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Jeff Gordon Backs Kyle Larson, But Kevin Harvick Picks Christopher Bell for 2025 Cup Title

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 2, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Kyle Larson dreams of retiring with Hendrick Motorsports: “I hope to be there until I’m done”

BRISTOL, TN - MARCH 17: Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet looks on prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Food City 500 on March 17, 2024, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 17 NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240317649

As Kyle Larson heads into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, he remains the odds-on favorite to contend for the title—at least in the eyes of Jeff Gordon. But if you ask Kevin Harvick, there’s another driver poised to steal the spotlight: Christopher Bell.

The rivalry between two of NASCAR’s best dirt racers, Larson and Bell, is heating up, and with Harvick’s bold prediction, the battle for the 2025 championship just got even more interesting.

Jeff Gordon on Kyle Larson: “Yes, He’s Better Than Me!”

When asked in 2023 if Kyle Larson was better than him, four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon didn’t hesitate.

“Uh, yes!” Gordon replied, keeping it short and sweet.

It’s hard to argue. Since winning the Cup Series in 2021, Larson has consistently been among the sport’s elite, thanks to his:
✔ Aggressive driving style
✔ Versatility across multiple racing disciplines
✔ Ability to dominate under pressure

Larson’s 2024 Season: Dominant, But Not Enough

Larson put up insane numbers in 2024, yet failed to reach the Championship 4 due to setbacks in the playoffs.

🔹 6 wins
🔹 15 top-five finishes
🔹 18 top-10 finishes

But his decision to skip the Coca-Cola 600 for the Indy 500 hurt him, costing him the regular-season championship. Then, late-season struggles at Atlanta and Kansas knocked him out of title contention.

Still, after dominating in offseason dirt racing events, he enters 2025 as a heavy title favorite. But not everyone is putting their money on him.

Kevin Harvick: “Christopher Bell is the Biggest Threat to Larson”

Kevin Harvick sees a different driver rising to the top in 2025—Christopher Bell.

On his podcast, Harvick’s Happy Hour, the 2014 Cup Series champion called Bell the biggest challenge to Larson’s title hopes.

“I’m going with his (Kyle Larson’s) rival—Christopher Bell,” Harvick said. “Bell has been close. He’s got that hunger to figure out how to make it happen.”

Harvick believes that Bell’s maturity and consistency over the years make him a legitimate championship contender.

“As you go through season after season after season, that maturity has been very visible to me.”

Christopher Bell’s Resume: The Next JGR Superstar?

Bell has been one of the most consistent drivers in NASCAR over the past three seasons.

🔹 8 wins since 2022
🔹 37 top-five finishes
🔹 62 top-10 finishes
🔹 Championship 4 appearances in 2022 & 2023

Many believe that if not for controversial playoff race manipulation in 2024, Bell would have made a third straight Championship 4.

JGR’s Secret Weapon: Chris Gabehart

Harvick also highlighted a major change within Joe Gibbs Racing that could elevate Bell to title-winning form—the addition of Chris Gabehart in an organizational role.

“I think that Chris Gabehart in that organizational role is gonna make a big impact on that team,” Harvick said. “I just think with Bell and his situation being consistent, they have a real shot at doing that.”

Gabehart was Denny Hamlin’s crew chief for six seasons, guiding him to:
✔ 22 wins
✔ Three Championship 4 appearances
✔ Five straight seasons finishing 5th or better

With Gabehart’s strategic expertise now benefiting Bell, JGR’s No. 20 team might be NASCAR’s most dangerous sleeper pick.

Larson vs. Bell: A 2025 Championship Rivalry in the Making?

Both Larson and Bell are two of the best wheelmen in the sport, both with elite dirt racing backgrounds.

While Jeff Gordon believes Larson is the best driver in the field, Kevin Harvick sees Bell as the sport’s next great champion.

Could 2025 be the year Bell dethrones Larson?

Or will Larson prove once again why he’s Jeff Gordon’s pick for NASCAR’s top driver?

One thing is certain—this rivalry is about to reach another level.

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