Christopher Bell revealed that “Chase” is set to join Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, leading to speculation and jokes that he might have been referring to Chase Elliott.
Chase Briscoe has emerged as the frontrunner to replace the retiring Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, with an official announcement set for Tuesday.
Briscoe is the only one of the four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers with any career victories, and all four are seeking new teams for next year as their current team is set to shut down.
Christopher Bell, who has been racing for Joe Gibbs’ Cup Series team since 2021, was asked about his leadership role moving forward once Truex, the sport’s oldest full-time driver, retires at the end of the 2024 season. Bell is poised to become the team’s second longest-tenured driver in 2025, behind Denny Hamlin, who will become the oldest full-time competitor in the series after Truex’s retirement. The team’s other driver, Ty Gibbs, was promoted from the Xfinity Series in 2023.
In answering the question, Bell inadvertently revealed that “Chase” is set to join the team in 2025. He quickly realized his mistake, leading to speculation and jokes that he might have meant Chase Elliott.
Chase Elliott enters the discussion.
Though nothing is official until it’s official, it seems clear that Briscoe is indeed set to drive the No. 19 Toyota next year. However, since Bell only mentioned “Chase,” there have been jokes suggesting he might have been referring to Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott.
Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, for instance, jokingly wished Elliott “the best on his new adventure.”
Not that he truly needed to clarify, but Elliott himself made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Hendrick Motorsports for Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year.
The 2020 Cup Series champion is under contract with Rick Hendrick’s team to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet through the 2027 season. He secured a five-year extension before the 2022 season, which was initially set to be a contract year before he and the team reached that agreement.
Elliott won the April race at Texas Motor Speedway and currently sits tied with Kyle Larson for the lead in the point standings.