Overview

• Bell begins the postseason as the No. 5 seed after three early wins at Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix were followed by a long winless stretch despite consistent speed.
• He said he sought reassurance from crew chief Adam Stevens, who told him the team is operating the same way it did during the three-race streak.
• Bell identified Darlington, Kansas, Las Vegas, and Gateway as tracks where the No. 20 has been strong and could convert performance into victories.
• Kevin Harvick cautioned on his podcast that Bell’s biggest hurdle is inconsistency in key moments, citing races like Dover as missed opportunities.
• Bell’s confidence draws on prior deep playoff runs in the Next Gen era and a reputation for clutch elimination-race performances.