew – everyone is making it count.”
Bell circled the equipment he’s been given by his Joe Gibbs Racing team as the large factor in his surge in performance.
“I’ve got the same cars as Kyle (Busch), so that’s a big thing. Kyle doesn’t have Jason, so that’s a bit of an advantage for me … but when you’re driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, you’ve got great equipment. That’s the bottom line,” noted Bell. “They’ve won before me and they’re going to win after me, so it’s my job to make sure that they win with me.
“I’ve just got great race cars and thankfully I’ve been able to capitalize on that the last couple weeks.”
Bell also paid a nod to Toyota’s short-track program, where his career began to skyrocket during the early part of the decade.
“I’m really thankful for Jack Irving (director of Team & Support Service for TRD, U.S.A.), Tyler Gibbs (senior vice president and GM for TRD, U.S.A.), Pete Willoughby and Keith Kunz (team owner of Keith Kunz Motorsports). Those guys are the ones that took a chance on me and put their necks out on the line, so those guys right there are a huge part of the reason why I’m here where I am today.”
While he’s won the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in each of the last two years, Bell used a similar description in summing up his season so far with the Gibbs organization, calling it “a dream come true.”
“It’s great, man. To be able to run with Kyle (Busch) last week and then now (Brad) Keselowski … you hope to race those guys at some point, so I’m thankful that I get the opportunity here in the Xfinity Series to race with them and proud that I’m able to compete with them, let alone beat them,” said Bell.
“This is all just really special. I never dreamed I would be here at Joe Gibbs Racing. I never dreamed I’d be racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, honestly,” Bell continued. “I’m just proud of this entire group at Joe Gibbs Racing. This No. 20 team works their butts off and I’m just super happy we’ve been able to have this kind of success so far together.”