Christopher Bell Comment on Joe Gibbs Racing's “strong” offseason move. The nine-time Cup Series race winner said he has tremendous “potential” to boost the North Carolina-based team's overall performance.
Days after NASCAR wrapped up the 2024 Cup Series season, with Joey Logano claiming his third title, JGR announced a massive internal shakeup. They promoted Denny HamlinCrew chief Chris Gabhart to competition director while making room for Chris Gayle, Ty Gibbs' right-hand man, to call the shots for Hamlin from 2025 onward.
This big step mainly stems from performance issues. JGR He opened last season very strongly, taking six wins in the first 18 races. However, the shortcomings cost several potential victories after Bell captured the team's final victory in the 18th race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Thus, the team needed a big step forward and Chris Gabhart emerged as the best man. Christopher Bell supported his team's call, expressing confidence in Gabhart's abilities to take JGR to new heights. He said (via NASCAR).
“I think she has the ability to help all the teams. Gabhart is an incredibly smart guy. He's been a huge asset to the No. 11 car and I think moving him to oversee the crew chiefs and be able to provide input and knowledge and keep all the teams in line is a strong move. I think there's potential To improve the performance of all teams.”
Gabhart joined JGR in 2012 as a race engineer and took over decision-making duties for Hamlin in 2019. The No. 11 Toyota driver and the Gabhat duo have combined for 22 victories, including two Daytona 500s and the 2021 Southern 500.
Christopher Bell reflects on his memorable performance after a disappointing playoff result
Christopher Bell made it to Championship Race 4 after riding the wall on the final lap at Martinsville Speedway. However, the moment of joy was short-lived. Nascar The No. 20 JGR driver was slapped with a penalty, eliminating him from the championship race, paving the way for previously eliminated driver William Byron.
The moment frustrated Bell. He claimed that he did not intentionally ride the wall, but rather used the track a little more than usual, which resulted in his Camry entering the outer wall. However, the NASCAR invitation was final and Bell was thus eliminated from the playoffs.
However, the JGR driver explained that he achieved “a lot of highs” last season which helped him move forward in the frustration caused by the Martinsville ruling.
“I would say Vegas is one of the best races we've had all year. Charlotte was on her way to it. It's unfortunate that it got cut short because I would have liked to see her go the distance. But I felt like Charlotte got it,” Bell said on November 22. “The potential (of being there) is similar to what happened in Vegas. I think those two races were outstanding. The portal was great. There are a lot of upsides for sure.” Nascar Awards via Nascar.
Before Christopher Bell begins his 2025 campaign, he will be seen racing at the Tulsa Shootout in his native Oklahoma.
Edited by Chirch