“When you restrict them, it’s not fun”: Joe Gibbs’ daughter-in-law sends straightforward message amid Christopher Bell’s dirt return

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell competed in the Tulsa Shootout and the Chili Bowl nationals this year, making his mark in the dirt midget racing scene. Following his success, JGR's co-owner and Joe Gibbs' daughter-in-law, Heather Gibbs shared her candid thoughts on allowing their drivers to compete on dirt tracks.

Heather Gibbs, the wife of the late Coy Gibbs, has taken on a more active role in the operations of Joe Gibbs Racing following her husband's passing in November 2022. Coy, who served as JGR's Chief Operating Officer, played a crucial role in the team's success. Now, their son, Ty Gibbs, continues the family legacy, competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Both Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs competed on dirt tracks this year after JGR lifted their policy to not let their drivers compete in other disciplines of motorsport. After witnessing their success, Joe Gibbs's daughter-in-law shared her thoughts on watching her son and the #20 driver have 'fun.'

"These guys are so unique, they’re so special, and most of the time their hobby is racing. That’s all they want to do. So when you restrict them. it’s not fun. I’m like, ‘Go run your race. Go do what you want to do. Have fun and enjoy it.’"

Specifically talking about Christopher Bell, who has won three of four Cup races this season, Heather Gibbs said:

"Just watching him out there. He didn’t give up. He didn’t stop. And with the dirt racing, it’s fun. He enjoys it. And you can tell with all the effort he puts out there."

JGR is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. Since its inception in 1992, the storied team has secured 10 driver championships, five in the Cup Series, 4 in the Xfinity Series, and one in the ARCA Series.

Catch the JGR drivers in action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Xfinity and Cup Series this weekend.

---

Christopher Bell makes his ‘resentment’ clear of watching Kyle Larson do what Joe Gibbs once denied

As mentioned above, Joe Gibbs Racing had a strict policy on restricting drivers from competing in non-NASCAR races while they were with JGR. After that ban was lifted at the end of the 2024 season, Bell secured his first Golden Driller in the Non-Winged Outlaw division of the Tulsa shootout.

However, recently, the #20 driver expressed that he was 'bothered' by watching former champion Kyle Larson competing in the Chili Bowl, among other major racing events.

"Certainly, I did have some resentment. It bothered me," Bell shared. "Like, I was sitting on the couch watching races, watching Kyle (Larson) getting to go do all the stuff, all the fun stuff that I wanted to do. It took me a little bit to be able to overcome that and it wasn't until probably late 2023, when I finally came to peace with myself and I had just accepted that dirt racing was not in my cards right now."

Joe Gibbs's phenom driver Bell will compete in the Pennzoil 400 at 3:30 PM Eastern time on Sunday. It remains to be seen if he make it four wins in a row. Tune in to FOX Sports1, PRN, and SiriusXM on 16th March to find out.