Christopher Bell Bio
Christopher David Bell (born December 16, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell is the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner. He is widely recognized as one of the most versatile drivers in NASCAR, having won races on pavement, dirt, intermediate tracks, short tracks, and road courses.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Bell rose through the dirt and short-track ranks before climbing the NASCAR ladder. He is the eleventh driver in history to win a NASCAR national series race at the same track in all three of the sport’s top touring divisions, and he added a Coca-Cola 600 trophy and an All-Star Race victory to his resume in the mid-2020s.
Early Life and Background
Christopher David Bell was born on December 16, 1994, in Norman, Oklahoma. He grew up in a family that supported his interest in racing, and his parents, David Bell and Lorene Bell, backed his early trips to local short tracks. As a child, Bell began racing micro sprints at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City, a tight bullring that became his home track.
His family ties to the sport helped him log seat time at a young age, and he won the Lucas Oil ASCS2 Championship in 2010. The following year, he captured the Mike Phillips Memorial micro-sprint car race and continued to build a reputation as a polished young talent on the Oklahoma dirt scene. By his early teenage years, Bell was already being noticed by national teams for his smooth driving style and racecraft.
Path to NASCAR
Bell stepped onto the national stage in 2013, joining Keith Kunz Motorsports in USAC competition to replace Kyle Larson. He won the USAC National Midget Series championship that same year, and in 2014 he expanded into asphalt Super Late Models with Kyle Busch Motorsports while also racing the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. That combination of dirt and pavement work laid the foundation for his move into NASCAR’s developmental ladder.
His breakthrough into NASCAR came in 2015 with Bill McAnally Racing in the K&N Pro Series West and a Camping World Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway with Kyle Busch Motorsports. He won his first national series race that summer at Eldora Speedway in the Mudsummer Classic. Those results convinced KBM to promote him to a full-time Truck Series ride for 2016, beginning a steady climb toward the Cup Series.
Christopher Bell Career
Early Career (2013-2014)
Before reaching NASCAR, Bell was already a proven winner on dirt. In 2013, he ran a partial USAC slate with Keith Kunz Motorsports and added a sprint car program with CH Motorsports. He finished the year as the USAC National Midget champion, a title that established him as one of the country’s top open-wheel prospects.
In 2014, Bell split time between dirt and asphalt. He won his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race at Jacksonville Speedway and added Super Late Model wins at New Smyrna Speedway, South Alabama Speedway, and Southern National Motorsports Park. He also captured the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix, logging 24 USAC Midget wins and 26 total dirt victories during the season.
NASCAR Truck Series Breakthrough (2015-2017)
Bell moved into the Camping World Truck Series in 2015 with Kyle Busch Motorsports. After a fifth-place debut at Iowa, he won the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway in his third start, holding off Bobby Pierce in a green-white-checkered finish. He added another win at Kentucky Speedway later that summer to announce himself as a top prospect.
In 2016, Bell ran the full Truck schedule and earned a single victory at Gateway. He also survived one of the year’s most dramatic crashes, barrel-rolling multiple times at Daytona International Speedway. He finished third in the final Truck Series standings, and in 2017 he returned to win five races, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he clinched the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (2017-2020)
Bell made his Xfinity Series debut in 2017 with Joe Gibbs Racing as part of a seven-race schedule, winning his first race at Kansas Speedway. He moved to the No. 20 Toyota full-time in 2018 and set a rookie wins record with six victories, including three straight at Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Iowa, a run that made him the first series regular since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999 to accomplish the feat.
He continued his rise in 2019 with seven wins, including a road course victory at Road America, and finished third in the championship standings. Across his full-time Xfinity tenure, Bell became known for his late-race restarts, his comfort on intermediate tracks, and his ability to win in traffic. By 2020, he had logged 19 Xfinity Series wins and was ready for a full-time Cup opportunity.
Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Era (2021-Present)
Bell reached the Cup Series in 2020 with Leavine Family Racing before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota in 2021. In just his second race with the team, he passed Joey Logano with two laps remaining at the Daytona road course to score his first Cup victory. He became the first driver from Oklahoma to win a Cup race, and his third-place finish in the 2022 championship standings confirmed him as a title contender.
He has continued to grow with the No. 20 team under crew chief Adam Stevens. In 2023, he advanced to the Championship 4 at Phoenix, and in 2024 he added prestigious wins at Phoenix, Charlotte, and New Hampshire. He also captured the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. By 2025, Bell had become a fixture in the Cup playoffs, pairing short-track speed with consistent intermediate-track performance.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bell is widely regarded as one of the cleanest restarters in the Cup garage. His dirt-track background gives him excellent car control in traffic, and he is particularly strong on short tracks and intermediates. His partnership with crew chief Adam Stevens has produced aggressive pit calls and bold tire strategies, and his 2025 All-Star Race win on two right-side sticker tires highlighted his knack for maximizing tire advantage late in runs.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature wins include the 2021 O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona road course, the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, and a string of 2025 victories at Atlanta, Austin, Phoenix, and Bristol. He is the eleventh driver in NASCAR history to win in all three national series at the same track, joining an elite list that includes victories at New Hampshire, Atlanta, and Bristol.
Christopher Bell Career Wins
Christopher Bell has built a versatile win ledger across NASCAR’s national series and the dirt racing world. His totals include 8 Truck Series wins, 19 Xfinity Series wins, 13 Cup Series wins, and 3 ARCA Menards Series wins, along with three Chili Bowl Nationals titles.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Bell’s first Cup victory came in 2021 at the Daytona road course, and he has since added major trophies such as the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race. In 2025, he became the first driver in the Next-Gen era to win three consecutive Cup Series races, sweeping Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix, and later added a Bristol night-race win during the playoffs. Across the Cup Series, he has logged 13 wins, 113 top-ten finishes, and 15 pole positions.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Bell has 19 wins, 52 top-ten finishes, and 14 poles, and his Truck Series totals include 8 wins, 48 top-ten finishes, and 6 poles. He is also a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and a Turkey Night Grand Prix winner. His 2015 Eldora Mudsummer Classic victory and his 2017 ARCA wins round out a deep multi-surface resume.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 13 | 113 | 15 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 19 | 52 | 14 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 8 | 48 | 6 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 3 | 6 | 0 |
Christopher Bell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Bell comes from a close Oklahoma family that supported his early racing career. His parents, David Bell and Lorene Bell, encouraged his interest in micro sprints and dirt racing, and the family spent many weekends at I-44 Riverside Speedway as he moved up the ladder. That family support helped him relocate across the country to chase USAC and NASCAR opportunities.
Personal Life
Bell is married to Morgan Kemenah, whom he began dating several years before their engagement in December 2018. The couple married on February 2, 2020, just weeks before the Daytona 500, and they make their home in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. Bell is also involved in sprint car racing ownership through CB Industries, a World of Outlaws team he co-founded with Chad Boat in 2019.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season was a career-defining year for Christopher Bell. After a 31st-place result at the Daytona 500, he strung together three consecutive wins at Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix, becoming the first driver in the Next-Gen era to accomplish that feat. He added the All-Star Race trophy at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May by passing Joey Logano on fresh right-side tires.
During the summer, he made a surprise spotter change, parting ways with longtime spotter Stevie Reeves and working with Matt Philpott and later Tab Boyd. On track, he added a Bristol night-race win during the playoffs after holding off Brad Keselowski’s last-lap bump-and-run attempt. Heading into the Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville, he sat third in the playoff standings, 37 points above the cutoff line.
Despite a strong run, Bell was eliminated at Martinsville after William Byron won the race and Kyle Larson gained eight more points on the day, dropping Bell below the cutline by one point. He finished the 2025 season fifth in the Cup Series standings for the second consecutive year, setting new career highs in wins and average finish while continuing to cement his role as a championship contender in the No. 20 Toyota.
