Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell is looking forward to racing in grassroots dirt-track events as Coach Gibbs’ NASCAR Cup Series team finally has allowed his drivers to go race in the junior ranks of stock car racing.
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The news broke earlier this weekend that all four drivers from JGR, out of which Chase Briscoe and Bell have a special affinity towards dirt racing, will be open to run events on loose surfaces from now on.
Any form of racing is often off-limits for a NASCAR driver due to the risk involved and how much the team relies on them to keep themselves safe and in shape to compete at the highest level.
Dirt-track racing on the other hand is quite the opposite of safe and sound with drivers often competing in rudimentary cars such as Sprint Cars, Midgets, or Bandoleros. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson has been the ambassador for dirt racing for a Cup Series driver as the #5 Chevrolet driver has been participating in such events regularly for the past few years.
Elaborating on how he will have the upper hand on Bell as the #20 Toyota driver looks to shake off the rust, Bell said:
“He’s going to have the upper hand for a little bit; he’s got a two-year headstart on me, so I’m going to have to get my dirt shoes underneath me again and get back up to speed. Hopefully, it’s like riding a bike. We’re about to find out.”
Larson’s reaction to his fellow Cup Series competitor returning to dirt racing prompted a reply from the HMS driver as well.
He spoke of the challenge the JGR driver can pose in a situation such as theirs and said, “He’s still Christopher Bell. I wouldn’t be surprised whenever his first race is if he goes and wins. Hopefully, we’ll get to race and battle up front and have some duels like we used to. Hopefully, I’ll come out on top more often because he beat me all the time for a long time!”
How will Bell’s dirt racing schedule look like in 2025?
Elaborating on when and how many races he plans to run next season, the 29-year-old Cup Series full-timer touched on how he likes to go with the flow of his day job and then decide if he wants to get behind the wheel of a dirt car.
Bell also opined how the car and venue make a big difference in his decision to race any given week and said, “One thing that I typically do is I don’t really like to make a schedule. I kind of go week by week. I’m definitely not going to make a schedule. It’s nice to know that it is in my hands.”
With new teammate Chase Briscoe also expected to join Bell during his dirt racing escapades, fans of grassroots motorsports will be delighted to see three drivers from the highest echelon of stock car racing participating in local events next year.
