Christopher Bell has finally made it to victory lane. On Sunday night, Bell and the No. 20 team for Joe Gibbs Racing won the 2026 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. It marked the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's first win of the 2026 NASCAR season in the first race of the new Chase format.
Following the event, Bell spoke about winning the Southern 500. It was a major victory for the driver of the No. 20 car."
"It’s been too damn long," Bell said. "Oh, my gosh, man. I’m just so, so proud of all of these guys on this No. 20 car, all the mechanics, all the pit crew members. They deserve it more than anyone. Oh, my gosh, man, this has been a long time coming. Darlington has been one that I’ve always wanted to win since I got into the sport. This is the ultimate
driver’s track. You fans, you guys are the best. That’s why we’re here."
NOT TOO TOUGH TO TAME FOR CBELL! 🏁🔥
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) September 7, 2026
The No. 20 Christopher Bell gets his first win of the season in Darlington! pic.twitter.com/hhs03Wqy5z
"I knew that we would be able to win it. No matter what I knew that we would be able to win it. We can win any week. It just has not every hasn’t happened yet. Whenever I was sitting in the care center in Michigan, I thought my season was over, I was out a couple of weeks, I wasn’t going to able to make the Chase. We’re still in it, baby, whoo!"
Bell is now second in the Chase standings with a 12-point deficit to Denny Hamlin. More importantly, the driver of the No. 20 car is now a Southern 500 winner. It has been a long season for Bell, but winning a Crown Jewel event helps heal the pain of seven second-place finishes in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Christopher Bell discusses winning his first career Southern 500
