NASCAR star accidentally 'reveals' huge driver team switch

Christopher Bell made a mistake ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series USA Today 301 race, as he inadvertently 'announced' his future teammate in a press conference.

Martin Truex Jr. announced ahead of the Iowa Corn 350 that he is set to retire from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the season, sparking speculation on who would replace him at Joe Gibbs Racing.

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Chase Briscoe has been heavily linked to replace the former NASCAR champion in the team. However, the team have not announced Truex’s replacement.

Despite this, Bell seemingly let some news slip accidentally at the press conference ahead of the USA Today 301.

Man totally blind sided by this news! Wishing @chaseelliott the best on his new adventure at @JoeGibbsRacing. Have enjoyed you as a teammate! 😂 Good Luck #d19 https://t.co/MLNUG7Qyim

— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) June 21, 2024

Larson: 'Blindsided' by news

According to Fox News, Bell was present at a media session ahead of the New Hampshire race and the driver was simply asked if he would take an increased leadership role at the team.

Bell said: “I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect. Whenever Chase comes into the car...”

Once Bell mentioned ‘Chase,’ he immediately stopped talking, put the microphone down and looked as if he was trying not to laugh at his mistake. Despite this, he continued to answer the reporter's question.

“Whenever some. Wherever- I don’t know what to say. Whenever we have a new driver into the #19 car - whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they have in the team.”

Whilst the mistake was in front of the media, ahead of the event, it didn’t take long until a driver got a whiff of it.

As Bell did not mention Chase’s full name, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson joked on X tagging teammate Chase Elliott in the post.

On X, Larson said: “Man totally blind sided by this news! Wishing @chaseelliott the best on his new adventure at @JoeGibbsRacing. Have enjoyed you as a teammate! Good Luck #d19”

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