When one door closes, another one opens. But nobody was expecting it to open for Tab Boyd so soon. The veteran spotter has extensive experience in the sport, having previously worked with giants like Hendrick Motorsports. But all of his reputation took a bad rap when Boyd uttered expletive-laden rants on his visit to Mexico City. Thus, he had to leave Hyak Motorsports in unprecedented fashion, but as they say, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, and for Tab Boyd, that light was Joe Gibbs Racing. However, his newest partner, Christopher Bell, is a bit wary.

The No. 20 Toyota driver is a championship favorite in 2025, with his three consecutive wins at the start of the season highlighting his potential. There’s no doubt that Christopher Bell is thoroughly focused, but with all this change around him, he is cautious about his chances heading to EchoPark Speedway this Saturday.

Christopher Bell dissects his evolving situation

Well, a lot of things are looking bright for Christopher Bell. This season, Bell pulled off a three-win streak in Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix and only lost the 4-win streak possibility due to a pit road mistake in Las Vegas. This fiery dominance has continued, with his consistency evident in 11 top tens and 7 top fives in total. However, there is a nagging problem that has potentially rocked his focus.

Stevie Reeves, who had been spotting for Bell since his Cup Series debut in 2020, left after Bell picked up the $1 million All-Star Race win. The abrupt departure left Bell a little rattled, as he had to adjust to former JGR mechanic Matt Philpott’s newbie spotter role. Philpott worked in five races, helping Bell net a runner-up finish in Mexico City. However, now Bell needs to reorganize his strategy once again.

Tab Boyd, who received backlash from fans about his Mexico City comments, is next in line as Bell’s spotter after he lost his job in Ricky Stenhouse Jr’s team. However, Bell is aware of the growing pains that come with a new spotter-driver combination. Bell told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, “It’s going to be tough. I’ve listened to Tab on our replay system, but aside from that, that’s all we’ve got. It’s going to be tough getting acclimated at probably one of the most spotter-intense racetracks on the calendar, but Tab has a bunch of experience. So yeah, we’ll play it by ear, and definitely the first stage or two is going to be a learning curve.”

As Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s spotter, Tab Boyd won the 2023 Daytona 500. However, we can only wait and see how Boyd will help Christopher Bell perform at EchoPark Speedway. For now, the driver was grateful for Matt Philpott, whom he ironically doubted for not having “tons of experience.” Bell said, “I’m super thankful for Philpott jumping in when he did in the heart of our schedule, which was super, super tough. He did a great job for us, and we’re thankful for him. When Tab became available, it made sense to add some experience to our team as we get closer to the playoffs and hopefully contend for a championship.”

This search for the right spotter for Christopher Bell makes sense in his pursuit of the title. It also falls in place with a crucial change in Bell’s approach.

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Coming out of the shell

Christopher Bell’s racing prowess is indubitable. However, his media presence has been sporadic until the 2025 season. The Toyota driver was always known for his taciturn nature, never rolling out more words in front of the camera than necessary. Bell even prided himself over it, as he told Motorsport.com in 2024: “I’m definitely quiet. I’m quiet and reserved, and people will kind of take that as a weakness.” However, last year’s playoff race in Martinsville was a turning point for him.

Bell attempted a ‘wall ride’ in that race and lost the Championship 4 spot to William Byron. It was later revealed that Bell and Byron both received an unfair helping hand from their fellow OEMs, in what was declared as blatant race manipulation by NASCAR, but Bell still missed out on the Championship 4. His interview following that debacle showed a shift in tone from the JGR driver.

Bell said ahead of the finale at Phoenix in 2024, “I feel cheated out of a chance to compete for a championship. Yeah, I mean, it all stems from what happened earlier, [with] 15 [or] 20 [laps] to go, whenever the race got fixed and manipulated by Chevrolet that forced our hands to do what we did and ultimately it forced me into a mistake on the last lap to get into the wall.” This marked a change in attitude from Bell heading into 2025.

Besides swearing to be better, Bell also decided to be more outspoken. He told The Athletic recently, “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.” Bell added, “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.”

Christopher Bell is ready to go to great lengths to clinch his maiden Cup Series championship. Even if that means hearing multiple voices on his radio comms, the JGR driver’s focus is intact. Do you think Christopher Bell has a chance at the Championship in 2025? Let us know in the comments!