As NASCAR kicks off its biggest week of the season at Daytona International Speedway, Christopher Bell made headlines with his stance on pre-qualifying practice—or rather, his belief that it isn’t necessary at all.
Speaking after his brief run in Tuesday morning’s practice session ahead of Daytona 500 qualifying, Bell openly questioned the value of the session, stating, “It just didn’t feel necessary.”
Bell, who drives the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, is advocating for the elimination of pre-qualifying practice in future editions of the Great American Race. When asked if he would support no practice before Daytona 500 time trials in 2026, Bell made his stance clear: Yes.
A Growing Trend in NASCAR?
Bell’s comments reflect a broader discussion within the garage about the need for practice at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega. With the current rules package and teams fine-tuning their setups in the shop before even arriving at the track, some argue that these short practice sessions provide little benefit.
This isn’t the first time NASCAR has limited track time. In recent years, the sport has drastically reduced practice across most race weekends to cut costs and level the playing field. For the Daytona 500, only a single short session precedes Wednesday night’s single-car qualifying runs.
With teams relying on wind tunnel data and simulations to perfect their speedway setups, Bell’s argument makes sense. The risk of a crash during a short session could outweigh the potential benefits, especially with teams already on edge about protecting their primary cars before the grueling 500-mile race.
What Could This Mean for the Future?
If Bell’s viewpoint gains traction, NASCAR may consider tweaking the Daytona 500 schedule in future years. While the sport is unlikely to eliminate all practice sessions—particularly for newer drivers and teams—it’s possible that pre-qualifying track time could be reconsidered.
For now, the focus remains on Wednesday night’s qualifying session, where Bell and the rest of the Cup Series field will look to lock in their starting positions for Sunday’s race. But with comments like his surfacing early in Speedweeks, it’s clear that discussions about practice at superspeedways won’t be going away anytime soon.
