Christopher Bell / No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE Preview
Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma
No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE News and Notes:
BELL AT SONOMA: Christopher Bell has posted one top-10 finish in three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway. His best finish – ninth – came last June after starting fourth and finishing third and ninth in the two stages. Bell finished 24th and 27th in his first two starts at the track.
BELL ON ROAD COURSES: In 22 NASCAR Cup Series starts on road courses, Bell has earned two victories, six top-five finishes, and 11 top-10s. He captured his first career victory on the Daytona Road Course in February 2021 and earned a playoff win at the Charlotte ROVAL in October 2022. More recently, Bell has finished in the top three in two of the past three road course races, including a runner-up finish at Circuit of the Americas in March. Bell’s qualifying performances have been stellar on road courses as well with six consecutive top-10 qualifying efforts. He also claimed a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Road America in August 2019.
RHEEM GUESTS AT SONOMA: Rheem is hosting over 200 guests this weekend at Sonoma. Guests are on-site from Sanhua, the Water Heater Division (WHD) – West Region, WHD-Tankless, Distributor Hajoca, Robertson Heating Supply, Ferguson, and Raypak, a Rheem owned company.
ST LOUIS RECAP: The No. 20 team led a race-high 80 laps and won both stages before ultimately finishing seventh in last weekend’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway. After a dominant performance, Bell was shuffled back in the pack during the final stage because of varying pit strategies. He climbed back into contention and briefly captured the lead with less than 20 laps to go before an engine issue relegated him to seventh.
JGR AT SONOMA: Joe Gibbs Racing owns six NASCAR Cup Series victories at Sonoma Raceway, including Martin Truex Jr.’s win last June. In 81 combined starts at the track, the organization has recorded 19 top-five finishes, 34 top-10s, four pole awards, and 456 laps led. Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart join Truex on the list of drivers who have taken JGR to victory lane at Sonoma.
TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway begins Sunday, June 9, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
From the Cockpit:
Christopher Bell: “Sonoma is going to be a lot different this year with the repave. It’s going to be new for everyone and nobody is going to know exactly how it’s going to play out so I think the newness will be exciting. We are expecting it to race more like Watkins Glen, super high speed, super high pace, maximum braking capacity getting into the brake zones where in the past you had to really worry about tire grip, its going to be a different race for sure.”
Bell NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Sonoma Raceway:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
3
0
0
1
0
0
18.3
20.0
Bell 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
15
2
4
8
1
295
12.0
16.0
Bell NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
159
8
35
70
11
1585
13.6
15.7
About Rheem
Founded in 1925, Rheem Manufacturing is a global leader committed to delivering innovative products that save energy and support a more sustainable future. Rheem is the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool & spa heating and commercial refrigeration products, and is America’s #1 water-heating brand with products available in more than 80 countries. Paloma Co., Ltd. of Nagoya, Japan, acquired the iconic Rheem brand in 1988, and today the company’s portfolio of premium brands include Rheem®, Ruud®, Friedrich®, Raypak®, Sure Comfort®, WeatherKing®, Eemax®, Richmond®, IBC™, Intergas®, Splendid®, Solahart®, EverHot®, and MHG™, as well as commercial refrigeration brands Russell®, Witt®, ColdZone® and Kramer®, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG®) division.
