After Hendrick Motorsports, another heavyweight NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has now opened the door for their drivers Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, and Ty Gibbs to compete outside NASCAR during the off-season. This follows a trend set by other NASCAR Cup drivers like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman who have participated in races beyond NASCAR circuits.
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However, some drivers, such as Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, have traditionally opted out, preferring to keep their sights solely on NASCAR. That has originally been the stance of Joe Gibbs Racing as well.
Yet, in a conversation with The Athletic, Gibbs acknowledged that with three-quarters of JGR’s Cup roster eager to hit the dirt tracks (except the #11 driver), the team decided it was reasonable to devise a process to evaluate such opportunities.
He did, however, stipulate one condition: “If they get approval from everyone they need on our competition side, then they are free to run the race. That includes dirt, but also potentially other forms of racing.”
Bell, who cut his teeth as a sprint and dirt car driver and has clinched the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at least three times, has largely stayed away from dirt tracks since mid-2022, save for two micro sprint races.
Briscoe, set to join the #19 team in 2025, also has roots in sprint racing. Last year, he competed in several races, including the Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main and the Late Model Challenge at Tennessee’s Volunteer Speedway, among others.
In his early conversations with the team, Briscoe made it a point to discuss his passion for dirt racing. Although initially, Gibbs seemed reluctant to green-light such pursuits, the recent interest in racing outside NASCAR expressed by their third driver, Ty Gibbs, appears to have made him rethink his stance.
Fans are also thrilled to hear about Bell‘s return to dirt racing and responded enthusiastically to his post that teased, “See you guys at a dirt track soon.”
One fan exclaimed, “Can’t wait to see you back at the track again! Go get em man!” while another revealed their excitement with, “Didn’t realize I wanted this to happen this much! Stoked to see you on dirt and hopefully the chili bowl!”
Another supporter kept their response brief and to the point: “Hell yeah!” while yet another stated, “We’ve missed you.”
See you guys at a dirt track soon 😎 https://t.co/gvjAzznmvf
— Christopher Bell (@CBellRacing) November 18, 2024
Reasons behind JGR not allowing their drivers to participate in the races outside of NASCAR
Last year, Alex Bowman suffered a back injury in a sprint car accident, missing four races and ultimately failing to qualify for the playoffs. All that happened when Elliott had already suffered a tibia injury in an accident sustained while snowboarding in Colorado, and was sidelined for six races, keeping two of the four HMS drivers out. Gibbs was adamant about not wanting to risk similar setbacks that could derail their season.
In light of such events, even with recent policy changes, Gibbs has specified that approval for such activities would likely be granted unless the activities are considered exceptionally risky. For instance, racing at Eldora Speedway in a non-wing sprint car, known for its reduced protection in the event of a flip, would probably be off-limits.
Caught off guard by the change in policy decision, Bell acknowledged that it could benefit stock car racers. Given the limited practice and almost nonexistent testing in modern-day NASCAR, he believes the extra seat time could help with their performance in Cup races.
