NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell is in as good a position as he’s ever been in his seven seasons in the series to win his first Cup Series title.

If Bell wants to remain in the title hunt, he’ll need to have another strong run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Bell is used to running well at Las Vegas but has never won at LVMS. And all of Bell’s near misses are still at the top of his mind when he thinks about the track.

“Oh my goodness, Vegas has been heartbreak central for me throughout my entire career between the Truck Series, the O’Reilly Series and the Cup Series,” Bell said. “I think I’ve probably led more laps at Vegas than any other track that I haven’t won at.

“We know we’re going to be good there and it’s going to be another great opportunity (to win and get a lot of points). So, we got to score some points, that’s going to be the name of the game right now.”

The NASCAR Cup Series races Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the South Point 400. Bell and the rest of the Cup Series field will be on track Saturday for practice and qualifying, which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Green flag time for the fifth race in the NASCAR Chase is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday around the 1½-mile D-shaped LVMS oval.

‘Great opportunities’

Bell enters the weekend third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings at 50 points behind leader Kyle Larson. Bell is coming off a sixth-place run at Kansas, a 1½-mile track similar to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is the second of three consecutive 1½-mile tracks in the Chase, with Charlotte to follow next week. Bell, driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, said the stretch of similar tracks will be crucial in determining who wins the championship.

“These three races are going to be great opportunities for us and they’re a strength for our organization and my team,” said Bell, whose Toyota teammates have been strong on 1½-mile tracks.

“We need to capitalize on that. Whenever we get down the (Chase) like at Talladega or Martinsville, those are places I don’t feel as confident at. These next three and Phoenix (after), we need to make some hay and score some points.”

Bell, 31, from Norman, Oklahoma, has five top-five finishes in his last seven races at LVMS. He’s won three poles at the track and led 279 laps in the Cup Series but is winless across all three of NASCAR’s top three national touring series at LVMS.

“Vegas is just a really, really fast track,” Bell said. “At Vegas, you just haul the mail around that racetrack, so it’s fun. Everyone loves going out to Vegas, but the track itself is so much fun because it’s fun and it’s a good one (for us).”

Given how Bell started the Chase, luck could be on his side to end his Las Vegas drought.

After six runner-up finishes in the 26 regular season races, Bell opened the Chase with a win at the Southern 500 at Darlington on Sept. 6.

“It was amazing,” Bell said. “The Southern 500 is a really big event. It’s been a great year for us and finally we got the win. Thinking of the crown jewel races, we won Darlington, ran second at Charlotte and almost won the (Coca-Cola 600), ran second in Indianapolis (Brickyard 400).

“It’s been a really good showing for us this year and hopefully we can finish out the year on a high note.”

‘Happy’ with playoff format

This season marks the return of the 10-race Chase format for the NASCAR playoffs. Gone are the three three-race rounds with eliminations and a winner-take-all championship race for the Final 4.

Bell has reached the Final 4 twice and the last two years finished fifth and just missed out on qualifying to race for the title in the title race. Bell has consistently been outspoken about his dissatisfaction with the randomness of the previous format and was one of the top drivers saying the playoff needed a change.

“I’m super happy with the product that we have right now and I think NASCAR has done an amazing job of striking the balance of giving us a platform that rewards consistency and weighs every race the same,” Bell said. “That was my biggest complaint about the previous format was that there were certain races or tracks that weighed more than others.

“The champion of the sport should have to be a well-rounded driver, not just one that excels at one specific track.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

Up next

What: South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Chase Race

When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

TV: USA Network

Betting favorite: Kyle Larson (+375)

Saturday schedule

11 a.m. — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice (two groups, 25 minutes each)

12:05 p.m. — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying (single car, one lap)

1:30 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series Practice (one group, 50 minutes)

2:35 p.m. — NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying (single car, one lap)

4 p.m. — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Driver Introductions

4:30 p.m. — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 302 Chase Race (201 laps)