NASCAR: In which series and for which team will Christopher Bell drive in 2020?

Christopher Bell is widely considered the most talented NASCAR driver who is not currently competing in the Cup Series. Where and for which team will he drive in the 2020 season?

After winning the 2017 NASCAR Truck Series championship in his second season driving the #4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota on a full-time basis in the series, Christopher Bell was promoted to the Xfinity Series as the driver of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Bell set a new rookie record by winning seven of the 33 races on the 2018 Xfinity Series schedule, although he ultimately fell short of winning the championship and finished in fourth place in the championship standings.

But instead of being promoted to the Cup Series like most fans felt that he deserved to be, Bell was retained by Joe Gibbs Racing for a second season as a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series.

More from NASCAR

This is the case despite the fact that Bell is considered more talented than many of the 33 full-time Cup Series drivers as well as the fact that at 24 years old, he is older than a number of then, most notably Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones.

The earliest age at which Bell could become a full-time Cup Series driver at this point is 25 years old, as his birthday is on December 16. With Joe Gibbs Racing’s four full-time drivers (Denny Hamlin (#11 Toyota), Kyle Busch (#18 Toyota), Martin Truex Jr. (#19 Toyota) and Erik Jones (#20 Toyota)) all in good if not great positions to return to the team for at least the 2020 season, this 25 could very easily become a 26 if not a 27 assuming that the Norman, Oklahoma native stays with Joe Gibbs Racing.

This is something that Bell would like to do, especially given his relationship with Toyota. Here is what had to say about the matter this past August when discussing the possibility of competing full-time in the Cup Series in the 2019 season, according to NASCAR.

"“Toyota was the one that really ‑‑ they’re the reason why I’m here. I would love to stay with them, and hopefully it works out in the future. 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. Right now I’m at the best organization that I can be at, so I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else, honestly.”"

That said, he also stated at the time that he did not feel like he needed another season of competing in the Xfinity Series before becoming a full-time Cup Series driver, and it is hard to disagree with him. Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to NASCAR.

"“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.”"

The possibility of driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series for the third consecutive year in the 2020 season as opposed to the Cup Series could force Bell to consider leaving the team and Toyota as a whole.

However, would he really do this? If the right opportunity arises, why would he not?

The right opportunity may very arise in the form of a full-time ride with the Stewart-Haas Racing Cup Series team.

Bell, like Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart, has a dirt racing background, and if Stewart and his organization do not renew Clint Bowyer’s contract following the conclusion of the 2019 season, which is a very real possibility, the seat of the #14 Ford could become open as a possible future seat for the current Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity Series driver, Cole Custer, would naturally be considered one of the top candidates to replace Bowyer at Stewart-Haas Racing if Bowyer does indeed leave the team at the end of the season, but Custer just turned 21 years old, so there is certainly no need to rush him into the Cup Series, especially if Stewart-Haas Racing have the opportunity to sign Bell, who is more than ready to compete in the Cup Series both from an experience standpoint and from an age standpoint.

This is one of those scenarios that seems crazy until it happens. But it seems a lot less crazy now than when we speculated that it could be a possibility back in August.

Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark. Next

For which team and in which series do you believe Christopher Bell will driver in the 2020 NASCAR season? Could you see him driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Cup Series, or is a Cup Series ride with Joe Gibbs Racing more likely? Will he return to Joe Gibbs Racing for what would be his third consecutive season in the Xfinity Series? Expect to know the answers to these questions over the course of the next several months.

Home/NASCAR