Christopher Bell Bio
Christopher David Bell (born December 16, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, and is the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion. Known for his dirt-track roots and versatile oval-racing skill, Bell has become one of the most consistent performers in NASCAR’s top series.
Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds, Bell pairs a stout short-track background with a calm, analytical approach behind the wheel. He also runs a part-time schedule in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and occasionally returns to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Halmar Friesen Racing.
Early Life and Background
Christopher David Bell was born on December 16, 1994, in Norman, Oklahoma. He grew up in a family that encouraged competition and craftsmanship, raised by his parents, David and Lorene Bell. The Sooner State is well known for producing top-tier racers, and Bell was immersed in that culture from a young age.
Bell began his racing journey in micro sprints at I-44 Riverside Speedway in the early 2000s. By 2010, he had earned the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Championship, and a year later he won the 66 Mike Phillips Memorial micro-sprint car race. Those early dirt-track miles shaped his race craft, teaching him how to slide a car, manage throttle on slick surfaces, and battle in tight packs.
In 2013, Bell joined Keith Kunz Motorsports in USAC racing, filling the seat previously held by Kyle Larson. That season, he concluded the year as the USAC National Midget Champion, signaling that a star was emerging from Oklahoma’s dirt ovals.
Path to NASCAR
Bell expanded his résumé in 2014 by racing asphalt Super Late Models for Kyle Busch Motorsports and competing in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. He captured his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory on May 7, 2014, at Jacksonville Speedway, and piled up wins at venues like New Smyrna Speedway, South Alabama Speedway, and Southern National Motorsports Park. That year alone, he won 24 USAC Midget races and 26 dirt events, including the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix.
His transition to stock cars began in 2015 with two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts for Bill McAnally Racing. Later that season, he debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Iowa Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports. On July 8, 2015, he was announced as a replacement driver at Kentucky Speedway, and shortly after, he won his first career Truck race at the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.
In October 2015, Kyle Busch Motorsports confirmed that Bell would run the full Truck Series schedule in 2016. The promotion set the stage for a championship run and positioned Bell as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.
Christopher Bell Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
Bell’s rookie Truck Series season in 2016 produced a single victory at Gateway and a third-place finish in the final championship standings. The year was not without drama. At Daytona, a last-lap collision barrel-rolled his truck multiple times, and at Atlanta, a blown tire while leading ended another potential win. Even so, his consistency marked him as a championship contender heading into 2017.
Behind the scenes, Bell was balancing his rising stock car duties with continued dirt-track success. He won the 2015 Eldora Mudsummer Classic and added multiple Turkey Night Grand Prix wins in 2014 and 2017, reinforcing his reputation as a driver who could win on any surface.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2017)
The 2017 Truck Series season was the breakthrough Bell had been building toward. He opened the year by winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, passing Matt Crafton for the lead with sixteen laps remaining after sweeping the first two stages. He added wins at Kentucky and other venues, finishing the year with five victories, fifteen top-fives, and twenty-one top-tens.
On November 17, 2017, Bell clinched the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship by finishing second to Chase Briscoe at Homestead-Miami Speedway and outpointing the other members of the Championship 4. That same year, he also won the Chili Bowl Nationals, becoming the first Oklahoman to take the event since Andy Hillenburg in 1994.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Xfinity) Career (2017–2020)
Bell made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2017 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing fourth after being spun early by Ryan Reed. He earned his first Xfinity victory in his fifth start that season at Kansas Speedway, catching and passing Erik Jones in the closing laps.
In 2018, Bell moved to the Xfinity Series full-time in the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won his first race of the year at Richmond and later reeled off three consecutive victories at Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Iowa, becoming the first series regular since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999 to accomplish the feat. He closed the season with a rookie-record six wins and a fourth-place points finish.
The 2019 campaign was even stronger. Bell won at Atlanta in the debut race for the Toyota Supra, scored additional victories at Bristol, Dover, Iowa, New Hampshire, Road America, and Texas, and reached the Championship 4 for the second straight year. He ended the season third in points. His tenure in the No. 20 Xfinity car established him as one of the most dominant drivers in the series’ modern era.
NASCAR Cup Series Career (2020–Present)
On September 24, 2019, Leavine Family Racing announced that Bell would drive the No. 95 Toyota in the Cup Series beginning in 2020. He earned two top-fives and seven top-tens during that transition season, which was enough to secure a ride in Joe Gibbs Racing’s flagship No. 20 for 2021.
Bell scored his first Cup victory in just his second start with JGR, winning the 2021 O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the Daytona road course by passing Joey Logano with two laps remaining. He became the first Oklahoman to win a Cup race and the thirty-fifth driver to win in all three of NASCAR’s national series. In 2022, he advanced to the Championship 4 at Phoenix and finished a career-best third in the final standings.
The 2023 season produced a Bristol dirt victory and a Homestead win that punched his ticket to another Championship 4, though a brake failure at Phoenix dropped him to fourth in points. In 2024, Bell captured wins at Phoenix, Charlotte, New Hampshire, and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, reinforcing his status as a premier oval racer.
Joe Gibbs Racing Era (2021–Present)
Since moving into the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE at Joe Gibbs Racing, Bell has been paired with crew chief Adam Stevens, one of the most respected strategists in the garage. Their partnership has produced consistent playoff runs and an evolving track record of clutch performances under pressure.
Bell has finished inside the top five of the Cup Series standings in each of the last four seasons, a level of sustained excellence that places him among the championship favorites heading into every new year. His blend of dirt-track instincts and disciplined execution has made the No. 20 team a weekly contender.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bell is widely regarded as one of the cleanest and most precise drivers in the Cup garage. His dirt-racing background gives him exceptional car control in traffic, while his asphalt experience has sharpened his throttle discipline and tire management. Working closely with crew chief Adam Stevens, Bell excels on intermediate ovals and short tracks, where rhythm and patience pay off. He is also known for his composure in overtime restarts, often gaining spots with smart tire choices and calculated aggression.
Notable Races and Milestones
Bell’s signature victories include the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, and multiple Bristol wins across the Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series. He became the eleventh driver in NASCAR history to win a race in all three national series at the same track, a feat he accomplished at New Hampshire, Atlanta, and Bristol. He is also a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion, winning the famed Tulsa indoor midget event in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Christopher Bell Career Wins
Christopher Bell has built one of the most versatile win ledgers in modern NASCAR. Across NASCAR’s three national series, he has accumulated thirteen Cup Series victories, nineteen Xfinity Series victories, and eight Truck Series victories, along with three Chili Bowl Nationals titles and the 2013 USAC National Midget Championship.
Cup Series Highlights
Bell’s first Cup win came at the Daytona road course in 2021, and he has since added wins at New Hampshire, the Charlotte Roval, Martinsville, Phoenix, Charlotte, the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, Atlanta, Austin, the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, and the Bristol Night Race in 2025. He reached the Championship 4 for the first time in 2022 and has finished inside the top five of the standings each year since 2022.
Other Wins and Performances
In the Truck Series, Bell won the 2017 championship and captured the 2015 Mudsummer Classic at Eldora in his debut season. In the Xfinity Series, he earned twenty Xfinity wins between 2017 and 2024, including a 2018 rookie-record six-win campaign. He also owns ARCA Menards Series victories at Salem and Chicagoland and remains a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 13 | 113 | 15 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 19 | 52 | 14 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 8 | 48 | 6 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Christopher Bell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Bell was raised in Norman, Oklahoma, by his parents, David and Lorene Bell, who supported his early interest in motorsports. Oklahoma’s deep dirt-racing culture provided the foundation that shaped his career, and he continues to honor those roots by supporting sprint car racing through his CB Industries team, which he co-founded with fellow racer Chad Boat in 2019.
Personal Life
Christopher Bell married Morgan Kemenah on February 2, 2020, weeks before the Daytona 500. The couple became engaged in December 2018 after dating for four and a half years. Bell currently works with spotter Matt Philpott and remains closely connected to his Oklahoma roots.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season was a statement campaign for Christopher Bell. After a 31st-place result at the Daytona 500, he reeled off three consecutive victories at Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix, becoming the first driver to win three straight races in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next-Gen era. He later added the All-Star Race win at North Wilkesboro and a hard-fought Bristol Night Race victory during the playoffs.
Bell entered the Martinsville cutoff ranked third in the playoff standings but was eliminated during the Round of 8 after William Byron won the race and Kyle Larson gained eight more points on the day. He finished the year fifth in the final standings for the second consecutive season, setting new career highs in wins and average finish while securing a fourth straight top-five championship result.
Outside the Cup Series, Bell made select O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing and Sam Hunt Racing and returned to the Craftsman Truck Series with Halmar Friesen Racing. His consistency across all three national series, combined with his renewed dirt-track activity after Joe Gibbs Racing lifted its two-year ban, has positioned him as one of the favorites entering the next season.
