Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez proved that forgiving past rivalries can be impossible in NASCAR. While their shenanigans continued on the track, Christopher Bell is here to differ. While he has definitely had quite a few contact racing incidents in all three of NASCAR’s national series, he doesn’t let them become his racing highlights like many others on the track. Even though he idolizes Tony Stewart, Bell believes in moving on from rivalries and racing in peace.

Christopher Bell’s racing philosophy

“Just have a conversation about it,” Bell suggested as he replied to Jordan Bianchi ahead of the race at Darlington. Of course, Bell has had his moments on the track, but has he continued with them? Tough to say. He might as well be the Buddha of the NASCAR garage.

“Put it behind you. A lot of the people that I’ve had run-ins with, or I think right now, all of the people that I’ve had run-ins with, I’m on pretty good standing with all of them. I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot right now,” he added. “If I make a mistake and get into somebody, like, I’m going to reach out to them and apologize and have a conversation with them.”

Christopher Bell actually goes against many other drivers on the grid. There’s the classic example of the ‘rowdy’ Kyle Busch, who used to have pretty heated rivalries back at his peak. Then there’s the curious case of Bell’s idol, Tony Stewart. While he does have a massive fanbase and a charming personality, he was quite different when it came to his competitors. Safe to say, he has had his fair share of heated moments.

In a garage full of hotheads, Bell stands out as someone who chooses to stay composed. Speaking of his idol, however, his personality was rather rough on the track, and the “little” incident he had back in 2004 reflected exactly that.

Tony Stewart’s 2004 controversy

Tony Stewart, in pure fashion, won the Tropicana 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway. That victory, however, was anything but easy. Kasey Kahne was having a good race that day, until during one of the restarts, Stewart rammed into his back, ending his shot at the win.

Moments later, Kahne’s crew members went to Stewart’s garage for a talk. At least that was what it seemed like. A huge brawl broke out between the crew members, escalating quite a bit.

Tony Stewart, meanwhile, claimed that he was not in the wrong. Speaking to the media after the race, he explained that Kahne had slowed down, almost brake-checking him, and that was why it happened. He also went on to defend the controversy, saying:

“We’ve been the hot topic of discussion about this topic all year, but I’m pretty much a black and white guy. If I make a mistake, I tell you guys I make a mistake,” he said. “A lot of times I’m not proud of it and proud of what I do, but whatever happened today, I didn’t do it. I was there, I was right behind him, and all of a sudden, his car slowed down.”

Stewart also said, with a bit of sarcasm: “For whatever reason, I don’t know. I can’t control all 43 cars out there. I can only control mine.”

It was quite apparent that Stewart was not happy with whatever happened on the track. Despite clinching the race win, he wasn’t in a great mood, but that was just his personality. His aggressive style won him races, even the love from fans.

Two decades later, Christopher Bell seems to have taken only the most positive qualities from Stewart. His racing is disciplined; he wins, and moreover, he remains consistent. What else could a team ask for under the Chase championship format?

More than anything, Christopher Bell doesn’t keep his rivalries. At a time when drivers are only avoiding physical brawls because of NASCAR’s massive fines, Bell proves to be different.