Christopher Bell breathed a sigh of relief that Joe Gibbs had finally allowed him to go dirt racing this year. He participated in the Tulsa Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals early in the season, winning multiple races. His crew chief, Adam Stevens, believes that his offseason escapades have greatly prepared him for the Cup Series season.
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Bell captured his first Cup Series win of 2025 in Atlanta last weekend. Following the success, Stevens answered questions from the press when he was asked about the relationship between the driver’s dirt races and his performance in NASCAR. The chief noted how important it was for Bell to be racing outside his full-time job.
He drew the analogy of a golfer and pointed out how he wouldn’t be able to perform well if he didn’t practice his craft for three months. The same case applies to Bell or any other race car driver.
He said, “For him to compete and stay sharp, he has to be on a racetrack racing. There is some risking that comes with that, but it’s to our benefit. It’s not only to our risk.”
Bell doesn’t have many other hobbies. Racing cars is the one thing that he enjoys doing with all his time. Stevens does not think it would be right to stop him from doing something he loves so much. He added, “He loves to drive race cars. He loves to work on race cars, drive race cars, watch race cars, and that’s what he loves to do.”
“I definitely feel the best I have as a race car driver.”
Gibbs was not entirely wrong in being cautious about letting Bell race on dirt tracks. It is a dangerous platform that could cause serious injuries to drivers. The benefactor has made it abundantly clear that the future of Joe Gibbs Racing is centered around Bell. Not wanting to risk his welfare is a valid sentiment.
However, the satisfaction that Bell has now makes it all worthwhile. He told the press after winning on Sunday, “I definitely feel the best I have as a race car driver. I’m sure that some of it or part of it is due to the fact that I have been racing through the offseason.” He also stressed that he would prove to Gibbs that letting him race outside NASCAR was the right decision.
The Cup Series ride stops next at the Circuit of the Americas. Bell is a two-time winner on road courses in the Cup Series. He finished second last year at COTA. He will look to make up that one position this time and become a back-to-back winner in 2025.
