Toyota continued its dominant 2026 season in the Brickyard 400, as part-time driver Corey Heim picked up his second win in just his 15th career start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
However, aside from In-Season Challenge winner Todd Gilliland, who won the $1 million prize despite finishing 24th, there was not much for any other drivers to be excited about in what turned out to be another dismal Brickyard 400 where passing was nonexistent.
One driver who left with some momentum, though, was Christopher Bell, who finished runner-up for the third time in the four most recent races and the sixth time this season.
While Bell remains winless after claiming three straight victories early last season, and five total when you include his All-Star Race win at North Wilkesboro Speedway, he has put himself in title contention as the series returns from its final off week.
Bell is still just 10th in the standings, but when you consider the fact that he is only 29 points below fifth-place Carson Hocevar and has finished 20th or worse nine times, it is even more reasonable to think of him being a legitimate title contender when the 10-race Chase gets underway next month at Darlington Raceway.
Christopher Bell could be primed for a surprise title run
Until recently, it has been a season of missed opportunities and what-ifs for Bell. That miserable stretch earlier this season included a speeding penalty and subsequent broken toe link at Bristol, crashes while battling for the lead at Kansas and Texas, and a top five effort derailed at Talladega in a tri-oval crash coming to the checkered flag.
Without those issues alone, he'd probably be top five in points, and that's even without winning any of those races.
Bell then strung together a pair of runner-up finishes consecutively at Charlotte and Nashville, falling just short of an emotional win in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 and coming out on the losing end of a three-way battle with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in the Music City.
That was quickly followed by a three-race stretch that included a broken left wrist sustained in a violent crash with Chase Elliott at Michigan, a 26th-place finish at Pocono after a fuel-mileage gamble went wrong and a brief stint on Naval Base Coronado before swapping out with JGR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Brent Crews.
In other words, it has been a challenging season on multiple accounts for Bell, but that has not slowed him down by any means. His most resilient effort came in a fifth-place run at Sonoma while still recovering from the wrist injury. Combine that with his six runner-up finishes, and Bell has built up a sizable 129-point advantage over 17th-place driver Ryan Preece above the postseason cut line.
Bell's four DNFs are tied with teammates Ty Gibbs and Briscoe for the most of any driver currently in the provisional Chase field, but his 422 laps led and nine top five finishes show that he has the pace to contend for wins and the championship. At this point, it is all about finally putting it all together after his latest runner-up effort.
Keep in mind, the driver atop the standings following the conclusion of the regular season at Daytona on is set to take a 25-point advantage into the Chase, with 100 total bonus points. From there, it is just a 10-point difference from second to third and only a five-point difference between each of the remaining positions in the 16-driver field.
As of now, Bell would face a 70-point deficit entering the Chase, but if he can climb as high as fifth in the standings over the next four races, he can get as close as 45 points to the championship leader, further highlighting the title threat that he would become if the consistency continues to match the speed and the wins eventually follow suit.
While the series has only visited Iowa Speedway twice, Bell has excelled on flat circuits and short tracks, which points to a favorable upcoming stretch, with Richmond and New Hampshire following Sunday's stop in the Midwest. Bell has a pair of wins at New Hampshire and his 8.7 average finish at Richmond is his best at any active oval where he has made more than four starts.
In a sport where getting hot at the right time can make all the difference, Bell could be in the best position of anyone in the series if the results continue to match the speed in the No. 20 Toyota coming out of the off week. If that is the case, the rest of the field better look out, especially if he creeps his way up the standings and becomes an even bigger title threat.
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