Nascar Points Standings: Christopher Bell’s slow start puts No. 20 behind early

Drivers trying to keep pace in the nascar points standings are getting an early reminder that rough finishes can add up fast. As of Saturday at 11: 00 a. m. ET, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell is sitting 24th after three races, a start he called frustrating even as his team points to speed that hasn’t consistently shown on the scoreboard.

Christopher Bell’s early deficit shows how fast the gap grows

Through three races in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Bell has 59 points and is 127 points behind the standings leader, Tyler Reddick. The numbers have put Bell and the No. 20 team in a position where each week carries extra weight, especially in a format Bell said changes the calculus compared with the past.

Bell said the current setup makes points “absolutely” matter early, even if it’s still too soon to know whether he will have “a shot at the regular-season championship or not. ” He also noted that the “upped points for wins” can create bigger swings, describing it as part of why he is “100 points out and not less than that. ”

Still, the immediate reality for the No. 20 group is that they have not yet piled up the kind of steady results Bell said are needed “week after week. ” That consistency, rather than a single standout day, is what he identified as the missing piece so far.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Adam Stevens separates pace from results after three races

Inside Joe Gibbs Racing, crew chief Adam Stevens has framed the opening stretch as a period where execution and outcomes have not matched the car’s underlying speed. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Stevens said the focus in the garage is on separating pace from results, stressing that if the speed is there, better finishes will follow sooner or later.

Stevens also highlighted that the first portion of the schedule has included tracks that can turn races into a game of chance. From the pit box perspective, he said the No. 20 team has not fallen short on pace at any of the three venues visited so far.

Even with that reassurance, Stevens’ view does not change the immediate pressure created by the nascar points standings. Bell acknowledged that numbers carry significance and said he is not brushing off the slow start, even as the team tries to keep its week-to-week focus on controllables.

Daytona 500, Atlanta, and COTA results explain Bell’s position before Phoenix

Bell’s 24th-place standing traces directly to how his first three races unfolded. In the 2026 Daytona 500, he spent time near the front before trouble struck, and he finished 35th.

At Atlanta, a track where Bell stood in victory lane last year, contact from Carson Hocevar sent Bell into the wall. He ended the race with a P21 result.

At COTA, the weekend provided a lift. During a late caution, the No. 20 crew made a tire call that paid off, and Bell charged from P16 to P3 in the closing stretch. That finish delivered 34 points and moved him up seven spots in the standings, even if the larger deficit remains after three events.

For now, the team’s stated approach is to avoid panic while keeping “one eye on the scoreboard, ” with the next race set for Phoenix this Sunday.

If the No. 20 team pairs the pace Stevens describes with another front-running finish at Phoenix on Sunday, Bell’s points position is expected to improve quickly as the early-season order continues to take shape.