The NASCAR on FOX broadcast booth of Kevin Harvick and Mike Joy are really big on Cup Series contender Christiopher Bell.
His name came up last month during a larger conversation about NASCAR’s ability and inability to create stars at present time.
“He will be a champion of this sport. I have no doubt,” Joy said. “I really wished he had the chance to run for it last year. You know, Martinsville got in the way, and so did a couple of blocking Chevrolets. You know, all right, we know what happened then. But you know, the way he handled that, and the way he made his point about whether things were fair or not, without taking on NASCAR, I think really elevated his status in the garage and in the sport.
“I think now he’s someone that NASCAR respects and listens to. I think they’re ready for him to be a champion. And he is.”
Joy is referring to the grace in which Bell handled his final four elimination at Martinsville in October.
“I think he is too,” Harvick said, citing Bell as a future champion. “When you look at the maturity of Christopher as a person, and he’s developing into being a leader. You look at our garage and you’ve got Joey Logano, you know, you look at Christopher Bell compared to a Joey Logano, it’s a big gap of time, that difference that Logano has been in this garage, and you look back at Christopher Bell.
“Christopher Bell came in during COVID, 2020. Think about that. He’s had four full-time years. Three of them in a quality car. He started in that (Leavine Family Racing) No. 95 car. That year was difficult, just to be thrown in into the Cup Series. Really, when you look at our Cup Series driver lineup right now, it’s pretty young. I believe the potential of these guys is a lot bigger than most people give credit.
“I hear people say all the time, they’re like, ‘Hey, we don’t have any big stars. We don’t have any big personalities.’ Honestly, we have a lot of great personalities. We have a lot of kids that are maturing into being adults. I think that makes a big difference in how you express yourself, and the things that you’re willing to say.”
Joy said he wanted to see fellow dirt turned NASCAR star Kyle Larson into the Indianapolis 500 someday.
As for the Indy 500, Bell said in December that he would only do it if Toyota was in the sport, which it is not right now.
“Yeah, for sure,” Bell said on Friday prior to the NASCAR awards event in Downtown Charlotte. “If Toyota was interested in that, I would be raising my hand to do it. They haven’t been (just) a huge part of my career, they have been my career. They have literally taken me from childhood semi-professional or amateur racing all the way to the Cup Series so I would love that. I would love if they would do it, and I’d be the first one to raise my hand to do it.”
