Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Christopher Bell (racing driver)

Discover the career path of Christopher Bell (racing driver), from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Christopher Bell is a professional American stock car racing driver. Currently, he races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, piloting the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra, also for JGR. A significant achievement in his career is winning the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1994: Andy Hillenburg's Chili Bowl Nationals Win

In 1994, Andy Hillenburg won the Chili Bowl Nationals. Christopher Bell was the first Oklahoman to win it since Hillenburg, in 2017.

1999: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Xfinity Series Dominance

In 1999, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won three consecutive races, a feat matched by Christopher Bell in 2018, when he became the first series regular since Earnhardt Jr. to achieve this.

2007: Toyota's Xfinity and Cup Series Entry

In 2007, Toyota joined both the Xfinity and Cup Series using the Camry model, which Christopher Bell's 2019 win with the Toyota Supra marked the first win since.

2010: Lucas Oil ASCS2 Championship

In 2010, Christopher Bell earned the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Championship, marking an early achievement in his racing career.

2011: Mike Phillips Memorial Win

In 2011, Christopher Bell won the 66 Mike Phillips Memorial micro-sprint car race, adding to his list of early career achievements.

October 31, 2013: Joins CH Motorsports

On October 31, 2013, Christopher Bell joined CH Motorsports' sprint car racing program, expanding his racing endeavors.

May 7, 2014: First WoO Sprint Car Series Win

On May 7, 2014, Christopher Bell secured his first career World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series race win at Jacksonville Speedway.

July 8, 2015: Replacement in the No. 54 at Kentucky Speedway

On July 8, 2015, Christopher Bell was announced as Justin Boston's replacement in the No. 54 at Kentucky Speedway.

October 29, 2015: Full-Time Truck Series Announcement

On October 29, 2015, KBM announced that Christopher Bell would compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2016.

2016: Turbulent Truck Series Season

In 2016, Christopher Bell had a difficult start to the Truck Series season with a dramatic crash at Daytona and a blown tire at Atlanta. He had one win at Gateway and finished third in the final standings.

November 17, 2017: 2017 Truck Series Championship Win

On November 17, 2017, Christopher Bell won the 2017 Truck Series championship by finishing second to Chase Briscoe and being the best finisher among the Championship 4. He finished the season with 5 wins, 15 top 5s, and 21 top tens.

2017: C. Bell

In 2017, C. Bell achieved a racing milestone.

2017: Multiple Racing Series Debuts and Win

In 2017, Christopher Bell won at Atlanta, made his Pinty's Series debut driving the No. 22 for 22 Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

2017: Chili Bowl Nationals Win

In 2017, Christopher Bell won the Chili Bowl Nationals, becoming the first Oklahoman to win the event since 1994.

2017: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship

In 2017, Christopher Bell won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship.

November 10, 2018: Win at ISM Raceway

On November 10, 2018, Christopher Bell won at the ISM Raceway, advancing to the Championship 4 after being in a must-win situation.

2018: Chili Bowl Nationals Win

In 2018, Christopher Bell won the Chili Bowl again.

June 28, 2019: Contract Extension with JGR

On June 28, 2019, Christopher Bell signed a contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) through 2020.

August 13, 2019: First World of Outlaws Win

On August 13, 2019, Christopher Bell won in their first-ever start in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series at Tri-State Speedway.

September 19, 2019: Formation of CB Industries

On September 19, 2019, Christopher Bell, in conjunction with Chad Boat, announced the formation of CB Industries, a World of Outlaws sprint car team fielding the No. 21 Mobil 1 Toyota for Christopher Bell.

September 21, 2019: CB Industries' First Race Win

On September 21, 2019, CB Industries, in their first-ever race, won the Jim Ford Classic with Christopher Bell.

September 24, 2019: Announcement to Drive No. 95 Toyota in Cup Series

On September 24, 2019, Leavine Family Racing announced that Christopher Bell would drive the No. 95 Toyota in the Cup Series starting in 2020.

2019: Second Full-Time Xfinity Season

In 2019, Christopher Bell returned for his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series, starting with a sixth at Daytona and winning at Atlanta.

2019: Chili Bowl Nationals Win

In 2019, Christopher Bell won the Chili Bowl, becoming only the third three-time winner of the race.

2020: Cup Series Debut with LFR

In 2020, Christopher Bell debuted in the Cup Series driving the No. 95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing (LFR), achieving two top fives and seven top tens and finishing 20th in points.

2020: Contract Extension with JGR

In 2020, Christopher Bell was scheduled to drive through the contract he signed with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) on June 28, 2019.

2021: Drive in No. 20 at Joe Gibbs Racing

In 2021, Christopher Bell earned a drive in the No. 20 at Joe Gibbs Racing after Leavine Family Racing's final season.

2021: First Career Cup Victory

In 2021, during his second race in JGR's No. 20 at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 on Daytona's road course, Christopher Bell scored his first career Cup victory after passing Joey Logano with two laps remaining.

2022: 2022 Season

In 2022, Christopher Bell started the season with a 34th-place finish at the Daytona 500. He accidentally struck jackman David O'Dell during his pit stop at Atlanta and won at New Hampshire. He finished 10th at the Phoenix finale and a career-best third in the points standings.

2023: 2023 Season

In 2023, Christopher Bell began the season with a third-place finish at the Daytona 500 and won the Bristol dirt race. He finished fourth in the points standings after a DNF at Phoenix.

2023: NASCAR bans the Hail Melon move

In 2023, NASCAR banned the Hail Melon move that was initially used by Ross Chastain. In 2024, when Bell attempted a similar move at Martinsville during the playoffs, he was penalized, resulting in his elimination from the playoffs.

2024: 2024 Season

In 2024, Christopher Bell started the season with another third-place finish at the Daytona 500. During the season, he won at Phoenix, Charlotte, and New Hampshire. At Martinsville during the playoffs, Bell ran against the outside wall in a move similar to Ross Chastain's "Hail Melon" to finish 18th, but NASCAR, which had banned the move in 2023, penalized him to 22nd place, the last car one lap down. Instead of being tied with William Byron in playoff points because of his placing, it resulted in him being eliminated from the playoffs.

2025: Victorious 2025 Cup Series

In 2025, Christopher Bell started the season with a 31st place DNF at the Daytona 500. A week later, he won at Atlanta and then won back-to-back Cup Series races for the first time in his career, at COTA. He then won at Phoenix, becoming the first driver to win 3 races in a row in the Next-Gen era.