Christopher Bell is still unsure whether he will compete in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at the Naval Air Station North Island street circuit. The driver of the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing broke his left wrist in an accident at Michigan International Speedway two weeks ago; however, he managed to complete every lap at Pocono Raceway last week. But he acknowledges that the situation is very different at a physically demanding street circuit.<\/p>\n
Bell explains the issue not as pain tolerance, but as the limited range of motion caused by the cast. \u201cIt\u2019s not a matter of pain threshold; it won\u2019t change until the cast is removed,\u201d Bell said, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s the same situation as in Pocono; I can\u2019t be as fast and aggressive behind the wheel as I normally am.\u201d He also emphasized that he thought he was 100% ready before Pocono, but that race served as a warning: \u201cI wasn\u2019t 100%, and I realized there that I couldn\u2019t drive the car at 100%.\u201d He said he only felt \u2018minor aches\u2019 in Pocono, and these aches disappeared during Friday\u2019s practice sessions.<\/p>\n
The main concern is the sudden force on the wrist if any contact causes the steering wheel to pull hard. \u201cThe slightest mistake at the apex, scraping against the wall or wheel contact, causes the steering wheel to pull hard; these are the things we\u2019re all worried about,\u201d said Bell. Therefore, he and team principal Adam Stevens will be reassessing realistic targets for the weekend. Bell underscored the seriousness of the situation, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s a very risky track and I can\u2019t afford to back down; I\u2019m in my third week of recovery.\u201d.<\/p>\n
If Bell is unable to continue racing, the task will be taken over by Joe Gibbs Racing's young talent, Brent Crews. Crews, the 2023 Trans-Am road race champion, practiced in the Toyota Racing Development simulator last week and drove a Cup Series car for the first time in practice laps on Saturday. Bell spoke positively about Crews' performance: \u201cHe made a mistake on the last lap, but before that he completed a very respectable lap. I believe we will not experience any limitations due to the driver.\u201d In the first practice session at the San Diego street circuit<\/a> Crews also gained experience by taking to the track.<\/p>\n Bell is not removing his cast on the advice of his doctors; however, he stated that they would approve it if he requested it on his own initiative. He is not planning to take such a step this weekend. The most critical variable in the process, which will involve weekly check-ups, will be the extra range of motion he gains when the cast is removed. The race in San Diego will take place on Sunday.<\/p>\nSources<\/h2>\n