Ringing the Bell

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Atlanta was only the second race of this season but we already saw a glimpse of who can be a threat for the XFINITY Series championship this season.

Although Christopher Bell did not dominate Atlanta nor win the race, he turned some heads after Saturday’s race. Last year’s Truck Series champion only led 12 laps and finished third but presented speed and experience behind the wheel.

With five laps to go Bell gave up the second position to Joey Logano after tagging the wall. “I just got really loose there on the last run,” Bell said.

Racing around experienced drivers like Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, the rookie displayed intelligence and patience behind the wheel. Throughout most of the second half of the race Bell observed the dominance of Harvick as he controlled the race as the leader.

But is Bell going to be as dominant as he was last season in the Truck Series?

Despite wrecking out of Daytona and not winning Atlanta we can’t say that just yet. His performance at Atlanta was impressive but not surprising.

Last year Bell won five Truck Series races and a championship. The youngster also took home a trophy after winning the XFINITY race at Kansas.

Bell began the season with momentum after winning a championship which can truly prosper him success this season in the XFINITY Series.

The NASCAR youth movement is not only taking over the top three national series but is also bringing in talent that we may not have seen in the years past.

Many of these young drivers that have succeeded in the Truck Series and XFINITY Series have already leaped into the Cup Series. Some of those drivers that were just starting out their NASCAR careers have already been able to race for a Daytona 500 trophy.

It seems like Bell is already headed towards that track. If he continues to build success this season, Bell can certainly be the guy to beat for the championship in the final race in Miami.