Christopher Bell ‘surprised’ by sudden spotter change, claims Stevie Reeves ‘made decision to quit’

Christopher Bell and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team made a surprising change after this past Sunday’s All-Star Race victory at North Wilkesboro Speedway. With the Coca-Cola 600 on the docket, Stevie Reeves, Bell’s spotter, was replaced by Matt Philpott.

The move was met with some immediate shock. Bell was coming off a win, in the midst of a torrid start to the 2025 season and Reeves, 58, had been spotting for Bell since 2020, when he was with Leavine Family Racing.

Evidently, Bell was just as surprised as the rest of us. When asked about it ahead of this weekend’s race, he pulled no punches. The 30-year old claimed Reeves quit on the team in a wild twist.

“I was surprised as well,” Bell said, regarding the sudden spotter change, per Alan Cavanna. “It was all Stevie. He made the decision to quit.”

Moving forward, we’ll see how Bell and Philpott gel, but they’ll have to be on top of their game. The wheelman currently sits third in the points standings with four wins, including the All-Star Race. Earlier this season, he became the first driver to win three consecutive races in the Next Gen era.

Bell, along with Kyle Larson and a group of other drivers, is one of the favorites to win the Cup Championship in 2025. While the change is shocking, it doesn’t seem as if there was anything the driver could’ve done. Nonetheless, Christopher Bell is in great shape to compete for the win at Charlotte. He won the Coca-Cola 600 last season, his first Crown Jewel race victory. 

More on Christopher Bell, Coca-Cola 600

Meanwhile, Christopher Bell showcased why he’s one of the best drivers in the sport this past Sunday at North Wilkesboro. With Joey Logano on old tires, Bell put the pressure on the three-time Cup champion. Logano held him off as long as he could before Bell made the race-winning pass with nine to go. 

“North Wilkesboro, how about that one? That right there was absolutely incredible,” Bell said after the race. “North Wilkesboro is the best short track on the schedule. Let’s go. [The No. 20 pit crew is] the best. There’s nothing else to say. This sport can be so humbling because behind the wheel you’re just a small part of the success. 

“These boys right here, [crew chief] Adam Stevens on the pit box, all the mechanics, all the engineers that put this thing together – they’re the big picture. I’m just the guy that gets to stand up here and talk to you and take the pictures, but without them I’m nobody and I owe it all to these guys.”

— On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this article.