Christopher Bell’s Championship dreams crushed early in Cup Series finale at Phoenix due to mechanical failure

Joe Gibbs Racing's sole contender in the NASCAR Cup Series championship finale, Christopher Bell's outing at Phoenix Raceway, was cut short during the second stage of the race.

The #20 Toyota Camry TRD driver was seen battling fellow Championship 4 drivers Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson when the Norman, Oklahoma native on the team radio, predicted an imminent failure for the #20 crew.

Christopher Bell complained of his brakes overheating as the 28-year-old navigated the one-mile-long oval track in Avondale, Arizona. Predicting the upcoming point of failure on his car successfully, the #20 Toyota Camry TRD blew a brake rotor as Bell hit the brakes, entering turn 1 on the track.

The resulting loss of control and the front right tire going flat caused the winner from two weeks ago to hit the outside wall of the track, dragging his car. Upon reaching the pits for inspection of the damage, the team retired from the race on account of irreparable damage to the right side of the Next Gen Toyota.

Bell was seen defending the usage of his brakes as he got out of his car and termed the failure as the first brake failure of his career, according to an interview with NBC Sports. He said:

"I mean, that was the first time I've ever exploded a rotor in my career, so I was surprised. The second run it just kept getting worse and worse. I don't know, just a disappointing way to end."

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WATCH: Christopher Bell's pit crew try and repair the stricken #20 on pit road

After heavy contact with the outside wall at Phoenix Raceway, the #20 crew at Joe Gibbs Racing were seen trying to repair Christopher Bell's Toyota Camry TRD to get him back on track.

However, the efforts turned out in vain as the car was damaged beyond repair, with the first of the four title contenders out of the finale early in stage two. William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson will be seen fighting out for the ultimate prize going forward, with Larson seeming to struggle during the first two stages of the race.

It remains to be seen how the rest of the race pans out with the Ford-manufactured cars such as Kevin Harvick and Chris Buescher also holding strong up front with a chance to win the 312-lap event during the final laps.