NASCAR: Christopher Bell accidentally lets it slip that ‘Chase’ will replace Martin Truex Jr. at Joe Gibbs Racing

Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe are likely to be teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Christopher Bell might have accidentally confirmed the next driver move ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season.

The No. 19 car at Joe Gibbs Racing is in need of a driver next season following Martin Truex Jr.’s retirement announcement last week. With Stewart-Haas Racing shutting down at the end of the season, no official announcement has been made about Truex’s replacement, but Chase Briscoe has been mentioned as the likely candidate to replace Truex. And Bell made that very clear on Friday before catching himself during a news conference at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Just watch Bell’s reaction here when he mentions that “Chase” will be the next driver of the No. 19. Oops.

“I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect, and whenever Chase comes into the car — whenever someone, I don’t even know what to say,” Bell said with a sheepish laugh. “Whenever we have a new driver into the 19 car, whenever we have a new driver in the 19 car, whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they have in the team.”

With Chase Elliott the only other “Chase” in the Cup Series field, Kyle Larson had some fun with Bell’s slip-up. No, Elliott isn’t leaving Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season.

Truex, 43, has been one of the best drivers of the last decade in the Cup Series. He’s won 33 races since the start of the 2016 season and won the 2017 Cup Series title. He’s spent the last six seasons of his career at JGR after the closure of Furniture Row Motorsports and he and Bell have been teammates at the Cup Series level for the past five seasons.

With Truex’s retirement, there are set to be just three full-time drivers in their 40s when the 2025 Cup Series season begins in February.

Briscoe, 30, has one career victory and is 17th in the points standings this season. He was ninth in 2022 before a bad season in 2023 that was hampered by a massive points penalty assessed to his team. Briscoe is currently the highest-ranked SHR driver in the points standings ahead of Josh Berry, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece. Neither of those three drivers have rides officially lined up for next season either.