Christopher Bell on Chase Briscoe slip: ‘I had no idea what to do’

Christopher Bell had quite the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winning both the Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series races. Of course, neither win was Bell’s lasting image of the week, as that was him accidentally saying that Chase Briscoe is joining Joe Gibbs Racing next season. 

Caught red-handed, Bell just laughed.

“I had no idea what to do,” Bell told Kevin Harvick on the latest edition of “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour” about the “Chase” comment. “I literally didn’t know if I should just leave, literally drop the mic and leave. I had no idea what to do or say.”

Briscoe is one of four current NASCAR drivers at Stewart-Haas Racing who will need a new ride next season, as the racing team is folding after the 2024 season. It had been rumored but not yet confirmed that Briscoe would indeed be joining Joe Gibbs Racing next season.

As for last weekend’s race, Bell took the checkered flag in the USA TODAY 301, after leading 149 laps and the field having to overcome multiple weather delays. The win was Bell’s second in New Hampshire and ninth of his career.

“For whatever reason, every time I go there, my cars are just really good,” Bell said about racing in New Hampshire. “If your car’s good, it makes it so much easier. And if your car’s not good, it’s not going to happen. It’s just been a really strong track for Joe Gibbs Racing. And even whenever I was there in the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports, we were able to go and do a rookie test before I ran my first race there.

“Whenever you have those opportunities to go to the test, you just get a bunch of laps, and it kind of gave me a rhythm around that place. And the cars that I’ve driven have always done what I need them to do, so I think it’s just all about having the right setup and great equipment.”

The win, which was Bell’s third of the season, moved him to sixth in the Cup Series in total points (555). He has six top-5 finishes and 11 top-10 finishes, which is tied with Tyler Reddick for the most in the sport. Bell’s other wins this season have come at Phoenix Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He feels that his team is hitting its stride.

“I feel great about where we’re at right now,” Bell said. “Obviously, the short-track package has been really, really good for us. It seems like every time we go to the flat, short track, we’re doing good. My team has found something with the setup or the balance that really suits my style. That aspect is good. I can’t sit here and tell you that I feel great about Nashville because that has not been our best track since the Next Gen car came out. And then the intermediates, some of them have been good. Charlotte was good; Kansas wasn’t very good.

“I think I feel as confident as anybody, but it goes in waves. Right now, we’re on a good wave. We know that we’re going to have to stay working hard at it.”

Bell has finished in the top-10 in each of his three races at Nashville Superspeedway on the NASCAR circuit. That said, he hasn’t cracked the top-5. He’ll aim to finally do so this Sunday at the Ally 400.

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