On July 20, 2025, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing put an end to his ongoing stage win drought during the AutoTrader EcoPark Automotive 400 held at Dover Motor Speedway. Despite facing two spins throughout the 400-mile race, Bell managed to avoid serious damage and captured a crucial stage win, marking a significant turnaround in performance.
Driving the #20 Toyota Camry XSE, Bell had a solid qualifying session, starting in third place just behind teammate Chase Briscoe. In the first stage, he improved to second place, trailing Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott. Maintaining strong pace, Bell then surged ahead to claim the lead and secure victory in stage two, breaking his winless streak in stage competitions.
During the third stage, Bell fought hard for the lead against Elliott but unfortunately spun out early in the segment. Later, with only eight laps remaining, he experienced a second spin but avoided involvement in any significant accidents, allowing him to finish the race without major setbacks.
“Yeah, it’s just refreshing to have speed again. You know, we haven’t had pace. And today we were able to lead laps, get stage points, won a stage. So, that is something that I’m super excited about and proud of. Even though I made mistakes and I spun out whenever I probably shouldn’t have spun out, you know, we’re going for the win.” —Christopher Bell, NASCAR driver
“And yeah, if we just keep bringing speed like that to the racetrack, then we’re going to be just fine. It’s, you know, that’s been a long time coming. I haven’t scored stage points in a long time, let alone won a stage. I think that’s my first stage win of the year,” he added.
Current Season Performance and Standings of Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell currently holds sixth place in the Cup Series points standings with a total of 635 points. Over 21 starts this season, he has earned three race victories, 12 finishes in the top ten, and eight top-five results. Bell has also secured one pole position, demonstrating consistent competitive form despite recent challenges.
Bell’s Perspective on the Rise of Road Course Races in NASCAR
In addition to his success on oval tracks, Bell has demonstrated strong capability on road courses, including a win at the Circuit of the Americas earlier this season. Reflecting on the increasing number of road course events, Bell shared his thoughts with FrontStretch Media, emphasizing the importance of taking these races seriously.
“I’m good with it… I like it. It’s enough now where the teams and the drivers have to take it seriously. Before, whenever it was only Sonoma and Watkins Glen, you had a lot of teams that didn’t take the road courses seriously and didn’t put a lot of effort into it.” —Christopher Bell, NASCAR driver
“But now with so many road courses, you have to be good at them if you want any chance at doing well in the season standings,” added Christopher Bell.
Upcoming Road Course Event at Watkins Glen International
The next opportunity for Christopher Bell to showcase his road course skills will be at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2025. This 90-lap race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 2 pm ET, with live coverage provided by USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, and HBO Max. Bell’s previous performances make him a strong contender as the series continues to emphasize road course racing.