In NASCAR, a loose wheel is every team’s worst nightmare. It’s not just a race-ruiner—it’s a guaranteed trip to pit road, a hefty penalty, and, if things go really wrong, a serious safety hazard. Just ask Kyle Larson, who lost a wheel at Sonoma in 2022 and saw his crew chief slapped with a four-race suspension. Or look at Tyler Reddick’s team, which had a wheel pop off at Auto Club Speedway, leaving him limping back to the pits while NASCAR officials took notes for a future penalty report.
With the stakes so high, teams will do anything to avoid that dreaded runaway tire scenario. And during last Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one driver’s quick thinking in the pits sparked debate across the garage. Was it a clever workaround or a step too far? The most recent NASCAR Cup Series race winner shared his thoughts on the latest pit strategy.
Josh Berry weighs in on Christopher Bell’s controversial pit stop decision
Josh Berry has been on a week-long victory lap since securing his first Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the legendary Wood Brothers Racing. He started the week by appearing on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour and even made an appearance on his dear friend and mentor Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ‘Dale Jr. Download. However, while the conversation has normally been centered around his victory, his appearance on the “Rubbin’ Is Racing” podcast brought up the Christopher Bell pit road incident. So, what did Bell do?
Christopher Bell, with a loose left front tire, stopped in teammate Chase Briscoe’s pit stall to have it tightened. A move rarely seen in NASCAR. While he did serve a restart penalty, this helped him avoid a harsher penalty for losing a wheel on the track, which his teammate Briscoe unfortunately suffered. Briscoe saw his wheel go rogue on the track in Stage 1, leading to a 2-lap penalty and a 2-race suspension for his jackman and tire changer. So, what did Josh Berry think of this unique move?
Berry acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting, “It’s such an interesting dynamic that we haven’t seen before. Ultimately what the 20 team was able to avoid was the potential of the tire coming off and the suspension that would come with that.” Bell knew what would dawn upon him if he left pit road like that, and Berry acknowledged that it was purely a safety maneuver, not a move to gain a competitive advantage.
Josh Berry further emphasized the importance of safety, stating, “Nobody wants to see any other competitor lose a wheel once we get out on the racetrack. That’s a safety hazard.” This is a sentiment that was echoed by NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, Mike Forde, who cleared his stance on a recent Hauler Talk episode. “In our view, a tire coming off the car is a very dangerous situation… I think that’s where the allowance, the acceptance of what the 20 team did, and really the applauding of what the 20 team did, comes in because if what they did was avoid that dangerous situation, we’re OK with it to a certain point,” said Forde.
However, 2014 Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick was more critical of the move, calling it ‘unfair’, to teams that have only one car and cannot pit in their teammate’s box. This aspect was touched on in the podcast in a different light. Josh Berry, being essentially part of a Team Penske satellite team in Wood Brothers Racing, was asked whether he would get assistance if he stepped into a different team’s pit box.
“The pit stops are so intense, they’re so fast, it’s so easy to just make a little bit of a mistake. Most people would probably help a guy out and tighten up their wheel,” added Berry. Despite intense rivalries across the grid such as the big Chevrolet v Toyota rivalry, Berry feels that safety always comes first, and there isn’t any time to think about rivalries when you’re at a pit stop.
Reflecting on Bell’s decision at the end of the day, Berry remarked, “I don’t really feel like it’s as big of a deal as it’s getting made out of… I think that’s fine.” Josh Berry thinks it was fine and NASCAR did too. However, the governing body did clarify the rule regarding pitting outside the box before the race at Homestead Miami Speedway this Sunday.
NASCAR clarifies its stance on Bell’s pit-road incident
The incident sparked outrage. Critics debated whether it was fair or not. The discourse surrounded the fact that other teams might try this move now to gain an advantage. Kevin Harvick even felt this way, saying, “Now every team is going to do it. Every team is going to have that plan now.” Well, Harvick, the good news is that NASCAR has clarified its stance on such pit-road incidents.
NASCAR released a statement that read, “If a vehicle receives service in another team’s pit stall for competition adjustments, the vehicle may receive a lap(s) penalty.” However, they also emphasized that what Bell did is appreciated and there will only be a flag status penalty for the same. “If a vehicle receives service in another team’s pit stall to correct a safety issue, the vehicle will receive a flag status penalty (restart tail of the field or pass-through) for the vehicle pitting outside of the assigned pit box.”
With the rules now more clearly defined, the debate can simmer down. Safety will always be a priority in NASCAR and it is truly encouraging to see the governing body understand the driver’s perspective in this case. However, many critics still feel that this could cause mayhem on pit-road as teams are aware of this workaround. Do you think NASCAR made the right call? Let us know in the comments!
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