Christopher Bell: ‘Game-time decision’ with ailing wrist in San Diego NASCAR Cup Series Race
Key keywords: Christopher Bell, NASCAR Cup Series, wrist injury, San Diego street course race, game-time decision, Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs, playoff standings
NASCAR Cup Series star Christopher Bell confirmed Wednesday that his availability for the upcoming San Diego street course race will be a game-time decision, as he continues to recover from a Grade 1 wrist sprain sustained during a practice crash at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend. The 28-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver, who currently sits fourth in the 2024 playoff standings with two race wins and eight top-5 finishes this season, told reporters he is undergoing daily physical therapy to reduce swelling and improve range of motion in his left wrist, which absorbed the brunt of the impact when his No. 20 Camry hit the outer retaining wall during a qualifying practice run last Saturday.
Bell noted that he has completed two short sessions on the team’s racing simulator this week to test his wrist’s endurance, but experienced noticeable soreness after each 30-minute run, particularly when simulating the sharp, high-torque steering inputs required for San Diego’s 12-turn street course. “I don’t want to make a call too early either way,” Bell said during a media availability on Wednesday. “This San Diego track is one of the most physically demanding stops on our schedule, you’re constantly wrenching the wheel through tight corners for 250 laps, and if I can’t perform at 100% for my team, I don’t want to get in the car and risk making a mistake that costs us playoff points, or worse, worsen the injury so I miss the rest of the postseason.”
Joe Gibbs Racing officials confirmed that reserve driver Ty Gibbs, who finished in the top 10 in three substitute starts last season, has been preparing to take Bell’s spot if needed, and has already reviewed telemetry data and completed simulator runs for the San Diego race. Team doctors noted that they will conduct a final physical evaluation of Bell 90 minutes before qualifying on Sunday morning, and will clear him to race only if he can demonstrate full wrist mobility and minimal pain during steering tests. If cleared, Bell will wear a custom-fitted carbon fiber wrist brace during the race to reduce strain. The San Diego street course race, one of the most anticipated events on the 2024 NASCAR schedule, is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with broadcast coverage on NBC.
Featured Comments
As a long-time Bell fan, I’m so relieved he’s prioritizing long-term health over a single race. He’s had such a stellar season this year, it would be devastating to see him sidelined for the rest of the playoffs just to push through a sore wrist in San Diego. If Ty has to step in, I trust he’ll do a solid job protecting the team’s points.
This game-time call makes total sense when you look at how physically demanding the San Diego street course is. Drivers have to make hundreds of sharp, forceful steering inputs over 250 laps, even a minor wrist tweak can lead to costly mistakes late in the race. I’d be shocked if he gets in the car unless he’s 90% pain-free at minimum.
Joe Gibbs Racing is so smart to have Ty Gibbs ready to go as a backup. The last thing they need is to lose their top-performing driver for the final stretch of the season over an avoidable injury. Fingers crossed Bell’s wrist feels good enough to race on Sunday, but whatever call they make, I’m behind them 100%.
I’m really curious to see how this impacts the playoff standings if Bell sits out. He’s only 12 points ahead of Chase Elliott right now, so even a mid-pack finish from Ty would be enough to hold onto that top-5 spot, but a DNF would shake things up a lot. Either way, this is going to make the San Diego race way more interesting to watch.