If there has been one rule that has dominated the Joe Gibbs’ team since its inception, it has been how drivers cannot dirt race. Given how Gibbs’ star driver Christopher Bell had his origin in the field of dirt racing, this rule seemed to be quite oppressive.  However, recently this rule has been done away with, consequently why Bell was able to hit the dirt tracks, once again for the Tulsa Shootout. 

With victory in his sights in one of his initial Tulsa Shootout races, Christopher Bell explained his love for dirt racing and coming back to it as an owner-driver, now that Joe Gibbs Racing finally let him do so.

Bell hit the Shootout ground in 2024 as a team owner

The 2024 and 2024 scenarios are in stark contrast with each other. While in 2025 Bell was behind the steering wheel himself, the 2024 season saw him as an owner only. Currently, Bell races in the Winged Outlaw and the Non-Wing Outlaw divisions with the No. 21x Bill-Kemenah Racing Micro Sprint team. The race did make Bell desperate so that he could clinch to the top marking his first victory for the 2025 season.

Post the session, Bell was asked what was it like to return to dirt racing, particularly how he felt about owning a Micro-team and racing for it now that Joe Gibbs Racing lifted the ban was lifted.  Speaking of his experience and his love for the world of sprint car racing, Christopher Bell said, “I have a soft spot for micro sprints. I grew up running these things and I love them. And I think one thing I really love about micro-sprint racing is just the diversity, of cars and engines and injections it’s not just like a…everyone out here has a different combination and there is a bunch of combinations that are working on different tracks and it’s hard. It’s competitive and there are a lot of strengths and weaknesses in the different combinations.”

It’s no surprise Bell loves this category of racing. He came up through the ranks in dirt racing before entering NASCAR’s big leagues. Christopher Bell first entered the racing scene at the I-44 Riverside Speedway, before winning the USAC Midget Category, after he replaced veteran dirt racer Kyle Larson at Keith Kunz Racing. The Joe Gibbs driver has even won a Turkey Night Grand Prix, a Chili Bowl Nationals, and even a Tulsa Shootout! However, once he moved to Joe Gibbs Racing, it became impossible since there was a ban on dirt racing. And thus, Bell became the co-owner of Bell Kemenah Racing along with his father-in-law and the team took part in the 2023 Tulsa Shootout. Brayden Benson represented the team for the 39th shootout but did not have an impressive finish. 

Now that Joe Gibbs Racing lifted the ban, team members Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and of course, Christopher Bell, all have the opportunity to go back to their roots. Explaining his theory behind the change, Bell once explained, “I was definitely caught off guard by the change of policy. I was super shocked, but with Chase coming on board and Ty growing an interest in dirt racing, it’s nice we have the majority of our team aligned with it now.” 

Being an owner of a Micro-sprint team and being able to race, Bell wasn’t going to let the opportunity slide. With just two laps remaining in the race he won, Bell was determined to seize the lead. McLaughlin fought hard to hold his position, but as they approached Turn 1, Bell made a bold dive to the inside. Hugging the lane and catching his rivals off guard, he surged ahead just as the white flag waved. He finished the race 0.029 seconds before the runners-up.

Bell’s 2025 dirt race schedule looks right

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This victory for Bell has been a photo finish and makes his 2025 dirt race schedule look quite stringent. Bell had a pretty good dirt race result when he won the 2013 USAC National Midget Series championship. Once he enters the Chilli Bowl Nationals he will be partnering with none other than Keith Kunz Motorsports for the #71 team. 

He will also be participating in the 410 Sprint Car in partnership with Kreitz Racing along with the #69 team. Speaking of the partnership, Don Kreitz, head of the team, said, “It’s amazing. It’s hard to believe that it’s really going to happen. Naturally he’s one of the top drivers in the world as far as being able to run different stuff and run good in everything. He’s really versatile and seems he was raised right, very polite.”

Christopher Bell is set to race in the World of Outlaws season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, followed by High Limit Racing’s event on March 13. However, this is not all. Bell will be kick-starting his Cup Series entry once again for the 2025 season with Joe Gibbs’ Racing. With a packed schedule spanning dirt racing and the Cup Series, Bell’s 2025 season promises to be a thrilling showcase of his versatility and relentless drive for success.