Toyota GAZOO Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media on Wednesday prior to the Daytona 500.
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Can you talk about the practice session?
“It was definitely an awkward practice session.”
How so?
“It is just so laid back. I don’t know. Everyone was on different agendas. I don’t even really know what to think of it. It was kind of like – why are we doing this?”
Was it good to get on track to confirm that the car doesn’t have any gremlins?
“My team did. The mechanics joked around about not running practice today, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief), of course, being the leader that he is, was like we have to do this. We have to dot our i’s and cross our t’s, but for me, I had no concern. I knew that it would be completely fine.”
What does getting back on pavement last night for 200 laps do to help get your body into a rhythm?
“Well, I didn’t expect it to be long, but it ended up being a freaking Cup race length (laughter), but I mean, I think the conditioning is good. Whenever you get into June, July – you’ve been doing these races – it feels normal and it feels, I don’t want to say easier, but you know what to expect. The start of the year, certainly, Daytona is a speedway, Atlanta is a speedway now too. By the time you get to COTA, Phoenix – those are races that get your attention, so the Clash was a good acclimator and yes, last night was too.”
Can you see yourself doing any more of those short track races?
“I don’t know. It is all going to depend on the schedule. I was really excited about yesterday, being just a one-day show, being able to not spend multiple days there practicing – that was one thing I didn’t care about late model racing as a kid was just how long the events were. If the schedule works out, I would.”
What is it like to race whatever you want again?
“It is weird. (laughter). I’m taking it all in though, that is for sure.”
What is it like being able to race whatever you want again?
“I hope it keeps me sharper – the more that you race – we don’t really have any practice. There is very little seat time compared to what I’m used to, so hopefully being in the seat will help me perform on Sundays. That is what it is all about.”
What is the mindset coming into the Daytona 500?
“The Daytona 500 is a huge event. It is a huge race. Running all of my other races that I’ve got to do, everyone talks about this race. It is all about Daytona. I’m honored, and I’m thrilled, and I’m blessed to be in this opportunity to compete in another Daytona 500, but with that being said, the race itself is a lot of luck. We’ve come out on the good end of it the last couple of years now, and we will go roll the dice again. The racing has kind of homed in on the fuel conservation and strategy of how the green flag cycle works – that is going to be super important. Hopefully, we are on the winning side of it, and we are going to try to do our best to control what we can control and miss the wrecks and be away from the wrecks. It is going to be an exciting one – it always is.”
So you are okay if when we come back we don’t have practice before qualifying?
“Absolutely. I told them that this practice was just really weird because nobody – it just didn’t feel necessary. It kind of just felt like we were out there spinning our wheels a little bit.”
How do you feel about having more Toyotas to draft with?
“(speaking about Chase Briscoe) Yeah, and then he comes over here and we are going to have the most we’ve ever had. It’s not going to be a fair shake for (Chase) Briscoe. We’ve been telling him about how bad speedway racing is on the Toyota side, and now we almost have a third of the field, so that is really good. Hopefully, it means that this race will look different for us. We’ve always kind of blamed it on numbers, and now we don’t have that excuse – we are going have the numbers.”
Can you talk about your car having a little bit of a mix of sponsorship?
“Yeah, it has been good. Last year was the first year we had Interstate and DeWalt – the co-brand – we did it at Daytona and Phoenix last year, and I think this year is the same way. We will have Interstate and DeWalt at Daytona and to close the season at Phoenix. It is a really good partnership. With DeWalt and Interstate, you have to have – electric tools, you have to have batteries with it, so I’m sure they are working together to get something going.”
Can you talk about the commercial that you are in?
“I made a cameo in a commercial – big time actor over here (laughter).”
Is there some joy that you’ve been able to have being back racing other forms of cars?
“It has been refreshing. The dirt racing is so raw, and it feels like the driver makes a difference – more so on asphalt. I’ve enjoyed that, because you go asphalt racing and you feel like your hands are tied to the equipment, to the car, and dirt racing, you are able to overcome that. The good drivers usually shine.”
Do you feel any extra pressure coming to Daytona?
“I mean, not any more pressure than what it is. The Daytona 500 is the granddaddy of them all. I’m well aware of that, and I’m excited about the opportunity. We all know how this race goes, so we try to take it with a grain of salt once it is over, and certainly, preparing for it, we know that it is a big deal.”
What has it been like integrating Chase Briscoe into Joe Gibbs Racing?
“It has been awesome. Chase (Briscoe) has been a huge – I don’t know what the right word is. It has been different having Chase around and completing the four of us. Martin (Truex Jr.) – just wasn’t around very much the last couple of years. It has been fun to hear his feedback, especially after Bowman Gray. It ended up being a really good test session for him because the tendencies that we fought there, it really related towards Martinsville. I thought he brought some good insight into what our cars did well and what they did worse than his previous ride. I’m excited to see that trend continue through the year.”
How does it feel to have so many years with Joe Gibbs Racing?
“It is a dream come true. I’m so, so blessed to be in this position, driving the no. 20 car. It truly is a dream come true, and hopefully I will be in Denny’s (Hamlin) spot in a few years.”
What would it mean to you to bring a Daytona 500 win to Toyota and Joe Gibbs?
“You hit it big there. Toyota winning the Daytona 500 is a big deal. I just go back to 2016, when they ran 1,2,3 – they were in position to run 1,2,3,4 on the white flag lap. That is what we are striving to get back to. The Next Gen car has definitely changed the way that Daytona is, and the way that it races. Toyota frankly, we haven’t been performing on the superspeedways, so we are putting a big effort in trying to improve our superspeedway performance.”
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