“I’m quiet and reserved, and people will kind of take that as a weakness.” Christopher Bell’s words at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season should be enlightening. During the Martinsville playoff race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s championship hopes were derailed after a penalty. Despite the ‘wall ride’ and race manipulation tactics being debatable, Bell let it go. Instead, he chose to work on what he can control.
And boy, can he control a lot! The No. 20 JGR Toyota team has been on fire ever since the 2025 season started. Christopher Bell conquered a three-race streak from Atlanta to Phoenix, setting a record in the Next-Gen era. Moreover, his streak continues, as he clinched three top tens in the past three races. So, a NASCAR veteran lined up a prophecy for him.
Christopher Bell is ringing in our ears
Granted, there were a lot of elements that were out of his control. During the Atlanta race, Christopher Bell would have been in a three-wide battle with Kyle Larson and Carson Hocevar if not for an overtime caution. At the Circuit of the Americas, Kyle Busch would have won – but again, a caution and fresher tires allowed Bell to surge ahead. However, despite these unpredictable situations, Bell was fast enough to be in them and rein them under his control. That is why the JGR driver’s sparkle is unabated this year. Bell followed up those wins with consecutive top-five finishes in Darlington and Martinsville. So Mike Joy, a 75-year-old NASCAR media veteran, drew the spotlight on Bell.
In a recent episode of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ podcast, Kevin Harvick broached an interesting topic. The 2014 Cup Series champion was curious about who else is worthy enough, as Kyle Larson is for attempting the Double. The Hendrick Motorsports star will embark on the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 effort again next month. But Mike Joy said another driver should have done the same: “Christopher Bell, wow…I really wished he’d had the chance to run for it last year; Martinsville got in the way. And so did a couple of blocking Chevrolets. We know what happened.” Joy dropped his 8-word verdict about Bell: “He will be a champion of this sport.”
Mike Joy’s comparison is well justified. Larson and Bell have competed with each other several times, especially in their dirt racing careers. Kyle Larson set a target at the 2025 Chili Bowl and achieved it – to match his rival Christopher Bell‘s three-time winning streak. Now, Bell may be preparing to do something similar in NASCAR, and Joy is more than confident about it.
What impressed Mike Joy even more was Christopher Bell’s composed approach. Upon losing his Championship 4 chances at Martinsville, Bell kept his reaction short and brief, and went back to working even harder. Joy said, “The way he handled that and the way he made his point about whether things were fair or not without taking on NASCAR, I think really elevated his status in the garage and in the sport. And I think now he’s someone that NASCAR respects and listens to. And I think they’re ready for him to be a champion, and he is.”
The veteran FOX Sports commentator is certainly buoyant about Christopher Bell’s prospects. But something steals the smile from Mike Joy’s face about young drivers like Bell.
When gadgets get in your way
NASCAR comprises drivers who display peak levels of racing finesse. But the same drivers also showcase impeccable media skills as they need to face the press very frequently. However, the third decade of the 21st century is leaning more towards a ‘smart’ schedule. According to Kevin Harvick, NASCAR weekends have become shorter as drivers just show up on Friday or Saturday instead of staying the whole week. Less practice, less testing, fewer opportunities for fans to connect have also disconnected the racers. Mike Joy added something else to this list of detached tendencies in the sport. In the age of digital media, drivers keep the thing that is most valuable to most people nowadays – their phones. Scrolling through reels, interacting on social media, and simply a lot of screentime are certain evils that racers are prone to.
Mike Joy emphasized that too much time on their phones can also affect the drivers’ soft skills. As interaction with the media requires talking to people in the real world, virtual activities do little to help. Joy said Christopher Bell is also part of this: “I think that maturing process is hindered by what is permanently attached to our pocket, and that’s the cellphone. A lot of these younger drivers, and I’ll even put Larson and Bell into that category, their social skills have pretty much been determined by their cellphones. That’s their interaction with their peers, and people skills and media skills take a while to develop. And Christopher Bell’s a great example…His personality, his external personality, took a while to develop. And like I say, now, he’s a spokesman, he’s a leader in our sport.”
Evidently, Mike Joy kept some reservations in his appreciation of Christopher Bell. As the 2025 Cup Series season rolls forward, we can only wait for Bell’s incoming victories.
The post Christopher Bell’s NASCAR Career Surge Sparks Massive Prophecy as Insider Drops 8-Word Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.
