Team owner Joe Gibbs said Wednesday on SiriusXM’s “The Morning Drive” that Christopher Bell is “scheduled” to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year. But if it were up to Bell, who has won three consecutive Xfinity Series races in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, he’d move up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series — if there was a spot.
MORE: Bell leads Xfinity standings | No. 20 goes for fourth straight win
“Going into next season, I am set for another year of Xfinity, and there are no holes in the Cup side, so that’s what makes it difficult,” he said on a NASCAR teleconference Wednesday. “But as far as what I need, honestly I don’t feel like I need another year of Xfinity.
“I think the best way for me to win at the Cup level is to get there and start trying at it.”
Gibbs stressed the importance of keeping Bell in the Toyota/Joe Gibbs Racing family, saying “he’s a future star.” With all four JGR Cup spots filled, though — the No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota (an associate team of Joe Gibbs Racing) not active right now, and Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota appearing unavailable — finding a spot for the 23-year-old driver is difficult.
Bell does “have every intention of staying with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing” when he moves up to the next level, he said. His entire NASCAR career, which began with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series in 2015 and has seen 12 Xfinity/Truck wins since then, has been with the manufacturer.
“Toyota was the one that really ‑‑ they’re the reason why I’m here,” he said. “I would love to stay with them, and hopefully it works out in the future.”
Bell also called driving for Gibbs a “dream come true” and was honored to hear Gibbs speak highly of his talent.
“The biggest thing is I’ve learned throughout my years, and especially in NASCAR, is you are only as good as the race car that you sit in,” he said. “Right now I’m at the best organization that I can be at, so I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else, honestly.
“Even if the Cup deal doesn’t work out for next year, which it looks like it’s not going to, I’m still going to be sitting in a really fast race car at a level in motorsports where I never really dreamed I’d be at. So I’m going to be thrilled either way.
“But I definitely ‑‑ like I said, I’m 23 years old. I feel like I’m at my prime, and I don’t want to waste another year if the opportunity comes to make the jump.”