Christopher Bell’s bid to achieve a rare NASCAR milestone ended in disappointment at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Sunday.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 12th in the Pennzoil 400, falling short of winning his fourth consecutive Cup Series race despite a strong start to the season.
Bell’s weekend initially showed promise, but a setback arose when his team discovered an issue with the throttle body of his No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE after Saturday’s qualifying session.
Although he had originally secured the 13th starting position, the necessary repairs forced him to forfeit that spot, relegating him to the back of the 36-car field.
Despite starting from the rear, Bell made impressive progress, finishing Stage 1 in 10th place.
By Stage 2, he had climbed to second, but a pit road mishap—where a wheel was not properly secured—led to a costly penalty as he had to stop outside his designated pit box for repairs.
This mistake sent him to the back once again, and he ultimately finished the race in 12th place. A victory would have placed him among an elite group of drivers who have won four consecutive races in NASCAR’s modern era.
Only eight drivers have achieved this feat: Cale Yarborough (1976), Darrell Waltrip (1981), Dale Earnhardt (1987), Harry Gant (1991), Bill Elliott (1992), Mark Martin (1993), Jeff Gordon (1998), and Jimmie Johnson (2007).
Reflecting on the race, Bell admitted it had been a tough day. He felt his Interstate Batteries Camry had the speed to compete for the win but struggled with the car’s balance due to constantly moving through the field.
Bell now joins a select group of drivers who nearly reached four straight wins but fell short. Kyle Busch once ran out of fuel on the last lap at Pocono while leading, Kevin Harvick saw his streak end after a crash at Auto Club Speedway, and in 2021, Kyle Larson lost his chance due to a tire failure while leading on the final lap. Instead, Josh Berry claimed his first Cup Series victory in that race.
Looking ahead, Bell will aim for a strong performance at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he last won in 2023 to secure his spot in the Championship 4.
