REVEALED: Why Christopher Bell Is Not Running in Kyle Larson’s High Limit’s Season Opener

Neha Dwivedi | 16/03/2025
NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Although Joe Gibbs has permitted his drivers to participate in events outside the NASCAR Cup Series, Christopher Bell was initially expected to compete in the High Limit Series event. However, the #20 driver recently announced his withdrawal.

Ahead of the start of the season, Bell ran quite a few dirt races and secured his third Chili Bowl Nationals title, achieved a victory with the World of Outlaws at Volusia Speedway Park, and so on. It would only make sense for him to participate in the opening event of Kyle Larson’s venture.

While his JGR teammate Ty Gibbs is set to compete at the event, Bell will be absent from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dirt track on Saturday. Addressing his decision, he stated, “Joe Gibbs Racing has been really good about it. The management group would allow me to run, and Ty is going to run on Saturday night,” as reported by Jeff Gluck.

“But our individual team – the 20 team – Adam and I sat down, and we both have come up with a mutual decision to not run on Saturdays. Some of it is we are on the West Coast, and if I were to bang my head up a little bit or crashed, it would be harder to get a driver here to fill that void. As of right now, we are going to stay away from Saturdays,” he added.

He clarified again that the decision not to participate does not reflect on the Gibbs management group. In fact, they have granted Bell the discretion to selectively choose his races. The choice to not be a part of the High Limit Racing Series is made in careful consultation with his crew chief, Adam, and is strictly a matter of prioritizing Sundays and not taking unnecessary risks right before Cup Series events.

Bell vows to remain cautious about balancing his commitments

Last year, Joe Gibbs’s approval for his JGR drivers to participate in competitions outside of NASCAR was met with enthusiasm by both fans and drivers, including Christopher Bell. The decision marked his return to the dirt and midget series after a pause of three years, where he competed with renewed vigor.

However, this does not imply that Bell would approach dirt track racing with abandon. In a recent episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, when Junior asked about the significance of racing on dirt tracks with Joe Gibbs’ endorsement, Bell expressed his deep appreciation for being allowed to race sprint cars and midget cars.

He emphasized his commitment to maintaining a high level of respect and responsibility, ensuring that his activities do not detract from his obligations as a NASCAR Cup Series driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, piloting their #20 entry. By choosing not to participate in the High Limit Racing event, he could be showing adherence to that commitment.

Post Edited By: Rahul Ahluwalia
Christopher Bell Kyle Larson NASCAR Cup Series

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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