All good things come to an end. That’s a lesson Christopher Bell learned the hard way at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after the #20’s three-race win streak was broken at the Pennzoil 400. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver struggled from the get-go at the 1.5-mile track, after being forced to the rear despite qualifying in 13th place after swapping out the throttle body. However, true to his reputation, the Oklahoman steadily gained track positions as the race progressed, until a bizarre incident occurred after Lap 108.
Speaking on this incident, a NASCAR insider on the Door Bumper Clear podcast broke down #20 crew chief Adam Stevens’ controversial decision in Las Vegas, which forced Bell to get to the rear of the field. His comments reflect a looming concern amongst the Cup Series grid that something significant is bound to happen before the series moves to Homestead-Miami Speedway this week.
NASCAR insider confirms Denny Hamlin’s prediction
While it’s a rare occurrence, using two different pit crews in a single stop isn’t unheard of in the NASCAR world. As Denny Hamlin said, “It’s not the first time it’s happened.” Ideally, Christopher Bell and the No. 20 Toyota team wanted to avoid such a situation, but in a race where pit road blunders were a norm rather than the exception, desperate measures needed to be taken. Thanks to his crew chief Adam Stevens’ quick thinking, the Oklahoman stopped at teammate Chase Briscoe’s pit stall after the lug nut of his left front tire was loose, preventing NASCAR from enforcing a harsher penalty.
Speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Toyota Racing Development’s Richard ‘Slugger’ Labbe went on to say, “The sport is so competitive and you’re looking for every little advantage, so basically that move, understanding the rules pretty much saved them a two-week vacation for their tire changer and the jackman, right?” Confirming Denny Hamlin’s fear about NASCAR introducing another rule in the middle of the season, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, added: “I think you’ll probably see a tougher rule, some kind of change coming this week to kind of deter it.”
Eyebrows were raised when Christopher Bell was seen going into Chase Briscoe’s pit stall, taking the No. 19 crew by surprise. Speaking on the team radio, crew chief Adam Stevens reassured the Oklahoman by saying, “We’re allowed to do that”, even though the precautionary measure led to the racer being relegated to the back of the field. However, the other alternative would have been losing his tire on the track, a situation Chase Briscoe experienced, which resulted in a 2-lap penalty and two race suspensions for the crew members involved.
While Bell avoided the worst outcome, it was still a bitter pill to swallow. The No. 20 Toyota driver was second on Lap 108 when the incident occurred, and the subsequent penalty forced him to settle for a 12th-place finish, breaking his win streak. However, according to Richard Labbe, the penalty for such a bold move might get much more harsh as he speculated, “It’s a penalty. They might say now it might be a lap penalty or something like that.” Could this deter other teams from attempting such a move in similar circumstances in the future? Probably not. Especially when the alternative is a lot worse. However, Christopher Bell isn’t the only driver who has looked for assistance from another team’s crew member.
Dale Jr. was once helped by another team’s crew member as well
At the 2023 Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was making his first Xfinity Series appearance of the season. Qualifying in 15th place, the No. 88 Chevy driver quickly gained track positions as the race progressed, finishing ninth at the end of Stage 1 and climbing to fourth place by the time Stage 2 concluded, securing a total of nine points in the process. Everything looked smooth as the veteran racer looked to mount a late challenge for a victory on the short track. What could go wrong? As it turned out, everything.
With less than 30 laps to go, an electric issue in his car resulted in a fire beneath his steering wheel column. Junior rushed to the pit lane while smoke came out of his car, and the driver could be seen signaling to the pit crew members to assist him. Rushing forward to help, several Toyota pit crew members came forward to assist, with one extinguishing the flames while the other grabbed Dale Jr. and pulled him out of the car.
Reflecting on the incident, the JR Motorsports co-owner said, “We had a positive wire short up in the top of the dash, and the casing on the wire melted down onto the leg brace and caught the foam in the leg brace, and the cloth cover of the leg brace on fire, so it burnt the leg off my uniform.” Being assisted by members of a pit crew that didn’t belong to the No. 88 team signified that there are things that go beyond finishing fastest, especially in matters of life and death.
While Christopher Bell’s loose lug nut wasn’t anything as serious, it does show that teamwork and camaraderie can extend beyond teams, a significant factor in keeping the spirit of racing alive. Hopefully, Denny Hamlin is right, and NASCAR does not bring out a rule against this, as harsher penalties might discourage teams from seeking or even asking for help in situations of dire need.
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