After an exhilarating battle with Kyle Larson, the Toyota-powered entry of Christopher Bell got here away with the win on the Non-Wing Outlaw Golden Driller within the Tulsa Shootout earlier this month. Climbing from his automotive victorious, he shouts, “I’ve obtained 4 phrases: Thanks Joe Gibbs!”
And he had loads of causes to be grateful. Bell, a three-time winner on the Chili Bowl Nationals and Turkey Night time Grand Prix, was advised by his workforce that he was not be permitted to dust race anymore in 2023. After a two-year hiatus, he is again and accumulating trophies, however why was he placed on the sidelines to start with?
“Most people within the firm have been on board with dust monitor racing and have been in favor of it,” mentioned Bell in a media scrum on the Chili Bowl earlier this week. “Joe has simply at all times been actually cautious of it and he needs to guarantee that I keep wholesome all through the complete NASCAR profession and anytime that you simply open it as much as do different races, it is dangerous. So I am attempting to point out him the utmost respect and select my races properly and guarantee that I am not taking something away from my NASCAR Cup Collection schedule.”
Coach Joe Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Rheem Toyota Camry
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photos
Bell additionally believes dust racing can assist to “enhance my Sunday [NASCAR] outcomes and turn into a greater racer.” The Toyota driver has made the Championship 4 twice within the final three seasons, however the Cup title nonetheless eludes him, whereas fellow dust racing fanatic Larson is continually on the dust and nonetheless manages to be one of many high drivers in all of NASCAR.
But, even on this return, do not count on Bell to be working the quantity of occasions Larson is accustomed to. For instance, the celebrated Knoxville Nationals is probably going not on his schedule for 2025. And that is not an order from Coach Gibbs himself — simply Bell being affordable as he plans for the 12 months forward.
“[Joe Gibbs is] actually placing lots of belief in myself and our competitors group at Joe Gibbs Racing to make sensible selections and guarantee that I am managing the danger correctly and working races that may profit myself as a driver, enable me a bit of bit extra freedom to have enjoyable. And Saturday races [like Knoxville] are gonna be very, very powerful, if not inconceivable for me to do as a result of I do not wish to do something that may deter me from my most efficiency on Sundays.”
An Indy 500 in Bell’s future?
Whereas on the subject of open-wheel vehicles, Motorsport.com’s Joey Barnes requested Bell about his Indy 500 aspirations and if Gibbs would enable him to aim ‘The Biggest Spectacle in Racing.’
“Going again to what I mentioned earlier, I wish to respect Joe and never benefit from what he is giving me proper now,” Bell mentioned. “I really feel like if I have been to run the Indy 500, I would not have the ability to put my most effort into considered one of our greatest races of the 12 months on the Coca-Cola 600 [where Bell is the defending winner].
“I’d by no means rule out the Indy 500. I’d like to compete in it at some point, however proper now, I nonetheless have quite a bit left on my NASCAR resume earlier than I am keen to jeopardize efficiency on an enormous weekend in NASCAR.”
On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Christopher Bell
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