Denny Hamlin claims that Christopher Bell faced a difficult situation. The New Hampshire Cup race for Joe Gibbs Racing started with some complications. During the pre-race press conference, the driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry accidentally revealed that another driver would be joining the team, replacing the 2017 Cup champion who is retiring at the end of the season.
Despite the slip-up, Christopher Bell managed to redeem himself and secure a notable victory in New Hampshire on Sunday, overcoming the challenges posed by wet tires. JGR veteran Denny Hamlin addressed the incident on his Action Detrimental podcast, acknowledging that it was tough for Bell. He emphasized that the identity of the new driver was already known within the team, but Joe Gibbs Racing typically delays the official announcement, preferring to let the news emerge naturally.
In the 2022 season, Denny Hamlin’s racing team, 23XI Racing, surprised everyone by hiring a driver, despite him joining only two years later. The team made this decision to avoid dealing with rumors and reports. Tyler Reddick later joined 23XI in the 2023 season after going through some drama at RCR. Since then, he has won several races, proving that their choice was the right one. With Bell’s victory on Sunday, the anticipation for the driver announcement has only increased.
