In a dramatic turn of events during a pit stop in Las Vegas, Christopher Bell’s No. 20 team faced a potential disaster, reminding many of the calamity that struck Joe Gibbs Racing in a previous race. Bell’s teammate, Chase Briscoe, had previously experienced a loose wheel rocketing from his car onto the track, an incident that led to a severe NASCAR penalty. Briscoe was detained for two laps and his jackman and tire changer were suspended for two upcoming races.
However, when Bell found himself in a similar predicament, he chose a different path. As he was leaving his pit box on Lap 108, he heard his crew chief, Adam Stevens, urgently cautioning him about the left front tire. With the memory of Briscoe’s incident fresh in his mind, Bell took an unconventional route and drove into Briscoe’s pit lane. He managed to get his lug nut tightened but at the expense of a penalty that sent him to the back of the grid for using another team’s pit crew.
Despite the penalty, Bell and his team’s quick thinking won admiration from many quarters, including rival competitors. Kyle Larson, the 2021 Cup Series Champion, who did not have a stellar day at the Las Vegas track, lauded the #20 team’s tactic. Larson, despite his commendable history at the Las Vegas track, had to settle for a ninth-place finish due to a poorly timed pit strategy.
In an interview with CupScene.com, Larson defended Bell’s on-the-spot decision. “I think it’s pretty heads up. I thought it was smart and quick reacting of them to do that. And I don’t see anything wrong with it,” he said. The fact that Bell prioritized safety over winning the race was a significant factor behind the acceptance of his move. A loose wheel on the track could easily become a dangerous projectile, posing a significant risk to spectators.
Larson also pointed out the inherent penalty in Bell’s move, which saw him moving to the back of the grid. “I don’t really think there needs to be a penalty beyond what that already was,” he commented. He added that Bell had essentially penalized himself by making that decision.
Interestingly, Larson hinted that this tactic was not entirely unknown in the NASCAR community. He revealed that there had been rumblings about such a move in the past. This paints the No. 20 team’s quick thinking as a well-planned response to a situation rather than a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Larson’s view was echoed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s #19 crew chief James Small, who confirmed that this was a planned strategy, not a mere coincidence. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also praised the tactic on his Dale Jr. Download podcast while William Byron acknowledged the foresight of Bell’s team.
While Bell’s move did not violate any rules, it does bring to mind instances where teams have exploited loopholes in the rulebook for gain. NASCAR’s history is rife with such examples, from Hendrick Motorsports and Kaulig Racing teams’ modified hood louvers in 2023 to the Joe Gibbs Racing cars’ hidden layers of vinyl in the 2022 Pocono race.
Although these incidents resulted in hefty penalties, they illustrate the creative lengths teams go to gain an advantage, sometimes relying on almost invisible modifications. This ongoing cat-and-mouse game between teams and NASCAR officials continues to add a layer of intrigue to the sport.
