It was a day for jubilation in the Joe Gibbs Racing garage. After what felt like an endless abyss of finishing good but not good enough to celebrate, the team was finally at the end on the Victory Lap thanks to Christopher Bell’s expert pass on Joey Logano with nine laps to go. But Bell was not one to hog the limelight all by himself. When asked about the spectacular evening’s shenanigans at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, the racer beamed, “(The No. 20 pit crew is) the best…These boys right here, [crew chief] Adam Stevens on the pit box, all the mechanics, all the engineers that put this thing together – they’re the big picture.” 

And he wasn’t wrong. The No. 20 JGR Toyota team has been on fire for the first part of the 2025 season. Christopher Bell fetched three consecutive race victories at Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix. Currently sitting third in the standings, the 30-year-old pulled through at NWS as well, especially in the last leg of the race. Bell pitted for two tires under the yellow and restarted sixth on Lap 223 of 250. He then quickly advanced to second after passing Ross Chastain on Lap 227. Then on Lap 241, Bell finally caught up with Logano, eventually clinching the victory by less than a hair’s breadth—0.829 seconds.

“North Wilkesboro, how about that one?” Bell shouted from on top of his car in the end. But more so it was an open challenge that indicated that the #20 team was ready to tackle any adversity. However, seems like there’s a bit of instability (or, maybe not) that might be headed the team’s way. As things stand, for the 600-mile Coca-Cola 600 this coming weekend, JGR has let go of one of Bell’s trusted ‘boys.’ The buzz was alive on social media even before the official news was released. Couch Racer, a brand of home-racing experts and a prominent NASCAR account, posted on X: “Potential shocking spotter shakeup coming.”

Journalist Bob Pockrass then confirmed on May 20, writing, “Spotter change for Christopher Bell. Matt Philpott will be spotting for Bell as Stevie Reeves no longer spotting for Bell.” Stevie Reeves, a 58-year-old veteran spotter, had been working with Bell ever since his 2021 debut in JGR. Together, they fetched all 12 of Bell’s Cup Series race victories, including the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 race. And not just that. Notably, Reeves started NASCAR spotting way back in 2005 with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. spotting for Paul Menard in the Busch series, and then moved to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team helping him win the 2004 Daytona 500.

He also spotted for Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team in 2007 and 2008. Bell’s incoming partner, Matt Philpott, on the other hand, has a ton of experience. He has served as a spotter for various teams in the Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series this season, including stints with Reaume Brothers Racing, and Joey Gase Motorsports. He also served as the spotter for Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 56 TRICON Garage team in the season-opening Daytona 500. Hopefully, Philpott’s arrival will help Bell achieve more consistency than he currently has.

Hints of a topsy-turvy situation have surfaced in the 2025 season. For instance, when Christopher Bell was looking to fetch a fourth consecutive win for the first time since Johnson, pit problems set in at Las Vegas. He had to stop at his teammate, Chase Briscoe’s pit stall, to get his tire tightened. Clearly, things may have been a little sketchy.

Evidently, Christopher Bell will need to adjust to a new spotter in a short amount of time. While this change was shocking for C Bell fans, another spotter change was welcomed.

When health takes primary importance

Well, Christopher Bell’s team member swap is bizarre indeed. That is because no reason has been given yet to explain why Stevie Reeves will no longer serve as the spotter. However, RFK Racing has a legitimate reason for swapping its No. 6 Ford spotter. Brad Keselowski usually has T.J. Majors, a veteran spotter and a co-host on the Dale Jr Download, sitting atop the pit box. For the 2025 Coca-Cola 600, Todd Brewer will fill in for Majors as Keselowski’s spotter. In a recent episode of DJD, Majors confirmed to Dale Earnhardt Jr about why he will be gone from his duties “for about a month.” That is because Majors is undergoing a medical procedure, the details of which have not been shared.

The No. 6 spotter shared on the podcast: “I missed Darlington. I’ve got a little procedure coming up this week, and I’ll be out for probably about a month…Hopefully, I’ll be back for good after that and not have to worry about it anymore.” This unfortunate development came over two months after TJ Majors’ driver, Brad Keselowski, himself fell sick on the racetrack. The veteran’s cool suit failed at Circuit of the Americas, and Keselowski persisted in the intense heat and powered through to finish 15th. At the end of the racetrack, Keselowski had to be taken on a stretcher from the venue.

While RFK Racing’s spotter swap was a logical development, JGR’s has been baffling. Hopefully, we can get a positive update about why Christopher Bell had to cut ties with his long-time spotter.