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Christopher Bell Content to Stay in XFINITY for 2019 Season

Christopher Bell has three consecutive XFINITY victories entering this weekend’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International, and there has been recent speculation on what his future may hold.

Bell, 23, is the reigning Camping World Truck Series champion, though he picked up his first XFINITY Series victory during the playoffs last season at Kansas Speedway. That made him one of the championship favorites heading into the 2018 season competing for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Through the opening 19 races this season, Bell has four victories and 12 top-five finishes and is on the fast track to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

“Yeah, absolutely. I love racing in the XFINITY Series and it’s a great place for me to get seat time, and compete with some of the best drivers in the world,” Bell said on his 2019 plans. “If the opportunity comes to go Cup Series racing, if it was allowed, I’d prefer to run both full-time Cup and XFINITY series.

“I’m going to be excited either way and as of right now, it looks like I am going to be running the XFINITY Series. I am super excited about that.”

Currently, Bell is the XFINITY championship leader and has a series-high 24 playoff points. Meanwhile, silly season is here and he doesn’t plan to join a different manufacturer if the opportunity arises in Cup.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere else other than within the Toyota organization and hopefully in the Joe Gibbs Racing organization,” Bell said. “These guys, especially Toyota, have been with me since day one and I’m in great hands with them.

“I’ve always said, as a kid growing up that my goal was to drive racecars for a living – it didn’t matter what it was, just drive racecars for a living. I’ve gotten to do that for several years now, so I’m living my dream right now and whatever the future brings, it brings, but I definitely am going to stay with the Toyota organization.”

Toyota will move to the Supra next season in the XFINITY Series, while JGR has seven victories in the Cup Series this year. This weekend, Bell is looking to become the first driver since two-time champion Sam Ard in 1983 to win four consecutive races.

Dustin joined the Frontstretch team at the beginning of the 2016 season. 2020 marks his sixth full-time season covering the sport that he grew up loving. His dream was to one day be a NASCAR journalist, thus why he attended Ithaca College (Class of 2018) to earn a journalism degree. Since the ripe age of four, he knew he wanted to be a storyteller.

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David Edwards

And the alternative is?

Ken

So when is Denny’s contract up?