It’s race weekend in Texas, and the excitement couldn’t be higher. While fans make their way towards Fort Worth, several drivers are getting the feeling of ‘homecoming’, going to ‘The Great American Speedway.’ For Christopher Bell, the 1.5-mile intermediate track is one he calls ‘home’ even though he was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, just a few hours down the road. After a disappointing result in Talladega, he’s now looking for redemption and the prospect of taking on another local star.
Competing in the Lone Star State is more than just getting a result. Christopher Bell will be fighting for pride at the Würth 400, alongside Texan driver Chris Buescher, who will also have a point to prove now that he’s back where he belongs.
Will Bell finally break his Texas winless streak?
Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher will have a point to prove at Texas Motor Speedway. After the heartbreak at Talladega, both of them will want to hit the ground running at the track that’s close to their hearts. The RFK Racing driver was in a great spot to win Stage 1 at the ‘Dega’ but found himself going into the backstretch wall after Denny Hamlin attempted to give the No. 20 Toyota a push from the rear. Unfortunately for Bell, the racer was forced to settle for a 35th-place finish after retiring early.
When asked by Frontstretch’s Stephen Stumpf if Texas was home or enemy territory, Christopher Bell candidly replied, “Well, it is my home track. I think me and Buescher are doing an appearance tomorrow, so that’ll be fun to raz him a little bit. So Texas Motor Speedway is my home track, it’s his home track. He’s a little bit closer than me. Actually, I don’t know. He’s Prosper right? How far is that?”
When told that Prosper sits about 25-30 miles from the speedway, Christopher Bell went on to say, “Okay, so he’s closer than me. I’m just up the road in Oklahoma, but I’m a couple of hours away.” As things stand, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and his not-so-distant frenemy aren’t off to a flying start in Texas. Both drivers have failed to break into the top 10 at their ‘home track’, with disappointing qualifying results in front of their fans. However, they have 267 laps to climb up grid positions and secure a triumph, a feat that’s within the realm of possibility.
Feb 3, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) during practice at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Neither driver has ever won a race in Texas before. Christopher Bell has made a total of 8 appearances at ‘The Great American Speedway’, having finished no higher than third on two separate occasions. Buescher hasn’t fared much better either, despite making 18 appearances on the racetrack. He finished third with Roush Fenway Racing in 2021, but hasn’t broken into the top five since then. Could either driver break their winless streak this time around? Time will tell.
Christopher Bell suffers yet another DNF setback
As things stand, Christopher Bell’s ‘homecoming’ of sorts has been far from ideal. After securing three consecutive Cup Series wins, Lady Luck seems to have abandoned him in the last few weeks, and his recent High Limits Racing adventure in Texas didn’t work out as planned. According to Jeff Gluck, the Oklahoman suffered a DNF in the Stockyard Stampede A Feature, finishing 21st in the dirt racing series.
Speaking ahead of his debut in High Limit Racing, Bell had said, “Racers race, and the more you race, the better you are. You can go lift weights and run as much as you want, but being in that racing environment and focusing on the task at hand, it’s different — a lot different — and there’s no way you can prepare for it other than doing it.” The Joe Gibbs Racing driver added, “Sprint car racing is just so real and raw and true. You can’t fake it.”
He wasn’t the only high-profile driver participating in the event. High Limit Racing co-owner Kyle Larson finished 13th, while Ty Gibbs ended up 18th. Former NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne also made an appearance and turned back the clock with a sixth-place result. Form or momentum might not be on Christopher Bell’s side as of now, but the Oklahoman will be giving it everything he’s got at the Würth 400 to turn his fortunes around.
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