Larson believes Christopher Bell will be a future Cup star

In his fourth full season on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup tour, the Elk Grove, California native — who turns 25 on July 31 — has brought considerable attention to NASCAR’s next generation of young racers.

Stars of the future

But when it comes to future competition, Larson believes Christopher Bell will be the one to watch.

“I definitely think you have at Christopher Bell as being at the top of that list,” Larson said. “I got to see his potential a couple years before he ever made it to truck, and seeing how good he is. I don’t know what the Furniture Row situation is, but I hope Bell gets to go in the No. 77.”

A few weeks ago, Cole Pearn, crew chief for the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team, was adamant about not starting a rumor about Bell, 22, replacing Erik Jones in the No. 77 car. Jones is moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018 to drive the No. 20 car. But Bell has enjoyed a tremendous year in the Camping World Truck Series. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver has won three of the first 11 races in the No. 4 JBL Tundra and has five victories in his first 41 starts.

Bell started the year out-dueling Larson in the 2017 Chili Bowl Nationals, where the Norman, Okla., native brought home the Golden Driller trophy for winning the top midget show in the country. While Bell has shown potential in the Xfinity Series with a top-five finish in his Charlotte debut and a pole at Iowa Speedway (where he led a race-high 152 laps before finishing 16th), it’s likely Toyota Racing Development give him another year of seasoning in NXS before he moves to Cup.

Plenty of undiscovered talent

Larson feels there are a lot more talented drivers such as Bell just waiting to be discovered.

“There are so many kids in dirt racing that deserve an opportunity to make it — at least get a shot at a solid K&N Series ride and then see how they can progress from there,” Larson said. “It just comes down to funding these days. It is a shame there is so much talent that doesn’t get to show for it in NASCAR. I think right now if you look at some of the really young guys; Gio Scelzi is probably the best that I see coming up in winged sprint cars. Spencer Bayston, Logan Seavee, Buddy Coffoid…there is a lot of open wheel guys that I hope someday get the chance.”

Speaking of chances, Larson would like to return to the Brickyard — and his roots in an open-wheel car. On Friday, another Kyle — Busch — said he had hoped to race in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, but Larson has the benefit of already driving for IndyCar championship and Indy 500-winning owner Chip Ganassi.

“I think Chip would do it,” Larson said. “I think they are all waiting on me to say I want to do it. I do but, when I see Scott Dixon’s and (Sebastien) Bourdais crash it makes me think twice about it a little bit. I’ll get the courage up to do it someday. Maybe next year or the year after. I want to do it at the right time.

“I feel like the way IndyCar is, and the politics is of it, it seems like one manufacturer is good one year, and then the next one is good the next year, then the next one the next year…so I want to time it so at the right time to where whatever manufacturer Chip is with is the best at that time.”