Christopher Bell Acknowledges Struggles as Team Faces Challenges in NASCAR Cup Series Christopher Bell, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, has admitted that his team is struggling to find consistency early in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. After three races, Bell sits 24th in the standings with just 59 points, trailing leader Tyler Reddick by a significant margin of 127 points. Despite the slow start, Bell remains focused on improving, acknowledging that the new championship format places greater emphasis on consistent performance rather than a single race win. Bell’s performance in the 2026 Daytona 500 highlighted both his potential and the challenges his team faces. He started near the front but encountered issues that dropped him to 35th place. At Atlanta, where he had previously won, a collision with Carson Hocevar sent his car into the wall, resulting in a P21 finish. However, the team showed signs of progress at COTA, where a strategic tire call during a late caution allowed Bell to surge from 16th to third place. The 34 points earned from that finish lifted him seven positions in the standings, but Bell emphasized that the current format requires more than a single strong showing. “The cool thing about this format is the upped points for wins,” Bell said. “That’s a big reason why I’m 100 points out and not less than that. It gives teams the opportunity to make up more points than we’ve had in the past if you’re able to win. But it’s still too early to know if we’re going to have a shot at the regular-season championship or not.” Bell’s team has yet to secure points during stages or at the finish line in the first three races, which has left them without a strong foundation in the standings. While Bell admitted the start of the season has been frustrating, he remains determined to turn things around.#tyler_reddick #joe_gibbs_racing #chris_ted_bell #daytona_500 #carson_hocevar
