Christopher Bell has spoken out about his frustration with Joe Gibbs Racing’s former policy that restricted drivers from participating in dirt racing events. Until late last year, JGR had a rule in place barring its drivers from competing in non-NASCAR events. The policy was primarily designed to prevent injuries that could impact their availability for NASCAR races.
Christopher Bell Welcomes New Freedom
In November 2024, Joe Gibbs Racing lifted the restriction, allowing its drivers to compete outside of NASCAR. With this newfound freedom, Bell and his teammate Ty Gibbs (who is also Joe Gibbs’ grandson) are embracing dirt racing in 2025.
For Ty, dirt racing could be an opportunity to revive his struggling NASCAR career.
Bell admitted that while he understood the reasoning behind the ban, it still frustrated him since dirt racing is such a big part of his identity. In a video posted on NASCAR’s X account, Bell said, “I don’t have a chip on my shoulder today. But certainly, I did have some resentment.
“It bothered me. Like, I was sitting on the couch watching races, watching Kyle (Larson) getting to go do all the stuff, all the fun stuff that I wanted to do. It took me a little bit to be able to overcome that, and it wasn’t until probably late 2023 when I finally came to peace with myself and I had just accepted that dirt racing was not in my cards right now. Now I just get to have some fun and just get my mind off of the Cup Series grind.”
Now @CBellRacing is having more fun … and winning more races. 😏 pic.twitter.com/wDh5WmBJc4
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 11, 2025
Before joining NASCAR, Bell spent years honing his skills in dirt racing, mostly in midget and sprint cars. He strongly believes that competing in different types of racing helps drivers sharpen their skills and become more competitive.
Since returning to dirt racing, Bell has already secured victories at the Tulsa Shootout, the O’Reilly Race of Champions, and the World of Outlaws Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
So far, JGR’s decision to lift the restriction looks like the right one. Bell has had an incredible start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, winning three consecutive races.
Bell recently made history as the first driver in the Next Gen era to win three straight races. He led 105 laps and clinched an overtime victory at Phoenix Raceway, finishing ahead of teammate Denny Hamlin.