Trading paint is part of the deal in NASCAR. Drivers lean on each other, bump doors, and at times even teammates lock horns when it comes down to wins or gaining positions, often leading to relationships spoiling between friends and teammates. Christopher Bell, however, is someone who doesn’t like going down that road.
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While drivers often take a mental note whenever someone deliberately tries to jeopardize their race, planning payback, Bell does not let things fester. In an interview with Jordan Bianchi, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver spoke about dealing with the drivers he’s crossed paths with.
“Fortunately, I haven’t ever been in that position,” said Bell. “I’ve certainly had run-ins with competitors. My style is if you have a confrontation, just have a conversation about it and be able to move past it, put it behind you.
“And a lot of the people that I’ve had run-ins with, or I think right now all of the people that I’ve had run-ins with, like I’m on pretty good standing with all of them. So, yeah, I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot right now,” he added.
For the #20 Toyota Camry driver, not every clash has to turn into a feud. Bell picks up the phone or walks over, lays it out, and tries to clear the air. If Bell feels he is responsible for a contact or a wreck, he owns it and explains his side, making it clear there was no intent to spoil someone’s day. What the other driver does with that is out of his hands, but he makes sure his piece is said.
That same approach holds when the roles are reversed. Bell does not keep a running list of mistakes or offenses, but he is not blind to patterns either. When a driver crosses the line more than once, Bell files it away. The next time they share the track, he keeps his eyes open and gives a bit more room, knowing what could be coming.
“I think if someone wrongs you enough, then you just understand that going into the next time that you’re around them,” Bell continued.
Small flare-ups are water under the bridge, gone as soon as the next lap moves around. Bigger moments, or ones that keep popping up, stay in the back of his mind and help him make decisions behind the wheel accordingly. Bell does not go out looking to settle scores like drivers like Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain do but he also does not wipe the slate clean when the pattern is there.
