Christopher Bell (racing driver)

Early career and dirt track racing

Bell's USAC midget at Angell Park Speedway in 2013

Bell began his racing career in micro sprints at I-44 Riverside Speedway in the early 2000s. He earned the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Championship in 2010 before winning the 66 Mike Phillips Memorial micro-sprint car race in 2011. The following year, he finished second in the Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway, a race sanctioned by the American Sprint Car Series.^[2] In 2013, he joined Keith Kunz Motorsports in USAC racing, replacing Kyle Larson.^[3] On October 31, he joined CH Motorsports' sprint car racing program.^[4] Bell concluded 2013 as the USAC National Midget Champion. In 2014, he began racing asphalt Super Late Models for Kyle Busch Motorsports,^[5] including competing in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. On May 7, he won his first career WoO Sprint Car Series race at Jacksonville Speedway.^[6] As a Super Late Model driver, he won races at New Smyrna Speedway, South Alabama Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park.^[5] During the year, he won 24 Quarter Midget races^[7] and 26 total dirt races, including the Turkey Night Grand Prix.^[8]

In 2017, Bell won the Chili Bowl Nationals, becoming the first Oklahoman to win the event since Andy Hillenburg in 1994. ^[9]

Finishing up the 2017 season, Christopher Bell Adds One More 2017 Win With The Tulsa Shootout in the Winged Outlaw Division ^[10]

In 2018 he claimed his second consecutive Chili Bowl Golden Driller trophy win.

Bell followed the 2017 Chili Bowl win with his third consecutive Turnpike Challenge victory, the most recent win coming at home town track I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City.

NASCAR

In 2015, Bell made two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts at Irwindale Speedway and Iowa Speedway, driving the No. 54 for Bill McAnally Racing; he finished 15th and second, respectively.^[11] In June, Bell returned to Iowa to make his Camping World Truck Series debut for KBM in the American Ethanol 200.^[5] Bell finished second to KBM teammate Erik Jones in the race's practice session, and finished fifth in the race.^[8] On July 8, Bell was announced as Justin Boston's replacement in the No. 54 at Kentucky Speedway.^[12] Bell won his first career Truck race in the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway after holding off Bobby Pierce on the green–white–checker finish.^[1][13]

On October 29, 2015, KBM announced that Bell would compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2016.^[14] His season started on a terrifying note at Daytona, when on the final lap, Brandon Brown pushed Timothy Peters into him causing his truck to spin. His truck gripped the track, causing it to go on two wheels before it launched into the air and barrel rolled multiple times.^[15] The following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bell was leading the race on his way to win, when he blew a tire and crashed into the wall, ending his day.^[16]

In 2017, Bell won the second race of the season at Atlanta after winning the first two stages and passing Matt Crafton for the lead with 16 laps remaining.^[17] In May, Bell made his NASCAR Pinty's Series and Xfinity Series debuts; in the former, he drove the No. 22 for 22 Racing at the season-opening race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.^[18] In the latter, he joined the No. 18 of Joe Gibbs Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of a seven-race schedule. He will also drive the No. 20 at Iowa and Richmond International Raceway before returning to the No. 18 to drive at Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.^[19] At Mosport, he was the lone American in the field as he finished 23rd after suffering a brake failure.^[20]

Bell's No. 18 Xfinity car at Road America in 2017

In his Xfinity debut, Bell got an impressive 4th-place finish despite being spun out early in the race by Ryan Reed. During his second start at Iowa, Bell won the pole and looked to be on track for his 1st career win already. Unfortunately, he was caught up in a multi car crash late when he got turned while leading by the lap car of Ross Chastain following a crash between the lapped cars of Ryan Reed and Brennan Poole which collected Bell and Chastain. The previous night, in the Truck race, he was also on track for a win but dropped back late and finished 5th. At Kentucky Bell recovered from an early spin and outraced John Hunter Nemechek and Brandon Jones for his third truck win of the season and 5th of his career. Bell won his first Xfinity race in his 5th start at Kansas after catching and passing Erik Jones in the final laps. On November 17, Bell won the 2017 Truck Series Championship by finishing 2nd to his friend Chase Briscoe. Bell held off other Championship 4 Contenders Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Matt Crafton. Bell ended his Truck Series season with 5 wins, 15 top 5s, and 21 top tens to win the championship.

Bell's No. 20 Xfinity car at Dover International Speedway in 2018

In 2018, Bell moved to the Xfinity Series full-time to drive the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell won his first race of the season at Richmond in April, holding off teammate Noah Gragson.^[21] In July, Bell won three consecutive races at Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Iowa, becoming the first series regular since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999 to win three consecutive races.^[22] Bell entered the Xfinity Series playoffs by winning at Richmond in September for the season sweep of the track. With this win, Bell would advance to the next round of the playoffs.^[23] Bell won his sixth race of the season at Dover in October, setting a rookie win record in the Xfinity Series.^[24]

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points