Kyle Larson shares unique perspective on Christopher Bell winning third-straight race at Phoenix

Christopher Bell notched another victory at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, his third in a row to kickoff the 2025 season. The last driver to win back-to-back-to-back races was Kyle Larson in 2021, so he knows a bit about how the Joe Gibbs Racing star feels. 

Speaking with FOX’s Bob Pockrass, Larson credited Bell, as he recognizes how difficult it is to get to Victory Lane in three consecutive weeks. Especially in the Next Gen era. And Larson believes Bell might not stop at three, considering what’s up next on the schedule.

“It’s extremely tough to win two in a row, I feel like, in the Next Gen era. For them to win three in a row is really impressive,” Larson said, regarding the No. 20 team. “Their team is just strong. You know, their race cars are really fast. Bell is a phenomenal race car driver, obviously. So you know, the more wins you get, the more confidence you, as well as your team, gets.

“Yeah, he’s getting to go to Vegas, another track where he’s stupid fast at, and then what is it, Homestead, maybe after that? I don’t know where we go after Homestead, but I’m sure he’ll be fast there, as well. So yeah, it’s good too, to get on a streak this early in the year. He’s won three on the first four. It just set your season up in a good spot.”

Even though Bell has made the Championship 4 twice in the past, it feels like he’s ascended to  new level in 2024. Larson acknowledged that, and so did his teammate Denny Hamlin, who Bell outraced to the line on Sunday at Phoenix.

“Obviously, you see a gain in performance there, but you don’t know [why]. It could be a lot of different things,” said Hamlin, via Pockrass. “Is it our cars better? Is it circumstances in a speedway race or road-course race or like this one? I guess he probably dominated.

“I don’t know. Circumstance or not, three in a row is pretty impressive and whatever they’re doing is just working.”

While Hamlin has been the leader in the clubhouse at JGR over the past few seasons, it feels like Bell has taken over that role in 2025. It’s tough to argue with results, and that’s all Bell has put up this season. He even had a shot to win the Daytona 500 before wrecking late in the race. 

Alas, Christopher Bell certainly looks like a star in 2025, and he’s hoping to keep the momentum flowing ahead of next weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Could he win four in a row? It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.