Getty Image
Christopher Bell is far from the most outspoken driver in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, but in an exclusive interview with BroBible, the 28-year-old from Oklahoma shows he’s more than ready to become the series’ next big superstar.
Bell may not have the bravado of former teammate Kyle Busch or current teammate Denny Hamlin, nor track record of teammate Martin Truex Jr.
Yet when he takes to the track on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, he’ll have a chance to solidify his place as one of the series’ best as he competes for a championship alongside Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and William Byron.
“I don’t want to be known as a guy who was, y’know, just another competitor,” Bell said in an interview with BroBible. “I want people to look back when it’s all said and done and look at my career and say ‘this guy was a champion and one of the top drivers.'”
Bell made his mark on the lower levels of the sport from day one. He took third in the NASCAR Truck Series championship as a rookie with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2016. A year later, he absolutely dominated the series, winning five of the 23 races he entered en route to a championship.
That earned him a promotion to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing team. Yet again, Bell proved his worth.
Despite a disappointing fourth-place finish in the championship, the rookie won a series-high seven races. He outdid himself in 2019 with wins in eight of the 33 races, but yet again fell short in the championship race and took home third.
Christopher Bell Ready To Prove Himself As One Of NASCAR’s Premier Drivers
Bell’s Xfinity Series dominance earned him a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. When Erik Jones left Joe Gibbs Racing a year later, it was Bell who landed himself a spot in one of the sport’s premier rides.
Though he, like Jones before him, often found himself in the shadow of his superstar teammates.
“I don’t think we’re (the 20 team) necessarily getting the respect that other guys do,” Bell said. “But I need to continue to prove myself in the sport. That’s what I’ve always done at every level and that what I’m going to keep doing.”
Bell impressed on his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, picking up his first career win along the way at the Daytona International Speedway, the sport’s most historic track.
It was Bell’s second season with JGR, however, that served notice.
The former can’t-miss prospect picked up his second career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to lock himself into the playoffs. Once there, he produced not one but two victories in must-win situations to qualify for his first career Final Four.
This year, Bell’s path to the Final Four has been a bit more straightforward thanks to a recent victory at Homestead. It advanced him to the championship round for the second year running.
“It’s just been a completely 180 (degree) difference,” Bell said of the atmosphere around the team entering this past Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. “Last year, everything was so on the line going into Martinsville and then we’re essentially in a similar position after Martinsville where it’s must-win at Phoenix.
“This year, the difference is that we have way more time to prepare. Now it’s like we’re already there. We can start focusing on Phoenix and it’s just a lot more relaxed and hopefully we can make the most of that.”
Converting Final Four Chance Into First Cup Series Championship
Bell’s first chance at a Cup Series championship came and went without lifting the trophy. He qualified 17th in the series finale before a late-race problem with a pit stop all but ended his championship hopes.
Bell says that he and his team aren’t going to leave empty handed this time around.
“I feel like we’ve improved this year over last year across the board,” he says. “And I think I’m someone who enjoys the pressure that the playoff format creates and puts on teams. I enjoy racing in big events, and racing in big moments this is definitely one of them.”
So what would a championship mean for Bell?
“I mean, it’s everything, right? It’s the reason you do all the hard work and everything that leads up to this point,” he says. “So to be able to win a championship would obviously be huge, and we’re going to go to Phoenix with the confidence and the belief that we do it.”
Larson, Blaney and Byron will all be after the same thing in Phoenix. Sunday’s race can be seen on NBC at 3 p.m. ET.