Joe Gibbs changes stance, permits dirt racing for Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs in 2025 NASCAR season
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) owner Joe Gibbs has reversed its old policy to allow participation in limited dirt racing for their drivers, including Christopher Bell, newly signed Chase Briscoe, and Ty Gibbs from next year. Two years ago, Gibbs prohibited their drivers from competing outside NASCAR to keep their focus on NASCAR racing.
In a recent interview with The Athletics’ Jeff Gluck, legendary NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs revealed that their dirt racing background drivers Bell, Gibbs, and Briscoe have expressed their interest in participating in dirt racing alongside the 2025 NASCAR season. Gibbs also mentioned that JGR has developed a formal process to evaluate and approve such requests.
Discussing his stance on permitting JGR drivers to participate in dirt track racing, here’s what the football coach-turned-NASCAR team owner said:
“Always preferred (drivers’) focus remain on racing in NASCAR but felt it was fair to come up with a process to consider those opportunities. We sort of talked things over to come up with a process by which they can request to run certain races. If they get approval from everyone they need on our competition side, then they are free to run the race. That includes dirt, but also potentially other forms of racing.”
It's good news for Christopher Bell, who has won the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals three times. Bell won the prestigious dirt event in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to become only the third three-time winner of the race. He has been abandoned from dirt racing since the mid-2022 season, except for two micro-sprint races in May.
“I was super shocked”: Christopher Bell on Joe Gibbs’ shift in policy
The #20 Toyota driver of Joe Gibbs Racing was surprised to see Joe Gibbs’s shift in policy permitting drivers to participate in dirt races. Bell admitted to being initially taken aback but sees the change as a positive development, especially with the signing of Chase Briscoe to the next season and Ty Gibbs’ growing interest in dirt racing.
Here's what Briscoe said (via The Athletic):
“I was definitely caught off guard by the change of policy. I was super shocked, but with Chase coming on board and Ty growing an interest in dirt racing, it’s nice we have the majority of our team aligned with it now.”
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Kyle Larson has competed in numerous dirt races and won his third career World of Outlaws Knoxville Nationals in August this year.