Christopher Bell is finally a winner in 2026, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. He took home Sunday's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in the opening round of the Chase for the Cup Series championship, and better yet, he did it by making a late-race pass.
Sure, Bell had fresher tires than Kyle Larson, whose gamble to stay out under the final caution didn't quite pay off. Still, those are the types of situations that drivers need to execute in if they want to be taken seriously among the best of the best.
All of a sudden, Bell has everything lining up in his favor in his quest to make a run at his first Cup Series championship. But now comes the hard part: sustaining it for nine more weeks.
The time is now for Christopher Bell to finally take the next step in his NASCAR Cup Series stardom
Bell is a great driver. There's no question about that. But there are tiers of greatness in NASCAR, and when it comes to the absolute top level, it's reserved for those who consistently elevate their equipment, take advantage of their opportunities, and can't ever be counted out.
Larson, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin are the only three drivers who can be safely put in that group right now, based on sustained excellence over multiple seasons. This year, Tyler Reddick has a case to be added to it, but he needs to return to his springtime form.
And then there's Bell. He followed up a breakout 2024 season by winning three races in a row at the start of 2025, and seemed to be firmly establishing himself. The "best driver in the sport" debate at that time was between him and Larson and nobody else.
Larson's performance then fell off (despite winning the title in 2025) because Hendrick Motorsports took a step back, while Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota took one forward. Bell had the opportunity to separate from the pack, and he responded by winning one time in the next 58 races while the 45-year-old Hamlin re-supplanted him on the JGR totem pole.
Throughout the 2026 season, Bell has repeatedly watched wins get away from him in inexcusable fashion. He wasn't able to pass Daniel Suarez, in a slower car on older tires, on multiple restarts in the Coca-Cola 600 before it was ultimately rain-shortened. He blew the final restart at Nashville Superspeedway to Hamlin. He couldn't pass Ty Gibbs at Iowa Speedway on four new tires compared to two.
Bell's talent has never been in question. It's all about whether he can execute. And the way the schedule lines up during the Chase, it's all coming into place for him to have a career-defining run. Darlington was his weakest track in the postseason and he won. Now eight of the final nine races, all besides Talladega Superspeedway, which is always a lottery, figure to be right in his wheelhouse.
Bell has already made up almost his entire points deficit to Hamlin, who ran into trouble at Darlington and finished 18th. The wrist injury that bothered him earlier in the season is no longer a factor, and the weight of being winless has been lifted. This championship could very well be his to lose.
If you're going to be one of the best, you need to be held to the highest standard. Bell is in the most advantageous situation in NASCAR right now. We'll see if he's able to make the most of it.
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