NASCAR: 5 possible replacements for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022
By Asher Fair
Possible Joe Gibbs Racing drivers for 2022: No. 4 – Christopher Bell
Speaking of young drivers, we can’t ignore Christopher Bell. While he may be set to enter his third season of NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2022, he could certainly benefit from additional seat time.
After he was promoted from the Xfinity Series in 2020, he competed as a Cup Series rookie for the Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Leavine Family Racing. But he did not make a single start in the Xfinity Series.
Bell replaced Erik Jones behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing in his first year, and while his focus was naturally on the Cup Series, he also returned to the Xfinity Series.
He made two starts, one at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and another at Daytona International Speedway. He won at the former and finished in sixth place at the latter. Could this be a sign of things to come, perhaps in an even greater capacity?
Bell earned his first career Cup Series victory in just his second start as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the Daytona International Speedway road course. While he didn’t win another Cup Series race in 2021, he had a far more consistent second half of the season and not only qualified for the playoffs for the first time but advanced to the round of 12.
As he continues to progress, expect him to potentially do what many other Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have done and spent considerable time in the Xfinity Series in the “star car”.