Christopher Bell has suffered a fractured left wrist following his heavy crash at Michigan, but he has still been cleared to race at Pocono.
Bell was evaluated after the FireKeepers Casino 400, then returned home to North Carolina for X-rays that confirmed the injury.
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Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed Bell will remain in the No. 20 Toyota for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.
Photo by Brett Farmer/Getty Images
Bell injured his wrist in a crash with Elliott at Michigan
The incident happened on Lap 148 at Michigan International Speedway. Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet bobbled on a restart and drifted up the track, collecting Bell’s No. 20 Toyota.
Both cars were heavily damaged, but Bell and Elliott were able to walk away without immediate assistance.
Bell was later diagnosed with a fractured left wrist after further checks away from the track. NASCAR vice president of racing communications Mike Forde said it was the hardest hit recorded in the Next Gen era.
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That detail matters because this was not a routine crash softened by modern safety language.
Pocono will be a test of Bell’s resilience
Bell’s fracture did not cost him a start, and Joe Gibbs Racing does not need a replacement on short notice. Still, racing with a wrist injury at a place like Pocono is no small task.
Pocono’s unique layout and fast corners place real stress on drivers, even when they are fully healthy. Bell enters the weekend as a championship contender despite dropping spots in the standings after his Michigan DNF.
His clearance is a sign of determination, but it is also a reminder of how far NASCAR safety has come. Bell walked away from one of the sport’s hardest modern impacts with an injury he can manage.
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