Kyle Petty Sends Harsh Message to Rick Hendrick Star as He Lumps Christopher Bell in the Same League

Hendrick Motorsports had a golden chance to win the Cup Series with two drivers in the championship race but it was just not meant to be. At the end of the day, Ryan Blaney emerged victorious over Rick Hendrick and his team. To add to his miseries, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty made a rather unflattering comparison between the Hendrick drivers and one of their biggest rivals, Joe Gibbs Racing. More specifically, Christopher Bell.

Going into the Phoenix weekend, Rick Hendrick must have been a confident man. Both Kyle Larson and William Byron were considered to be strong favorites for the title. With four and six wins respectively, there was a lot to be confident about. But no matter how hard they tried, the ultimate objective eluded them this season.

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One of the biggest issues plaguing NASCAR today is its declining popularity. It is no secret that the sport has been steadily losing viewership numbers for several years now. One of the reasons for this debacle could be the lack of a champion that the mainstream could relate to. Rick Hendrick and his team seem to be suffering from the same issue.

While speaking about this issue, Kyle Petty likened the two Hendrick championship drivers to Christopher Bell in terms of their personalities. Larson had won the Cup Series in 2021 but his personality didn’t do anything for the sport in terms of its popularity and viewership numbers. Petty believes that in this respect, Larson, Byron, and Bell are alike.

“Obviously, we’ve had Kyle Larson as a champion so you have that track record. William Byron is still trying to find his personality in a lot of ways and Christopher Bell, the same way. Christopher Bell comes across better when you don’t talk to him on air than when you do talk to him on air. He’s got to make that transition,” the 63-year-old said on a recent episode of Fast Talk.

Kyle Petty also mentioned that with Ryan Blaney as the Cup Series champion, NASCAR has a golden opportunity to market a star who has more personality than the aforementioned three. The former Cup Series driver believes that Blaney can connect with younger audiences thanks to his pop-culture knowledge.

“I think that is the time because we do have an opportunity, I think the sport does have an opportunity with Ryan’s cultural vast knowledge of Star Wars and everything else that he’s a fan of to throw him out there into that generation and say hey I’m a player out here too and you can relate to me,” Petty added.

While Kyle Petty seems to be a big fan of Ryan Blaney as the Cup Series champion, the 63-year-old had to admit his mistake to the Team Penske man after he clinched the Cup Series. Petty had earlier drawn comparisons between Blaney and Kasey Kahne in the sense that the 29-year-old did not fully capitalize on his potential.

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After winning his first Cup Series title, Ryan Blaney made sure to get back at the 63-year-old. “It takes a lot to be good in this sport. I know Kyle Petty says that I never do anything, but hopefully, I proved him wrong tonight,” the 29-year-old said.

It did not take long for Kyle Petty to respond but this time, he only had words of praise for the driver of the #12. He also admitted his error in judgment while congratulating the Team Penske star. “As well, he should have! I deserve it!”

With NASCAR’s biggest prize in the bag, Ryan Blaney will perhaps have the best holiday season out of anyone in the Cup Series this year. He has earned the plaudits from experts across the country and given his level of dedication, it is well deserved.

Watch this story: Ross Chastain Makes NASCAR History in Phoenix After 9 Years