Christopher Bell gives clear verdict on JGR’s “solid” offseason move  

Christopher Bell commented on Joe Gibbs Racing's "solid" offseason move. The nine-time Cup Series race winner said that it has huge "potential" to enhance the overall performance of the North Carolina-based outfit

Days after NASCAR wrapped its 2024 Cup Series season, with Joey Logano claiming his third title, JGR announced a massive internal shakeup. They promoted Denny Hamlin's crew chief Chris Gabehart to competition director while making way for Chris Gayle, Ty Gibbs' right-hand man, to call the shots for Hamlin from 2025 onwards.

The big move stemmed mainly from performance issues. JGR opened this past season quite strongly, bagging six wins in the first 18 races. However, shortcomings cost several potential wins after Bell claimed the team's final triumph in the 18th race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

Thus, the team required a big step up and Chris Gabehart emerged as the best man. Christopher Bell sided with his team's call, expressing confidence in Gabehart's capabilities to take JGR to new heights. He said (via NASCAR).

“I think it has potential to help out all the teams. Gabehart is a incredibly smart person. He was a huge asset to the 11 car and I think moving him to oversee the crew chiefs and be able to provide input and knowledge and just kind of keep all of the teams in line is a solid move. I think it has potential to increase the performance of all the teams.”

Gabehart joined JGR in 2012 as a race engineer and assumed the duties of making decisions for Hamlin in 2019. The #11 Toyota driver and Gabehart's pairing clinched 22 victories, including two Daytona 500s and the 2021 Southern 500.

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Christopher Bell reflects on his memorable performances after a frustrated playoff outcome

Christopher Bell made it to the Championship 4 race after riding the wall on the final lap at the Martinsville Speedway. However, the joyous moment was short-lived. NASCAR slapped the #20 JGR driver with a penalty, disqualifying him from the Championship Race, paving the way for previously eliminated driver William Byron.

The moment frustrated Bell. He claimed he didn't ride the wall on purpose, rather, he used up the track a little more than usual, which led his Camry into the outside wall. However, NASCAR's call was final and thus, Bell was out of the playoffs.

Nonetheless, the JGR driver explained he had a "lot of highs" this past season which helped him move on with the frustration of the Martinsville ruling.

"I would say Vegas is one of our best races that we had all year. Charlotte was shaping up to be. It’s a shame that it got shortened because I would have loved to see it go the distance. But I felt like Charlotte had that potential of [being] similar to how Vegas turned out. I think that those two races stand out. Phoenix [spring] was awesome. Gateway was awesome. There’s a lot of highs for sure,” Bell said on Nov. 22 ahead of the NASCAR Awards via NASCAR.

Before Christopher Bell begins his 2025 campaign, he will be witnessed fielding sprint cars in the Tulsa Shootout in his native Oklahoma.