NASCAR Cup Series: Chase Elliott to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025?

Chase Briscoe has emerged as the frontrunner to replace the retiring Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, with an official announcement set for Tuesday.

Briscoe is the only one of the four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers with any career victories, and all four of them are looking for new homes next year with their current team set to shut down.

Christopher Bell, who has been competing for Joe Gibbs' Cup Series team since 2021, was asked about his leadership role with the team moving forward once Truex, currently the sport's oldest full-time driver, retires at the end of the 2024 season.

Bell is set to become the team's second longest tenured driver in 2025, behind only Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is poised to become the oldest full-time competitor in the series once Truex officially hangs up his helmet. The team's other driver, Ty Gibbs, was promoted from the Xfinity Series in 2023.

When answering the question, Bell accidentally revealed that "Chase" is set to join the team in 2025, and he almost immediately realized what he had leaked once he leaked it.

Chase Elliott enters the discussion

Though nothing is official until it's official, it appears obvious that Briscoe is indeed in line to drive the No. 19 Toyota next year.

However, with Bell only having said "Chase", there have been a number of jokes made that he could have been referring to Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, for one, jokingly wished Elliott "the best on his new adventure".

Not that he truly needed to clarify, but Elliott himself made clear that he has no intention of leaving Hendrick Motorsports for Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year.

The 2020 Cup Series champion remains under contract with Rick Hendrick's team to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet through the 2027 season after signing a five-year extension before the 2022 season, which was due to be a contract year before he and the team came to that agreement.

Elliott won the April race at Texas Motor Speedway and currently sits tied with Larson for the lead of the point standings.