NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Christopher Bell in 2021
By Asher Fair
Christopher Bell 2021 landing spots: Hendrick Motorsports
With seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson set to retire from full-time competition following the 2020 season, it seems as though every driver under the sun has been linked to replacing him behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet at some point since he made this announcement back on Tuesday, November 20, 2019.
Christopher Bell fits that bill, and he has the talent to back it up.
Hendrick Motorsports are in a great position in which they can effectively pick who they want to drive the #48 Chevrolet next year, as Ally Financial signed an extension to continue as the full-time sponsor of the car through the 2023 season.
While signing Bell would leave them without a true veteran in their driver lineup next year, as they already have 27-year-old Alex Bowman, 24-year-old Chase Elliott and 22-year-old William Byron under contract for 2021, the fact that he is already competing in the Cup Series allows him to stand out above several of the other drivers who have been linked to this seat.
Should this deal happen, it would prove that his “multi-year” deal with Toyota is not as set in stone as it once seemed, but that should not come as a surprise given the nature of racing, the fact that it is a business above all else, and the sale of Leavine Family Racing.
However, there is one destination that stands out above both Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, and given yesterday’s news, that one landing spot is obvious.