Christopher Bell’s Crew Chief’s Absence Bites JGR, Sends Jimmie Johnson’s Star Into Hilarious “First Time” Introspections

Going into a NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Richmond without a crew chief was going to be a trick prospect for Christopher Bell. While there were no changes in the way he ran the race on the track, his first pit stop was certainly eventful. Truth be told, he was lucky to escape damage to his No. 20 race car.

Having clinched the 10-stage win of the season, Christopher Bell headed to the pit road and was eager to hold onto his lead. However, there was a bit of confusion between him and Chris Sherwood, who is filling in for Adam Stevens. In a bid to win the race off the pit road, the JGR star hit No. 43 of Erik Jones while exiting. Although Bell managed to avoid damage to his race car, Jones was sent spinning into his pit box.

Article continues below this ad

It was a rather unusual sight for the spectators too, as the #43 Toyota Camry was facing the wall while the pit crew did their job. Sharing his take on the incident, Jones via the team radio said, “That was the first time I’ve done one right at 90 degrees.”

Article continues below this ad

Polls of the dayHow do you think Christopher Bell’s performance will be affected by his crew chief’s absence?

He’ll perform even better

Have an interesting take?

Do you think Kevin Harvick’s outburst was justified?

Have an interesting take?

Do you think Ross Chastain can silence his critics this NASCAR season?

Have an interesting take?

Why do you think NASCAR fans are turning against Kyle Larson?

Have an interesting take?

Article continues below this ad

Meanwhile, C. Bell and his team took a huge sigh of relief after avoiding any serious damage to the race car. “We looked at the picture. There’s some damage to the grill, but nothing structural. The splitter is fine. Everything should be good here,” Sherwood said via the radio. Bell, acknowledging the details, sounded relieved. “10-4. Wouldn’t have expected anything else.”

So far, it has been Joe Gibbs Racing dominance, with Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell battling for the lead. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. is keeping a close watch on the race leaders in the third spot.