NASCAR star Christopher Bell admits Kyle Larson anger

NASCAR star Christopher Bell has admitted to feeling anger towards Cup Series rival and champion Kyle Larson in the past.

Bell and Larson drive for two of the biggest and most successful organizations in the sport, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, and are among the drivers who are likely to be competing for this year's Cup Series championship.

However, they also have a rivalry away from NASCAR and in dirt racing, with the pair having most recently gone head-to-head at the Chili Bowl earlier this month.

Christopher Bell on Kyle Larson rivalry

With that in mind, speaking ahead of the new season - which kicks off with the Clash exhibition this weekend - Bell was quizzed on whether that rivalry had ever turned into a feud.

“I've certainly gotten angry with him a couple times,” Bell explained to PRN. “We’ve had a couple of run-ins where he's done me wrong and angered me.

“But that's come and gone so I think we're on pretty good terms now.

“We like to beat each other when we're going head-to-head, I'll say that.”

Will The Chase format create more rivalries?

Rivalries are something that NASCAR has been lacking in recent years, with the playoff format having taken away the drama of a season-long championship battle.

However, Bell believes that The Chase returning will see the best drivers rise to the top and fight for championships once again, hopefully bringing that rivalry element back to the sport and creating that next generation of stars.

“I think you'll see more of the same guys continually fighting for the championship, which is the way it should be,” Bell continued.

“Every sport has their best guys and has the guys that aren't as good. And with the way our format was over the last 10 years or so, we haven't been able to elevate drivers, and the cream rises to the top to a certain extent, but then it just gets flopped around.

“The guy who was first will now be 10th. The guy who was 10th will now be first, and now we're gonna really be able to see the cream rise to the top and consistently be at the top and hopefully generate the next level of superstars."