CONCORD, N.C. – Armed with some of the best equipment in the NASCAR XFINITY Series garage, Christopher Bell is trying to keep reasonable expectations ahead of his series debut in Saturday afternoon’s Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
Bell will make the first of a minimum seven XFINITY Series starts across the JGR spectrum in preparation for what many expect will be a full-season slate in 2018.
“I have to say that I’m really thankful to be in the position I am driving for Joe Gibbs Racing with Toyota behind me – Toyota Racing Development – and obviously SiriusXM on our Camry this weekend,” Bell said during a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday afternoon.
“Toyota has done a fabulous job kind of planning my schedule for these seven races that I’ve got knowing that my first XFINITY race here was going to be a tough one at Charlotte.“
The 2017 Chili Bowl champion will no doubt have the equipment beneath him to potentially make a gratifying statement in Saturday’s race, but Bell isn’t worried about going out there and winning right out of the gate.
Instead, the Norman, Ok. native is focused on another task, completing 100 percent of the laps awaiting him under the expected hot North Carolina sun.
“These seven races here are going to be all about building my toolbox so to speak and learning and getting all the experience I can,” added Bell. “I just want to go out here and complete every lap that I attempt. If we can finish 200 laps on Saturday, get through practice and qualifying with no issues that will be a good day. If we can run inside the top-10, then I would say that would be a great day.”
Fresh off a podium performance in last Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Bell is riding the momentum of a stellar sophomore season in Truck Series competition – but also a solid XFINITY Series test at the 1.5-mile speedway earlier this month.
“One of the bigger reasons they picked this race is because there was an open test a few weeks ago so I was able to get some seat time with Joe Gibbs Racing, working with my crew chief and just some seat time driving these XFINITY cars. I feel like the test went pretty well, I was able to kind of learn my limits, I spun out one time so I learned where the balance is there and where the edge is. It’s been a fun ride so far and I’m really thankful that I get to make my debut here at Charlotte.”
Fast-tracked into NASCAR by Toyota officials who have helped groom the young phenom, Bell said stepping up to compete for JGR “is something I didn’t dream of as a kid because it wasn’t something I dreamed was a possibility.”
Now, that dream includes six more races following Charlotte at Iowa Speedway (June 24), Richmond International Raceway (Sept 8), Kansas Speedway (Oct. 21) and the final three races to wrap up the year at Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4), Phoenix Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 18).
“I was for sure more nervous for my first truck start than I was this.,” sounded Bell. “I didn’t get to test the truck before I raced it so the first time I was in it was at practice at Iowa and that was very nerve wracking. Toyota has done such a great job planning my career to this point and making sure that they knew that they wanted to get me a couple XFINITY starts this year and Charlotte was just the perfect race because they had that open test session where I was able to get in the car and get some laps.
“Thankfully I get to work with Eric Phillips so I never have driven for him in the past, but whenever I got my start at Kyle Busch Motorsports with the late model ranks, he was over there. He knows who I am, I know who he is so we already have somewhat of a relationship there and it’s just been a pretty ideal schedule for me so far.”
Through five Truck Series races, Bell is on track to once again be a championship contender. After recovering from a mod-race flip to a top-10 finish at Daytona, Bell won the following week at Atlanta and has carried three additional top-10 finishes to hoist him second in the championship standings heading to Dover International Speedway next week.
Despite the stellar start, Bell finds himself trailing veteran Johnny Sauter for the championship lead by 15 points.
“I feel like my truck season has been great, I feel like it’s great and we haven’t finished outside the top-10 yet,” Bell explained. “We finished inside the top-five every time except for one I believe so that being said, (Johnny) Sauter has had a greater year, he’s still beating us in points. We have to do a little bit to catch up there, but I feel like it’s there.
“He’s just been able to execute the stage racing a little better where we’re giving up on stage points to try to win races and he has been able to get those stage points and still contend for wins as well. We have to work on our speed a little bit on like Kansas and Charlotte.
“I felt like we were a second-place truck at Charlotte and a third-place truck at Kansas once the green flag flew. We have practice speed, we have qualifying speed and we just have to do a better job of going faster in the race.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
