The rare NASCAR company Christopher Bell would join if he wins four in a row

Christopher Bell has the prospect to hitch a really unique membership this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Already changing into the first driver within the Subsequent Gen period (2022 onward) to win three consecutive Cup races, 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.

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Nevertheless, nobody has achieved the feat in almost 20 years. Bell’s highway right here has been no Sunday cruise both, combating to the very finish towards a number of drivers on his technique to capturing the checkered flag at Atlanta, COTA and now Phoenix. That, together with how shut the modern-day NASCAR discipline is nowadays makes Bell’s three-peat astoundingly spectacular. So, if he does handle to proceed the win streak into Vegas, listed here 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 one in every of full domination — main 200+ laps in every of the races he gained between September and October of that yr. It started on the Richmond quick observe, heading 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, successful by a full lap over Benny Parsons and putting an exclamation level on the finish of it.

Cale Yarborough in James Hylton’s Mercury

Photograph by: RacingOne/Getty Pictures

Darrell Waltrip – 1981

Waltrip’s win streak got here across the similar time of yr and even coated two of the identical races as Yarborough. Humorous sufficient, it additionally got here with the identical group 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, successful by almost a full lap with 31.8 seconds between them.

And eventually, Waltrip accomplished this uncommon four-peat at one other North Carolina observe, as soon as once more heading off Allison on his technique 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 successful his first of three NASCAR Cup Sequence titles.

Race winner Darrell Waltrip

Photograph by: 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 struggle a bit more durable than the earlier two names to tug this accomplishment off. It started at Darlington, passing Invoice Elliott as he dramatically ran out of gas by way of the ultimate set of corners on the white flag lap. He gained at North Wilkesboro the next week, protecting 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 technique to capturing the checkered flag. And sure, he went on to win the title that yr too.

Dale Earnhardt

Photograph by: 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 outdated 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 outdated.

However in 1991, the person referred to as ‘Mr. September’ earned his nickname. He gained 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 truly crashed late within the race. He was turned from the lead and suffered important harm to the nostril of the automotive (significantly the precise entrance fender). Undeterred, he charged again by way of the sector, taking the lead from Brett Bodine with 46 laps remaining and successful anyway.

Celebration of Champions ceremony: Harry Gant

Photograph by: Eric Gilbert

Invoice Elliott – 1992

Ought to Bell pull this off, his victories will span from the second race of the yr by way of 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 almost didn’t ever attain two after a very sensational end at Richmond. Elliott gained in an exhilarating picture end over Alan Kulwicki with virtually nothing between the 2 vehicles on the checkered flag. He didn’t must sweat almost as a lot at Atlanta, successful 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

Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade Images

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 way of the esses. He then took a reasonably simple victory over Morgan Shepherd at Michigan earlier than having an actual struggle on his arms at Bristol. Martin ran Rusty Wallace down by way of 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 loosen up. 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

Photograph by: Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

In the summertime of 1998, the now iconic No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was a power of nature. Gordon gained 13 of 33 races that yr, but it surely 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 exhibiting. 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 effectively. Martin shadowed Gordon all through this whole summer season stretch and after they arrived at Michigan, it was none apart 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 Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett battled round him, permitting Gordon to sneak away.

Jeff Gordon

Photograph by: Robert Kurtycz

Previously 30 years, it’s no shock that the one two drivers to have achieved this spectacular feat are two titans of HMS. The latest driver to tug it off was Johnson, proper in the midst of his unprecedented run of 5 consecutive NASCAR Cup Sequence titles (earlier than successful seven whole). His victories got here on the very finish of the season, blowing the championship struggle vast open (regardless of the playoff format) as he crushed the competitors. He held on towards Ryan Newman and his teammate Gordon at Martinsville with out a lot of a problem, however the next week at Atlanta was a really totally different story. He was working fifth with simply ten laps to go, however an unbelievable pit cease below warning vaulted him into second on observe. Denny Hamlin stayed out, however ran out of gas coming to the restart zone. Johnson was in a position to 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 top. Dissimilar to most 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 Matt Kenseth and took the lead with simply two laps remaining in the complete race. He ended his run at Phoenix, taking the lead from Martin Truex Jr. with simply 23 laps left and in the end holding off Greg Biffle to formally win 4 in a row.

Race winner Jimmie Johnson celebrates

Photograph by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

The duty forward of Bell

Now, latest historical past tells us simply how laborious successful 4 consecutive Cup races may be on this trendy age. It’s already been a dogfight for Bell to achieve three, and a number of other different stars have been on this similar place however failed to achieve 4. Each Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski gained three consecutive races in 2018, however neither of those Cup champions might prolong the streak to 4. Kyle Larson gained three consecutive TWICE in the course of the 2021 season and nonetheless couldn’t proceed it, though he was agonizingly shut at Pocono earlier than a sudden blown tire within the ultimate nook tire robbed him of the win. Joey Logano gained a complete three-race spherical in the course of the 2015 playoffs, however a vengeful Matt Kenseth crashed him out of the lead at Martinsville and likewise denied him an opportunity at 4.

NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, which is nice information for Bell because it’s a extra simple race than a few of these wildcard occasions at drafting tracks or highway programs. Nevertheless, he’s additionally 0-10 there when it comes to successful, ending second twice. Bell was even the dominant driver final fall at LVMS, however a gas gamble by Logano denied him regardless of main over half the race. Whereas tough, the chances aren’t towards him as Bell seeks to proceed this historic streak of being unbeatable.