has the prospect to hitch a really unique membership this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Already turning into the , the No. 20 Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing driver now goals to hitch even rarer firm with a fourth straight win.
For the reason that trendy period of NASCAR started in 1972, solely eight drivers have pulled it off and it is fairly the VIP record. Seven of these drivers have since been enshrined within the sport’s Corridor of Fame and 6 of them are Cup Sequence champions. It’s really elite firm.
Nevertheless, nobody has completed the feat in practically twenty years. Bell’s street right here has been no Sunday cruise both, preventing to the very finish in opposition to a number of drivers on his strategy to capturing the checkered flag at Atlanta, COTA and now Phoenix. That, together with how shut the modern-day NASCAR area is lately makes Bell’s three-peat astoundingly spectacular. So, if he does handle to proceed the win streak into Vegas, listed below are the drivers he would be a part of and their very own paths to finishing the uncommon four-peat feat.
Cale Yarborough – 1976
Yarborough’s 4 wins got here in his first championship season and it was certainly one of full domination — main 200+ laps in every of the races he received between September and October of that yr. It started on the Richmond brief observe, warding off Bobby Allison by roughly a automotive size. However the margins of victory solely grew for every win that adopted. Onto Dover the place he beat Richard Petty by over seven seconds, after which doubled that margin to 14 seconds over Darrell Waltrip at Martinsville. He accomplished the unbelievable run at North Wilkesboro, profitable by a full lap over Benny Parsons and putting an exclamation level on the finish of it.
Cale Yarborough in James Hylton’s Mercury
RacingOne/Getty Photos
Darrell Waltrip – 1981
Waltrip’s win streak got here across the identical time of yr and even lined two of the identical races as Yarborough. Humorous sufficient, it additionally got here with the identical crew as each had been driving the No. 11 for Junior Johnson. For Waltrip, it started at Martinsville with Harry Gant trailing him by 7.8 seconds on the end. He went to North Wilkesboro the place (like Yarborough) he beat his closest competitor – Bobby Allison – by over a lap. DW confronted off with Allison once more at Charlotte, profitable by practically a full lap with 31.8 seconds between them.
And at last, Waltrip accomplished this uncommon four-peat at one other North Carolina observe, as soon as once more warding off Allison on his strategy to victory at Rockingham. Solely this time, Waltrip didn’t make the go for the win till simply 11 laps to go. And persevering with to observe the instance set by Yarborough earlier than him, Waltrip ended the 1981 season by profitable his first of three NASCAR Cup Sequence titles.
Race winner Darrell Waltrip
NASCAR Media
Dale Earnhardt – 1987
Earnhardt’s spectacular win streak occurred a lot earlier within the season, however nonetheless not fairly as early as Bell’s present run. As the game superior and the fields grew to become extra aggressive, ‘The Intimidator’ needed to battle a bit more durable than the earlier two names to drag this accomplishment off. It started at Darlington, passing Invoice Elliott as he dramatically ran out of gasoline by the ultimate set of corners on the white flag lap. He received at North Wilkesboro the next week, preserving Kyle Petty at bay within the closing laps with simply a few seconds between them. After besting the son, he then beat the daddy, Richard Petty, doing so by just below a second at Bristol. He completed it off at Martinsville, holding again rival Rusty Wallace on his strategy to capturing the checkered flag. And sure, he went on to win the title that yr too.
Dale Earnhardt
NASCAR Media
Harry Gant – 1991
Gant is a singular identify amongst this group. He’s neither a champion nor a NASCAR Corridor of Famer, and he was over 50 years previous on the time of attaining this. Grant additionally has the excellence of being the oldest winner in Cup Sequence historical past, a document he secured one yr after this spectacular stretch when he was 52 years previous.
However in 1991, the person generally known as ‘Mr. September’ earned his nickname. He received each race that month, starting with the Southern 500, beating Ernie Irvan by over ten seconds. At Richmond, he shadowed Davey Allison in a spirited battle earlier than lastly finishing the go with simply 18 laps to go. His Dover victory was a bit extra simple, dominating the occasion and beating runner-up Geoff Bodine by over a lap. Nevertheless, the fourth win didn’t come simple as Gant really crashed late within the race. He was turned from the lead and suffered important injury to the nostril of the automotive (significantly the suitable entrance fender). Undeterred, he charged again by the sector, taking the lead from Brett Bodine with 46 laps remaining and profitable anyway.
Celebration of Champions ceremony: Harry Gant
Eric Gilbert
Invoice Elliott – 1992
Ought to Bell pull this off, his victories will span from the second race of the yr by the fifth race of the yr. And that is precisely what Elliott did in 1992. Within the second race of the yr at Rockingham, he cruised to victory over Davey Allison. Nevertheless, the streak practically did not ever attain two after a very sensational end at Richmond. Elliott received in an exhilarating picture end over Alan Kulwicki with nearly nothing between the 2 vehicles on the checkered flag. He didn’t should sweat practically as a lot at Atlanta, profitable by over 18 seconds with Gant ending second. He beat Gant once more the next week as he accomplished the four-peat at Darlington, taking the lead late and driving away with the win.
Alan Kulwicki battles with Invoice Elliott
Nigel Kinrade Pictures
Mark Martin – 1993
Martin’s win streak started at Watkins Glen, inheriting the race lead solely after Kyle Petty and Dale Earnhardt crashed dramatically by the esses. He then took a reasonably simple victory over Morgan Shepherd at Michigan earlier than having an actual battle on his palms at Bristol. Martin ran Rusty Wallace down by slower visitors, cleanly reducing below him and taking the lead with simply 12 laps to go. Wallace remained glued to his rear bumper for the remainder of the race, by no means giving him a second to calm down. Martin’s fourth win got here on the Southern 500 at Darlington, denying Brett Bodine as he accomplished the four-peat.
#6 Mark Martin Valvoline Ford
Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Photos
In the summertime of 1998, the now iconic No. 24 Chevrolet was a power of nature. Gordon received 13 of 33 races that yr, nevertheless it was between the 18th and twenty first rounds of the yr the place he managed to win 4 consecutively. It started at Pocono, beating Mark Martin to the road by simply over a second after a dominant displaying. Gordon then bested Martin once more, this time within the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hanging on regardless of a late-race yellow bringing the sector again to his rear bumper. At Watkins Glen, Gordon handed Mike Skinner for the lead with 4 laps to go, and as soon as once more, Martin adopted him throughout the road in second after passing Skinner as nicely. Martin shadowed Gordon all through this whole summer season stretch and after they arrived at Michigan, it was none aside from Martin who Gordon needed to go for the win with lower than 10 laps to go. Nevertheless, the then-Roush driver didn’t find yourself second this time as and Dale Jarrett battled round him, permitting Gordon to sneak away.
Jeff Gordon
Robert Kurtycz
Previously 30 years, it’s no shock that the one two drivers to have completed this spectacular feat are two titans of HMS. The newest driver to drag it off was Johnson, proper in the midst of his unprecedented run of 5 consecutive NASCAR Cup Sequence titles (earlier than profitable seven whole). His victories got here on the very finish of the season, blowing the championship battle vast open (regardless of the playoff format) as he crushed the competitors. He held on in opposition to and his teammate Gordon at Martinsville with out a lot of a problem, however the next week at Atlanta was a really completely different story. He was operating fifth with simply ten laps to go, however an unbelievable pit cease below warning vaulted him into second on observe. stayed out, however ran out of gasoline coming to the restart zone. Johnson was capable of keep away from him as others crashed, happening to take the victory forward of Carl Edwards. After which it was onto Texas the place Johnson confirmed up proper close to the tip. Dissimilar to lots of the victories talked about on this record, Johnson led single digit laps in two of his 4 victories, however at all times managed to place himself into an ideal place when the checkered flag loomed. At Texas, he ran down and took the lead with simply two laps remaining in all the race. He ended his run at Phoenix, taking the lead from . with simply 23 laps left and finally holding off to formally win 4 in a row.
Race winner Jimmie Johnson celebrates
Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.
The duty forward of Bell
Now, latest historical past tells us simply how onerous profitable 4 consecutive Cup races might be on this trendy age. It’s already been a dogfight for Bell to succeed in three, and several other different stars have been on this identical place however failed to succeed in 4. Each and received three consecutive races in 2018, however neither of those Cup champions may prolong the streak to 4. received three consecutive TWICE through the 2021 season and nonetheless couldn’t proceed it, though he was tire robbed him of the win. received a complete three-race spherical through the 2015 playoffs, however and likewise denied him an opportunity at 4.
NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, which is sweet information for Bell because it’s a extra simple race than a few of these wildcard occasions at drafting tracks or street programs. Nevertheless, he’s additionally 0-10 there by way of profitable, ending second twice. Bell was even regardless of main over half the race. Whereas tough, the percentages aren’t in opposition to him as Bell seeks to proceed this historic streak of being unbeatable.
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Photos
