Christopher Bell admits nobody disliked him before getting into NASCAR: "I’ve definitely got people who don’t like me now"

Christopher Bell recently admitted that not being liked by everyone in NASCAR has bugged him, as no one disliked him growing up. In the recent “12 Questions” interview with Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver responded to what people might be getting wrong about him by speaking his mind honestly.

The 30‑year‑old American driver, who started racing on micro sprints in the early 2000s, pointed out that he was well‑liked in racing during his teenage years, but that changed when he entered NASCAR.

Christopher Bell told Gluck via the New York Times:

"Nobody disliked me. Then you get into NASCAR, and I don’t know if it’s because people don’t know the individuals, or maybe I have changed and I’m just an a**hole, but I’ve definitely got people who don’t like me now. I’m like, 'I don’t understand how anybody could not like me.' I never had people dislike me as a kid growing up, and now I do."

Bell started his NASCAR career with a Truck Series championship in 2017, which was followed by success in the Xfinity Series, where he claimed seven wins in his rookie season. In 2020, Bell debuted in the Cup Series with Leavine Family Racing, before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing the following year.

He scored his first Cup win at Daytona’s road course that year and has since become a consistent front‑runner, recording 12 Cup wins to date. Three of these victories came earlier this season, when he completed a three‑race sweep across Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix in March.

"You're scrutinized to the sharpest of margins" - Christopher Bell on being increasingly outspoken

Christopher Bell also revealed that stable backing in NASCAR with consistent sponsors has bolstered his confidence.

When asked why he has become more vocal over the past year, Bell mentioned the pressure that comes with public scrutiny and credited the support from his team to overcome the same during the interview with The Athletic.

"I know what changed, and it was single-handedly the confidence and commitment I got from my team and my sponsors. This sport is so tough because you’re scrutinized to the sharpest of margins," Christopher Bell said.

He added that the shift came after he felt fully secure in his No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE at Joe Gibbs Racing, and he could loosen up once he knew his Cup seat was solid.

"It clicked once I solidified myself and my position. … It allowed me to open up more knowing hopefully I don’t say the wrong thing, but you’re not walking on pins and needles and eggshells trying to make sure you don’t screw up and have a sponsor get away."

The divergence in public opinion was perhaps inevitable. Bell's move to lift Ross Chastain’s "Hail Melon" style run off the bottom at Martinsville last fall cost the driver his Championship 4 spot and started the shift.