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Christopher Bell is taking so many checkards, McKenzie Child’s is getting jealous.

“Yeah it’s pretty crazy to look back at my career and see how it’s all progressed,” said Bell. “I never dreamed this as a kid. I never pictured myself as a Nascar driver.”

But that’s exactly what he is. After 7 truck series wins and 8 nascar xfinity series wins. The Norman born Bell’s road to Nascar stardom began thanks to a friend.

“Our family friend raced at the racetrack there at I-44 Speedway in Oklahoma City. I went to the races with their family and was pretty much hooked ever since.”

The need for speed found its way to Bell’s parents, who did all they could to support their son from a young age.

Bell said, “They loved me racing. It provides great family bonding time driving to the races. You just create those life long memories that you have as a kid and you know a lot of those memories for me are driving up and down the highway listening to the radio.”

Racing all over the country, Bell drove micro sprints and midget cars before signing with Kyle Busch motorsports in 2015 where he made his debut in the NASCAR camping world truck series. 2 years later, he won the regular season championship.

Then in 2017 Bell signed with famed Joe Gibbs racing.

“He’s one of the greatest leaders definitely in motor sports and a successful football coach as well. Just being able to drove for him is special.”

And Bell was special, as he moved to the Nascar Xfinity series full time.

Even with all his wins, there’s one title that means more to him than any win in Nascar.

Bell said, “I’d have to say my first Chili Bowl is definitely P1 on my favorites list. The Chili Bowl is basically what racing meant to me as a kid. So to be able to win that race twice now is something that I’m really proud of.”

On the cusp of joining the Monster Energy Series, Bell grew up idolizing the likes of Jack Haudenshield and Tony Stewart. And Bell races with the same intensity that both did every time they got behind the wheel.

“My mindset every time I get in the car is to try and not crash. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen,” Bell said. “Finishing races, that’s been the downfall to my Nascar career. I have a hard time finishing races at times. If you want to win the race, you have to to finish all the laps.”

Despite Bell’s aggressive nature that’s helped him win so many races, it’s also helped him win in the race of life. Bell, and his toyota racing team, donated money to help rebuild grand stands here at I-44 Riverside Speedway…which was damaged in the 2013 tornado.

“I never would’ve dreamed I would’ve been in the position to give back or people want me to give back to the community so that’s really cool,” Bell said. “To be able to do it at my home track where I grew up racing, where I first drove a race car, where I first raced it. It’s really special.”

But just like his donation, so is his career. It’s helping him grow the sport he loves. For Christopher Bell he isn’t racing for money, fame of fortune. He’s races for passion.

“My goals have never wavered,” Bell said. “Since I was a kid my goal was to make a living driving race cars because that’s what I love to do. I’m a kid from Norman, Oklahoma. My dad was a basketball coach. I didn’t come from a racing family at all and here I am today driving a Nascar. I just hope that kids, if they have a dream, they need to follow it. It worked out for me and it can work out for them too.”