Mar 9, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Sequence driver Christopher Bell (20) through the Shriners Youngsters’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Necessary Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Photographs LAS VEGAS — Christopher Bell is in search of a historic fourth consecutive win on Sunday because the NASCAR Cup Sequence descends on Sin Metropolis for the Pennzoil 400.
With a win, Bell would develop into the primary driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win 4 straight Cup races. Solely eight drivers have achieved the feat in NASCAR’s fashionable period (post-1972) and 5 of these drivers went on to win the championship, together with Johnson in 2007 and Jeff Gordon in 1998.
Bell, 30, has by no means received a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, although he is completed second in two of the final three races held on the observe.
With Las Vegas being the primary intermediate observe on the 2025 schedule, the race provides each Bell in his No. 20 Toyota and the remainder of the sphere their first actual alternative to gauge their automotive on the model of race observe on which a big portion of the schedule is contested. A few of these races are among the many most necessary on NASCAR’s schedule, together with October’s South Level 400 in Vegas.
“Vegas is a real barometer of the intermediates,” Bell, the Joe Gibbs Racing standout, advised the NASCAR Wire Service. “It is sort of just like the final model of observe that we have not been to but this season. It is an necessary race as a result of you might have a number of factors to be gained or misplaced on the intermediate-style tracks, however what makes Vegas much more necessary is that it is within the Spherical of 8 (of the Playoffs).
“That race, while you come again within the fall, is tremendous necessary to have a very strong factors day and contend for a win. That fall Vegas race is every little thing, and there isn’t any higher tune-up for it than the spring Vegas race.”
Maybe the best menace to finish Bell’s scorching streak on Sunday is 2021 Cup Sequence champion Kyle Larson, who has received on the “Diamond within the Desert” 3 times since becoming a member of Hendrick Motorsports earlier than the 2021 season. Larson’s first win with Hendrick got here at Las Vegas in March 2021 and Larson has claimed two of the earlier three races held on the observe, profitable the South Level 400 in October 2023 and the Pennzoil 400 in March 2024.
“I feel since becoming a member of Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, it is most likely been our greatest race observe,” Larson mentioned. “Getting a number of wins, I feel two different second-place finishes in that point has additionally been actually good. The observe is nice however getting to return to town and have enjoyable on the strip and all of the stuff that it has to supply, it most likely makes it considered one of my three favourite races to get to.”
Like Bell, Larson can also be is trying ahead to getting a real really feel for the sort of automotive he has this season on an intermediate observe.
“The way in which schedule is now, you go to Daytona, you then go to Atlanta and you then go to a highway course,” Larson mentioned “You nearly have to attend a complete month to appreciate how your season is likely to be and the way you may be on pace. I feel all of us groups are actually, actually excited to get on observe for observe, get again into the extra bulk of the schedule with this model of race observe.”
Regardless of Bell’s scorching begin to the season, it is truly William Byron who enters Sunday’s race within the factors lead by 13 factors over Bell. Byron received the season-opening Daytona 500 in February and earned the pole on his solution to a sixth-place end in Phoenix, along with ending second on the first Daytona Duel and on the Circuit of the Americas on March 2.
Joey Logano is the latest winner at Las Vegas, as his victory on the South Level 400 in October 2024 propelled him to his third NASCAR title.
–Will Despart, Subject Degree Media
