Christopher Bell emerged as the winner for JGR and Toyota in 2024 with his victory in the Phoenix race. The 43-year-old driver consistently proved to be the top competitor at Joe Gibbs Racing. Despite his standout status, it is inevitable that Denny Hamlin, the driver of the No:11 Camry, will eventually retire due to his advanced age. However, JGR can rest assured knowing that they have a capable replacement for Hamlin in Christopher Bell, as pointed out by Kevin Harvick, the retired SHR driver and 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Harvick believes that the No:20 Camry driver possesses exceptional leadership qualities and is the most consistent driver in the Next-Gen era.
Kevin Harvick’s words convey his confidence in Christopher Bell’s abilities and his belief that Bell can become the team’s top driver in the future. Bell has consistently proven himself in the Next-Gen era, being the only Toyota driver to reach the Championship-4 since the introduction of the 7th generation car. He is also the only driver to make it to the final-4 in the last two seasons consecutively across the entire Cup grid.
In terms of personality, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin are complete opposites. Bell is known for his calmness and serenity, letting his performance on the track speak for itself. On the other hand, Hamlin is a loud and expressive person, who is outspoken both on and off the track. During a podcast, Kevin Harvick also discussed the striking contrast in personalities between Bell and Hamlin, highlighting Bell’s unique character compared to the team’s top driver.
Kevin Harvick emphasized Christopher Bell’s exceptional driving skills and how that should be the main focus. He believes that Bell would be an ideal leader for JGR when it comes to media responsibilities, as he would not cause public relations issues like Hamlin often does. However, Harvick also mentioned that if Bell does not consistently perform at a high level, he may go unnoticed, which could be detrimental from a marketing standpoint. Nevertheless, JGR should have no trouble finding a solution to this puzzle.
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