Christopher Bell is good at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and has a great chance to win both the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 1,058-mile speedway this weekend.
And he might need to win both races to distract from an embarrassing gaffe that occurred Friday afternoon during a media appearance before Sunday’s USA Today 301.
Bell was asked about taking over the leadership role of retiring Martin Truex Jr. at the Joe Gibbs Racing team and whether he should have an increased role within the team, but Bell accidentally revealed the news that Chase Briscoe would be joining the Joe Gibbs Racing team.
What has been circulating since Truex announced his retirement. “I don’t think there’s really any leadership in this regard.
Every time Chase gets in the car,” Bell said, pausing as he realized his mistake and his face turned red. “If it was any other person, I don’t even know what I’d say.” When you have a new driver in the No. 19 car, whoever it is, their experience level is going to determine how much influence they have in the team. ” Ah, it was a terrible mistake for Bell, but it at least caused a good laugh in the media center at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
There has been no official announcement from Joe Gibbs Racing regarding Briscoe’s contract, but industry rumors have Briscoe as a prime candidate for the vacant JGR car in 2025.
Briscoe, who has one NASCAR Cup Series 125 win as part of the Stewart-Haas Racing team, is considered something of a diamond in the rough by many in the NASCAR Cup Series garage.
His current SHR team will be closed at the end of the season, but it has been viewed as something of a sinking ship in recent years. Before moving to the NASCAR Cup Series, Briscoe shone in the statistics of the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The Mitchell, Indiana native started 83 games and recorded 11 wins from 2018-2020, and many expect him to perform similarly at the NASCAR Cup Series level with a championship-caliber team.
Unless Christopher Bell is lying (and his response to the gaffe makes it seem unlikely), Briscoe will get that chance next season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
