JGR driver leaves no doubt about his ‘disbelief’ while chasing Jimmie Johnson’s unbeaten feat

Christopher Bell is on the verge of matching one of NASCAR's toughest records — Jimmie Johnson’s four-race win streak from 2007. As Bell heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he's chasing history and grappling with disbelief over his own success.

Jimmie Johnson’s record of four consecutive wins, set during his 2007 championship campaign, has remained untouched for 18 years. Now, Christopher Bell has a shot at matching that feat after winning three back-to-back races in Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas, and Phoenix.

“It’s hard to do,” Bell admitted. “I acknowledge that. I'm just kind of in disbelief that I have that opportunity, but I'm looking forward to it.” (via Fox Sports)

Bell has taken advantage of every opportunity, much like Johnson did during his 2007 run. Johnson’s wins at Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, and Phoenix were laden with late-race charges. Bell’s recent run echoes that: he led only one lap at Atlanta — the last one — and won Phoenix by leading 105 laps, even battling teammate Denny Hamlin for the victory.

Bell now heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has unfinished business. Last October, he led 155 laps but lost to Joey Logano on fuel strategy. In another Vegas race, he crashed early but still logged a second-place finish in 2023. This time, Bell believes he has a chance.

“That is incredibly special to hear that and know that I have that opportunity ahead of me,” Bell said. “We're going to a darn good place for it.” (via Fox Sports)

Crew chief Adam Stevens, on the other hand, showed caution, recognizing the thin line between winning and losing. He shared,

“You can replay any one of those wins, change one or two things. It's not you that day,” Stevens said. “If you can put yourself in contention and be a factor every week, the wins will come.” (via Fox Sports)

Team owner Joe Gibbs, a Hall of Famer in both football and NASCAR, believes in Bell’s potential to do something extraordinary. In his own words,

“I know they'll be going there with excitement and thinking that they have a chance,” Gibbs said. “It’s out there for them, and we'll see what happens.” (via Fox Sports)

Christopher Bell’s coming to this stage hasn’t been easy. The NASCAR driver entered Atlanta on a 19-race winless streak. By comparison, Jimmie Johnson had 29 career wins when he started his streak. Bell, at 30 years old, is also younger than Johnson was at 32 when he set the record.

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Throwback to Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona Comeback

Jimmie Johnson may have retired in 2020, but he never fully left NASCAR. In 2024, he ran nine races with Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns. For 2025, his schedule is lighter owing to his growing role as the majority owner.

“With so much going on behind the scenes, I just started to grasp the fact that I can't be in the car that many times a year,” Johnson shared in a recent Instagram video. “This year, it's two shows and who knows how many more shows I have ahead of me because still I always wanna climb in the car.”

Jimmie Johnson confirmed he would race the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 this season, starting 40th at Daytona after setting the fastest open qualifying time

“Thrilled for the Daytona 500, thrilled for the Coca-Cola 600,” Johnson said. “But when I'm at the track from here on out, I've really got to dig in and work and look in different areas. I'm finding great satisfaction in that journey right now.”

The seven-time champion, Jimmie Johnson has won the Daytona 500 twice — in 2006 and 2013. In the 2025 Daytona 500 which was held on February 16, he ended the race with a third-place finish.