2024 NASCAR season in review: Christopher Bell
Yesterday at 07:00 AM
After a career-best year, Christopher Bell wants more heading into the 2025 season.
Bell set a career high in top fives, top 10s and laps led while matching his career high for victories in a Cup season in 2024. Still, the year may be best remembered for the nearly 30-minute wait after the Martinsville playoff race before he found out that he would not advance to the Championship 4.
Bell carried that disappointment into the Phoenix finale the following week and made his feelings clearly known.
Even so, Bell will be looked upon as among the early favorites in 2025, as he seeks his first Cup crown.
CREW CHIEF: Adam Stevens
TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing
POINTS: 5th
WINS: 3 (Phoenix I, Coca-Cola 600, New Hampshire)
LAPS LED: 1,145
TOP 5s: 15
TOP 10s: 23
STARTS FROM POLE: 3 (Kansas I, Kansas II, Las Vegas II)
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Tied his career high in wins and set a career high in top fives, top 10s and laps led. Had 10 finishes of seventh of better in the last 12 races of the season. Had six races where he led at least 100 laps, including three in the playoffs.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Bell felt he should have been in the Championship 4 instead of William Byron after the manufacturer manipulation at the end of the Martinsville playoff race. Bell did not win a race in the second half of the season. He had eight finishes of 30th or worse, including six DNFs
CHRISTOPHER BELL SAID: "(The 2024 season) definitely leaves me optimistic and hopeful for what's to come. I've said the same thing literally for the past two years or three years now after the season is over that we still haven't performed up to our potential. We, the 20 team, keep setting new highs and personal bests, but even this year we left a ton on the table. So, it just makes me optimistic and excited about what's to come."
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2025: Coming off his best year in Cup, the expectations will be for him to exceed what he did in 2024 and win a championship he felt he didn't get the chance to race for at Martinsville. He will be among the favorites to win the title going into the 2025 season.
