Christopher Bell and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing crew displayed quick presence of mind to avert a hazardous situation during the Cup Series race in Las Vegas. The driver had almost left the pit road with his left rear tire not properly tightened. Bell was immediately instructed to stop at his teammate Chase Briscoe’s pit box to get it screwed on. This move, of course, was penalized by NASCAR.
Advertisement
However, the penalty was not as severe as what Bell would have incurred had he gone to the race track with a loose wheel. He would have been penalized two laps and two pit crew members would have been suspended for two weeks. Not to mention the potential danger it could have created on the track.
The wise and swift decision from Bell’s crew earned the appreciation of many including Dale Earnhardt Jr, who said that teammates getting repairs done in each other’s boxes under such dire situations is not a big deal. Junior lauded the No. 20 team’s crew chief, for the genius call. “Absolutely smart. Quick reaction from Adam Stevens,” he said.
It seemed Junior wouldn’t mind if NASCAR lets the teams off the hook without a penalty in such situations in the future. However, he did not consider how this would be unfair on teams with a single entry.
The big teams, with multiple-car entries, would have a significant advantage over single-car teams if this is allowed to happen. And fans quickly pointed this out to Junior.
“Gives the bigger teams an advantage that one-car teams wouldn’t have. Think Penske is going to do that for the 47 team out of the kindness of their hearts?” One fan commented. Another fan declared, “NO! Unfair to Single Car teams.”
It is surprising that Junior, who always presents a nuanced take on racing, did not consider this point of view.
One fan reiterated the disparity it would create. “No. It’s an advantage since all teams don’t have the ability to do the same.” Another added: “No, their own individual team should be the only ones to service it.”
Regardless of the opinions, there is no denying that the manner in which the Joe Gibbs Racing personnel made the decision, and coordinated to pull it off, was impressive.
James Small knew what he had to do when Bell came in
Briscoe’s pit box was near the pit exit in Vegas. This meant one thing: His crew chief, James Small, had to look out for the other cars in the team.
If one of them came rolled to the box in need of repairs, he was expected to do it quickly. He spoke to NBC Sports on Tuesday and revealed that they have had this understanding within JGR for years.
“I could see Bell trying to get to our box and I’m like he must have a loose wheel. He came in and he was pointing and I got on our in-car radio and started yelling, ‘Left front! Left front’,” said Small.
Briscoe was on the track under caution at that point. He was informed about what was going on. That communication was important too.
