LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 15: Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Yahoo Toyota and Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Interstate Batteries Toyota lead the field around the track for the opening pace laps before the start of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Pennzoil 400 on March 15, 2026, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. Photo Chris Williams/LVMS/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 15 NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon0072603150199

JGR star drawing inspiration from Denny Hamlin for NASCAR title charge

Jul 10, 2026, 9:26 PM CUT

The 2026 season started with Tyler Reddick’s consecutive wins, but Denny Hamlin has had a mid-season resurgence, leading him to the top of the table. Christopher Bell is taking that as inspiration.

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Bell said that watching his senior teammate’s recent performances has changed his outlook as he heads further into the season. While he also knows the likely reality of his eventual position in the rankings, he knows he will have to push hard to make the cut.

“Man, I don't know. I think if you would have asked that question at the beginning of the year, all of us would have said a lot higher up in the standings than what we would say now. And, you know, just watching Denny be able to close the gap on Tyler Reddick throughout the last month or so. I think everybody's feeling a lot more in the mix."

Sport Themen der Woche KW09 Sport Bilder des Tages March 2, 2025: Christopher Bell 20 with Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota winning the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Circuit of The Americas. Austin, Texas. /CSM Austin United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20250302_faf_c04_013 Copyright: xMarioxCantux

"I think right now, wherever we're going to land, we aren't, it doesn't appear that we're going to end up in the top three or top five. So we're going to have to go on a really big run in the playoffs, but, you know, we're still feeling like we're in the mix, which is really good.”

In the interaction on SiriusXM NASCAR radio, Bell also admitted that there was a point when the team was just focused on trying to secure a playoff spot after a string of unsuccessful performances.

However, Bell’s recent P5 finish in Sonoma and P2 finish in Chicagoland have given the team renewed hope of finishing higher in the rankings.

The No. 20 JGR driver is yet to win a race this season, but he currently occupies the 10th spot in the rankings with 512 points. In 19 starts so far, he has seven Top 5 finishes, eight Top 10 finishes, and 4 DNFs.

Chase Briscoe speaks on the pressure of being a Toyota driver

The No. 19 JGR driver feels that driving for a Toyota-backed team in the Cup Series carries a certain amount of pressure, considering the lead that Toyota currently enjoys over Chevrolet and Ford, the latter of which seems to be struggling the most.

At the eero 400 post-race presser, Briscoe noted that when a team has a fast car on a track that suits its strengths, the drivers must capitalize on that advantage, since such chances do not come by very often.

“There's definitely a lot of pressure to go and run good. And you know, it goes in ups and flows, right? Like a year from now, the Toyotas could be way off, and the Chevys and Fords could be unbelievable. So when you're good, you have to take advantage of it. And especially at the types of racetracks where the Toyotas are typically the best is the mile and a half.

So when you come to a mile and a half, like, you cannot have a bad day. You need to take advantage of it because it's not very often you have, you know, race-winning cars. So when you have them, you have to try to win, especially in this format.”

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason