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Christopher Bell Surprised by Mid-Season Team Change, Admitting Replacement Wasn’t First Choice

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kyle Dalton | Last updated May 25, 2025 1:28 PM ET

Christopher Bell was riding high last Sunday after winning his first All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. However, that excitement took a hit a short time later when his spotter, Stevie Reeves, who had worked with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver since his Cup debut in 2020, shockingly quit.

On Saturday, the No. 20 pilot met with reporters before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and discussed the unexpected mid-season departure.

“Yeah, I was surprised as well,” Bell admitted. “It was all Stevie’s decision. He made the decision on his own to quit. And, that’s all I’m gonna say.”

Reeves had been on top of the spotter stand for all 12 of Bell’s victories, including the three consecutive wins earlier this year. The timing of the departure — just one race short of the midway point of the regular season — put the team in an awkward position.

“Clearly, there’s not a ton of options out there with everybody having jobs and continuing on through the season," the 30-year-old acknowledged. "So there weren’t a ton of guys out there.

“Nothing against Matt (Philpott), but he definitely wouldn’t have been high on the list with his experience level if we weren’t in this situation,” the driver said of the replacement, who had previously worked as a full-time mechanic for Denny Hamlin. “But with that being said, he’s trying to get into the spotter scene and it made sense to go that direction.”

.@CBellRacing met with reporters on Saturday and addressed the unexpected mid-season departure of his spotter Stevie Reeves and admitted the replacement wasn't the first choice. pic.twitter.com/5VDOshmO5x
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) May 25, 2025

Bell revealed Philpott had worked with Martin Truex Jr. during the 2025 Daytona 500.

“He had his foot in the door with our company and it made sense to give him a shot,” he said. “And it’s important to say — he’s doing us a favor. We’re not doing him a favor. He’s doing us a favor by filling in.”

Bell and his new spotter have their first race together on Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600. Race coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on Prime.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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