Jimmie Johnson supporting Christopher Bell in NASCAR four-peat bid
The seven-time champion has been in regular contact with the new Joe Gibbs Racing driver as he aims to equal his record
Christopher Bell has revealed that NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson has been backing his bid to score four consecutive victories in the Cup Series.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bell won the last three Cup races at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas and Phoenix and is in prime position to make it four in a row in Las Vegas this weekend.
Should he achieve that feat, Bell would join an exclusive club of drivers to have completed a three-peat since the modern era of NASCAR began in 1972.
The last person to enjoy such an impressive winning streak in the Cup Series was seven-time champion Johnson, who dominated the latter end of the 2007 season in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
The 49-year-old, who has since retired from full-time competition, is now supporting Bell in his pursuit of equalling one of NASCAR’s long-held records.
“It’s still the coolest thing in the world to me that I have Jimmie Johnson on my phone,” Bell said during the press conference.
“So he has talked to me. He sent me a text message after every win so far, I’m still shocked every time I see his name pop up.
“I respect the heck out of him and it’s an honour to know that he thinks of me after a race to shoot me a text message, that is so cool. We have connected.”
Only eight drivers have pulled off a four-peat in the modern era of NASCAR, with seven of those now a part of the series’s Hall of Fame and six having won the championship.
At 30-year-olds, Bell has an opportunity to join the list of some of the most well-known names in NASCAR relatively early in his career.
“It’s obviously special, that is the cliche answer. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in.
“It’s crazy to think about the time I've been in the cup series, it feels like a long time, but when you look at stuff like that and realise I’m still pretty young in my career.
“I’m just trying to soak it all in and enjoy the moment and it’s obviously a dream come true to be compared or to be in the same category as some of the guys, that I have a chance of tying their stats or going with their stats.
“I guess time will tell how it turns out but it’s definitely an honour no matter if I win or lose to be in that conversation.”
