Christopher Bell's potential return to dirt racing has been a topic of much speculation. According to Jeff Gluck and The Athletic, the answer may now be yes as Joe Gibbs Racing has changed its policy regarding extracurricular racing.

2025 Chili Bowl Nationals and the Policy Change

For the past couple of years, Joe Gibbs Racing has prohibited its drivers from racing on dirt, including in open-wheel cars like Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Micros. This policy has affected drivers like Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. However, a significant change has been formalized. As Gibbs told The Athletic, if drivers get approval from the competition side, they are free to run dirt races or other forms of racing. This change was in the works since at least earlier this summer when Briscoe joined JGR.At Briscoe's announcement press conference, Gibbs explained the process. Drivers approach the crew chief first, then the competition guy, and they all discuss it. Decisions are based on the car and the race track, using common sense.Briscoe has a limited dirt racing schedule at Stewart-Haas Racing. He has attempted the Chili Bowl Nationals every year since 2017, making the A-Main in 2024 and finishing 21st. He has also made Sprint Car starts and a Dirt Late Model start at the 2023 Kyle Larson Late Model Challenge. He restarted his Chase Briscoe Racing Sprint Car team with Karter Sarff as the driver.Bell, on the other hand, has not raced on dirt since the end of 2022. He was prohibited from doing so at the request of Gibbs himself. But his recent post on X has indicated that he may be back on dirt soon.So, will we see Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion, back in the Tulsa Expo Center in January? According to The Athletic, not yet. Both Bell and Briscoe currently have no plans to do so, but they expressed relief at having the option.