"You can’t ask for much more than that" - Christopher Bell rates his 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season as 'successful' after Phoenix title decider

Joe Gibbs Racing's sole contender in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship, Christopher Bell, was one driver who would not have come to fans' minds as the title contender from the team right off the bat. With names such as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch on the team, the #20 crew at the Charlotte, North Carolina-based racing outfit were the ones to make the most of their opportunities this year.

Having bounced back from the brink of elimination on two separate accounts in the build-up to the Championship Race in Phoenix, Bell managed to earn the title of 'The Finisher' as the 27-year-old could seemingly perform when everything was on the line. The Norman, Oklahoma native not only turned the odds in his favor with spectacular drives but also managed to bounce back from unlucky retirements to seal his spot in the Championship 4 in 2022.

Last Sunday's title decider came with its own set of challenges as Bell's team mourned the death of co-owner Coy Gibbs, while the #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry TRD driver prepared to go racing for the ultimate prize in the sport. After finishing in P10, ranking third amongst his championship rivals after a race filled with attrition for the team, Christopher Bell elaborated on his year as a whole and said:

“Yeah, I think the season was successful. To get to the final four is what every driver in NASCAR’s goals are. I’m very proud of that effort, with 40 or 50 to go, the last green-flag pit stop, we put ourselves in position to race for it. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

The 2017 Camping World Truck Series champion also looked forward to his future with his current team and said:

“Looking towards next year, I think we have potential to be stronger yet, and certainly, we have room to improve at Phoenix. Yeah, I’m very content with where we ended the season and proud of the effort on this 20 car. I’m excited about the future with Joe Gibbs Racing.”

---

Christopher Bell describes his team's mindset going into the 2022 title decider last Sunday in light of Coy Gibbs' death

In a weekend that would have been grueling for Joe Gibbs Racing as a family-run and owned team, Christopher Bell was one to offer insights on how mentally taxing a high-stakes weekend like Phoenix can be for an organization.

Having lost co-owner and father to 2022 Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs right before the title decider, Bell elaborated on how the entire Gibbs family rallied through the weekend and said:

“You wake up first thing this morning and super excited and thrilled with life and where you’re at and the opportunity given to you. To receive news like that a couple hours before you get in the car is extremely tough, just really kind of puts it in perspective that what we’re doing here is not the big picture for sure.”

Watch Christopher Bell take on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season at the LA Coliseum in February next year.