Christopher Bell shared his thoughts on the scary crash at Michigan that nearly ended his title bid. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has now made the Chase as the sixth seed.
Bell experienced a horrifying crash at Michigan when Chase Elliott made contact with the No.20 Toyota. Bell crashed into the outside walls and recorded the biggest change in velocity in the Next Gen era.
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The 31-year-old had fractured his left wrist and was seen leaving the venue with a cast. Many feared he’d have to sit out the following races, but Bell returned to race at Pocono with a heavy arm cast.
“I remember at Michigan, in the infield care center, like I thought that number one, my season could be over and number two, my playoff chances are probably over. So then, whenever we got back and I found out that I didn’t have to have surgery and the likelihood of me racing the following week was higher, I’m like, ‘okay, well, maybe I’ll be able to, you know, still fight for a Chase position,'” Bell said in an interview during a Chase media day.
“I think at that time, I was 12th in points or something like that. So I was literally worried about making the chase, making the playoffs. So to be sitting here in 6th in points and still be in contention is something that I’m really proud of,” he added.
Christopher Bell sustained a non-displaced fracture that didn’t require surgery. He was given a six-week timeline under normal healing conditions. Bell largely drove one-handed and soon transitioned to a splint while racing at Chicagoland Speedway.
Notably, Bell finished runner-up at Chicago, a feat he would repeat three times in the following weeks. Those results helped him finish the regular season near his JGR teammates, who all rank inside the top-5.
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Christopher Bell dismisses updated package at Daytona
NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) sits in his pit box Saturday, July 25, 2026, during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The regular-season finale at Daytona was one of the two races where Christopher Bell finished outside the top 10 in the last nine races. It was also the race where NASCAR introduced a new rules package to reduce drag on a lower horsepower setup.
Bell, however, wasn’t appreciative of the update.
“It wasn’t any different at all, which I was really disappointed in because I really bought into it. I thought it was going to be a lot different and it didn’t play out differently at all … Cars drove the exact same,” he said via Peter Stratta’s X handle.
Christopher Bell ultimately finished 17th and lost his top-5 standing at Daytona. His teammate Chase Briscoe took his spot instead.
Bell now enters the Chase with a 50-point deficit to season leader Denny Hamlin.
Read More:
“Gnarly; Absolutely Frightening”: Fans stunned as Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell wreck at Michigan
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“Affects My Restarts”: Christopher Bell Drops Fractured Wrist Update After NASCAR Cup Race at Pocono
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