LAS VEGAS – On Sunday, Christopher Bell faced a significant setback after NASCAR imposed a penalty on him for modifying his vehicle, forcing him to start from the rear in his quest for a fourth consecutive Cup Series victory. Initially slated to kick off from the 13th position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bell’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, altered the throttle body of his No. 20 Toyota post-qualifying, which led to him losing his starting spot.
Bell arrived at Las Vegas with a streak of wins, having recently triumphed at Atlanta, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and Phoenix. Securing four straight Cup races is a rare achievement in the modern era of NASCAR, which began in 1972. Only eight drivers have managed this feat, with seven of them being inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame and six crowned as Cup Series champions.
The illustrious group of drivers who have won four consecutive races includes Cale Yarborough in 1976, Darrell Waltrip in 1981, Dale Earnhardt in 1987, Harry Gant in 1981, Bill Elliott in 1992, Mark Martin in 1993, Jeff Gordon in 1998, and Jimmie Johnson in 2007.
Bell’s impressive streak of three consecutive victories is the longest in the Cup Series since Kyle Larson accomplished similar back-to-back streaks in 2021. Furthermore, Bell has achieved this milestone in NASCAR’s Next Gen car, introduced last year. His win count for the current year matches his career-highs set in both 2022 and repeated in 2024.
Throughout his engagements at Las Vegas, Bell has accumulated five top-10 finishes in ten starts, along with three poles. He notably secured second place in the last two fall races held at the Vegas track.
