NASCAR: Christopher Bell tipped to drive for Leavine Family Racing in 2020
By Asher Fair
Christopher Bell has been tipped for promotion to the NASCAR Cup Series from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series team. He is expected to drive for Leavine Family Racing in 2020.
With Erik Jones having been tipped to return to the seat of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, the current driver of the #20 Toyota for the team in the Xfinity Series, Christopher Bell, likely will not be promoted to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Cup Series next year.
However, he, too, has been tipped to land a ride in the Cup Series.
The 24-year-old Norman, Oklahoma native has been tipped to drive the #95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing, which is currently driven by Matt DiBenedetto.
Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern broke this latest development on Twitter.
🔵@Erik_Jones and DeWalt expected back with JGR.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 14, 2019
🔴@MattDRacing not expected to renew with @LFR95.
⚫@CBellRacing seen as heir apparent to the No. 95.
⚪: https://t.co/jPg6yW7xTc pic.twitter.com/41xzHXulUN
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Leavine Family Racing switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota ahead of the 2019 season, and they formed a technical alliance with Toyota powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing as a result of it. Bell had been rumored to drive for the team this season before they ended up signing DiBenedetto, who took a gamble by giving up his ride at Go Fas Racing to seek a better opportunity that he ultimately ended up landing.
Bell, who, like most of NASCAR’s fanbase, believed that he was ready to be promoted to the Cup Series ahead of the 2019 season, ended up re-signing with Joe Gibbs Racing last year for a second year in the Xfinity Series this season, although this was not confirmed until October of last year.
This year, however, he re-signed with the team in June, and given the fact that the series in which he would drive next year was deemed “unclear” even when he was confirmed much earlier than he was last season, this signing really heated up rumors that he would be promoted to the Cup Series next year.
Should Bell end up replacing DiBenedetto behind the wheel of #95 Toyota as expected, he would effectively be doing so on loan from Joe Gibbs Racing. Joe Gibbs Racing did something similar in the 2017 season with Jones, loaning the then-rookie to Furniture Row Racing, the now defunct team that had a technical alliance with the four-car Toyota powerhouse team at the time.
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With Christopher Bell likely headed to Leavine Family Racing for his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season next year and Erik Jones slated to stay at Joe Gibbs Racing for a third consecutive season, what does that mean for the future of the driver currently in the ride that Bell has been tipped to land, Matt DiBenedetto?