Mike Joy calls for Christopher Bell to race Indy 500, predicts he'll win NASCAR Cup Series championship

Mike Joy is going to bat for Christopher Bell. The Norman, Oklahoma native may be one of the more underrated wheelmen in the NASCAR Cup Series, but the FOX Sports analyst sees his immense talent.

During an appearance on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Joy stated that of all the drivers in the Cup Series, he’d like to see Bell join Kyle Larson in trying his hand at racing in the Indianapolis 500. Additionally, Joy predicted Bell will be a champion in short order, whether it’s this year or next, commending him as the next big thing in NASCAR.

“He will be a champion of this sport. I have no doubt,” Joy predicted. “I really wished he had the chance to run for it last year. You know, Martinsville got in the way, and so did a couple of blocking Chevrolets. You know, all right, we know what happened then. But you know, the way he handled that, and the way he made his point about whether things were fair or not, without taking on NASCAR, I think really elevated his status in the garage and in the sport.

“I think now he’s someone that NASCAR respects and listens to. I think they’re ready for him to be a champion. And he is.”

Joy isn’t alone in his assessment of Bell. Kevin Harvick agrees with his broadcast partner. He thinks Bell is at the forefront of an impressive young movement in the Cup Series, as well.

“I think he is too,” Harvick said, regarding Bell being a future NASCAR champion. “When you look at the maturity of Christopher as a person, and he’s developing into being a leader. You look at our garage and you’ve got Joey Logano, you know, you look at Christopher Bell compared to a Joey Logano, it’s a big gap of time, that difference that Logano has been in this garage, and you look back at Christopher Bell.

“Christopher Bell came in during COVID, 2020. Think about that. He’s had four full-time years. Three of them in a quality car. He started in that No. 95 car. That year was difficult, just to be thrown in into the Cup Series. Really, when you look at our Cup Series driver lineup right now, it’s pretty young. I believe the potential of these guys is a lot bigger than most people give credit.

“I hear people say all the time, they’re like, ‘Hey, we don’t have any big stars. We don’t have any big personalities.’ Honestly, we have a lot of great personalities. We have a lot of kids that are maturing into being adults. I think that makes a big difference in how you express yourself, and the things that you’re willing to say.”

All told, Christopher Bell has come close, competing in the Championship 4 multiple times. With three victories on his resume already, perhaps he’ll close the deal for the first time in 2025. Phoenix Raceway is one of his best tracks, so we’ll see what he can do if he can get back to the dance this season.