Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell gave insights into how his new teammate Chase Briscoe is getting on with the #19 JGR team ahead of the 2025 season. Bell revealed that Briscoe had been busy analyzing data in the off-season, and is eager to get behind the wheel of a Toyota.
Replacing Martin Truex Jr. in the #19 JGR team, Briscoe will drive the Toyota for the first time in his NASCAR career. Besides the change in machinery, Briscoe will also have to adapt to the new culture at JGR, having moved from a struggling team to a championship-contending organization.
Bell, who spilled the beans on Briscoe's JGR move, revealed that some aspects of the work culture at JGR were new to the former Stewart Haas Racing driver. He described Joe Gibbs Racing as a highly data-driven company with the engineers and the crew chiefs working closely with the drivers to optimize car set-ups based on the feedback.
In a recent interview with Claire B. Lang, the #20 driver said:
"It's [JGR] filled with a ton of highly intellectual people that do a lot of studying about our sport. Our engineers, all the crew chief, there's just a ton of attention to detail that has been normal to me, [but] hearing from Chase, there are some things that aren't normal to him. It's a highly engineering-driven, data-driven company." [0:36]
Bell added that Briscoe is analyzing the data generated by Martin Truex Jr. last year in preparation for his maiden season with the team. He added that the ex-SHR driver is eager to get behind the wheel of a Toyota.
"Talking to Chase [about] where he's at, he's just ready to drive the car. He's ready to drive the car and give feedback on what he's having and see where he fits into that. He has all this data that he is trying to consume off of Martin last year, off of me last year and he's like, 'Okay well, it might relate, it might not relate. I need to drive the car to see where my data fits in to the rest of the group."
Chase Briscoe will make his debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Christopher Bell excited about Chris Gabehart's impact on all four JGR teams
Joe Gibbs Racing made headlines late last year, after announcing Denny Hamlin's crew chief, Chris Gabehart's promotion as Competition Director. Hamlin and Gabehart were a formidable pair, with the latter now working to improve the performance across all four teams.
Christopher Bell is excited to work with Hamlin's former crew chief and believes the move could "specifically" benefit the #20 JGR team, led by crew chief Adam Stevens.
"I've always had the utmost respect for Chris Gabehart. I felt like he was an amazing crew chief. Super smart individual and I'm excited about him and his new role, because I think he really can, specifically, help the 20 car and, overall, help the company get going to where all four of our cars are performing better," Christopher Bell told Bob Pockrass. [0:43]
With plenty of changes across all four JGR teams, Christopher Bell's #20 team remains untouched, heading into the new season. With Gabehart's assistance, Bell and the team could clinch the championship this season.