It’s being widely proclaimed that Christopher Bell is the ‘Tom Holland’ of NASCAR. However, it is not because of his spider-rush abilities on the track. Rather, just like Holland, who cannot stomach any Marvel secrets, Bell accidentally revealed that Chase Briscoe is set to join Joe Gibbs Racing. Since then, the digs just haven’t stopped, causing the biggest question of the Silly Season to take a turn: Can Bell be trusted with secrets?

Yet, HMS star Kyle Larson has an unexpected perspective. In a recent interview with Bob Pockrass, Larson defended Bell from all the sarcastic remarks. He mentioned that Bell’s slip served the purpose that the team intended.

Larson is proud of Christopher Bell 

Amid all the Silly Season chaos, Kyle Larson took a light-hearted approach to Christopher Bell’s accidental reveal. Speaking to Bob Pockrass, Larson said, “I was really proud of it. I like…I was typing so fast I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I texted Bell and Briscoe I think before I even sent that to them that I was dying. It was hilarious.” Larson found humor in the situation and believed that Bell’s candidness actually benefited JGR.

Highlighting how the unexpected slip-up generated buzz and attention, Larson said, “That was, I mean, the greatest way to announce somebody coming to a team, I think. No matter—I’m sure PR departments have been planning this extravagant, very professional thing, but they got way more clicks for that, once they finally do announce it,” Larson added, emphasizing the unplanned PR win for JGR.

If you remember, NASCAR in 2021, on National Friendship Day, shared a video put together by @nascarcasm. The video featured several clips of drivers’ on-track physical feuds, with a poem titled ‘A Friend’s Greeting’ playing in the background. The video was funny for sure, but if Larson and Bell were to be featured, it would be funny and accurate! From being longtime dirt rivals to trusting each other, they have surely come a long way.

In the interview, Pockrass further questioned the HMS driver whether he would trust Bell with secrets in the future. And Larson confidently responded: “I’m sure he’ll be on much higher awareness now, so yeah, I think you can probably trust him going forward.”

Fans too came out in full support of Larson’s advocacy. Fans were enthusiastic to hear his views in the interview and their reactions are worth mentioning.

Fans react to #20’s blunder and #5’s Defense

The NASCAR community was buzzing after Bell’s slip and Larson’s subsequent defense. Fans took to social media to express their views. One fan commented, “Larson is so pleasantly real in such a corporate policed world,” appreciating his candid approach. Another fan humorously noted, “Kyle’s #d19 as a play on Chase’s #di9 was the best!” highlighting the playful side of the HMS prodigy.

Many fans agreed with Larson’s perspective on the publicity Bell’s slip generated. “Those “official announcements” don’t really matter that much to most fans,” one fan remarked, pointing out how official unveilings are often more for the organizations and sponsors. Another fan empathized with Bell, saying, “Christopher Bell made a ‘Mistake’ and was very human & humble about it. We are all having a laugh over this because WE ALL have done the same thing.”

The light-hearted nature of the incident brought out more positive reactions. “C🔔 is the MAN,” one fan exclaimed, showing support for Bell. Another fan said, “Once we fans hear some rumors about anything in NASCAR, 90% of the time are true 😂”. The humor chain continued with comments like “Too funny!” and “Everyone would have been scared to do such a thing. Good for Larson to lighten the situation,” reflecting the general amusement among fans.

This moment was probably much needed amidst all the uncertainties and tensions and we all have just Christopher Bell to thank for it.