Buckle up, because in the high-stakes world of NASCAR playoffs, the Round of 8 isn't just a step up—it's a whole new battlefield where only the bold survive! Christopher Bell knows this all too well, and he's ready to dive into the intensity with a mindset that's worlds apart from the earlier rounds. But here's where it gets controversial: is chasing wins at any cost worth the risk, or should drivers play it safe to secure a spot in the championship chase?
After effortlessly navigating the Round of 16 and Round of 12—those initial playoff stages where drivers basically gathered points like collecting stamps—Bell is bracing himself for what he describes as a far tougher challenge in the Round of 8. For beginners, think of NASCAR's playoffs like a tournament: the Round of 16 narrows the field from 16 to 12 drivers, then Round of 12 cuts it to 8, and now these eight elite contenders are battling it out in three races to make the Championship 4, where the title will be decided.
His caution is spot-on because this group is the cream of the crop. Picture this: four out of these eight are former series champions, and seven have already been in the Championship 4 before. That's not just competition; that's a lineup of legends vying for glory. Unlike the previous rounds, Bell isn't starting with an advantage over the cutline—he's seeded fifth, meaning he needs a strong push to advance.
These factors, plus the harsh truth that he'll probably need at least one win out of these three races to guarantee a ticket to the Championship 4, have Bell feeling an urgent fire under him as he heads into Sunday's Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On Saturday, while at the track, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver opened up about how his approach for this round flips the script compared to the first two.
Christopher Bell Opens Up on the Intense Pressure of the Round of 8
Just like in the Round of 16 and Round of 12, securing a win here automatically locks in your spot for the next phase. But in those earlier rounds, victory wasn't everything—putting together three decent performances often kept you in the game. You could think of it as survival mode, where accumulating points steadily was the key to dodging elimination.
“You make it into the Round of 8 and the mentality changes at this point in the season, in the playoffs,” Bell explained. “The Round of 16, Round of 12, you’re just looking for points. It’s survival mode.”
With only eight drivers left, advancing without claiming at least one victory in these three races becomes incredibly tricky. Simply finishing all three in the top 10—or even the top five—might not cut it to move on to Phoenix for the championship showdown. It's a stark contrast that demands more from everyone involved.
“The Round of 8, it’s about wins,” said Bell, who's already notched four victories in 2025. “Ultimately, you need to win in order to make that (Championship) 4. And if you don’t win, then have to be in that top five (and earn) big stage points competing for wins. So, it’s a lot different.”
Bell speaks from experience, having reached the Championship 4 in 2022 and 2023, but just missing out last year. “The Round of 16, Round of 12 are pretty similar,” he noted. “And then the Round of 8 is a different mentality. And it takes a lot more to make the next cut.”
Christopher Bell Breaks Down Why Strategy in the Round of 8 Feels Like a Total Shift
Since wins are now at such a premium—far more valuable than in the first two playoff rounds—Bell is clear about tweaking his game plan. “I guess the biggest change is the risk versus reward meter,” he said. He's currently eight points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin and just four points above the cutline in the freshly reset standings.
“The Round of 8, you’re probably a lot more willing to take risks to go for wins than you would be in the Round of 12 or Round of 16. Because you know the wins mean more now than they what they did in the previous rounds.”
Starting third on Sunday at Las Vegas, Bell seems primed to gamble big in a city famous for high-rollers. “I have zero wins at Las Vegas. But it’s always been a really, really strong track for me,” he shared. “We’ve performed really well. So, yeah, I would say I’m excited about coming here every time. And I think that one of these days, we’re going to get rewarded.”
It could very well happen this Sunday. “We know that this is a big opportunity,” Bell added. “Hopefully, we can capitalize on it.”
And this is the part most people miss: in a sport where strategy can make or break careers, is Bell's all-in approach the smart move, or does it invite unnecessary danger that could cost him everything? What do you think—should NASCAR drivers prioritize aggressive wins in the Round of 8, or is there a case for a more conservative strategy to build points steadily? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear if you agree with Bell's risk-taking ethos or if you see a counterpoint that could change the game!
