Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was not pleased with how his race ended at Darlington Raceway on Sunday. He was caught in a pit road collision with Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar and saw a good chance to score some crucial playoff points evaporate into thin air.
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Bell explained his frustration to the press after settling for 29th place on the night. The issue began when Hocevar spun out on Lap 152 and forced NASCAR to issue the third caution of the race.
The Spire Motorsports team had instructed him to get to pit road for repairs. But as he attempted to get into his box, he spun and made contact with Bell’s No. 20 Toyota Camry. The right front of Bell’s car suffered damage as a result.
Fortunately, the No. 20 crew raced against time skillfully and put their car back on track to prevent the driver from getting a DNF. Bell told the press, “The No. 77 just didn’t yield. He didn’t give way. I would say that it’s our responsibility not to run into him if he’s racing for position.
“But the fact that he was the one who brought the yellow out… The only reason that we had contact was because he was so far behind the field, catching up. That’s very frustrating.”
.@CBellRacing is frustrated with the @CarsonHocevar team after a pit road incident that changed the remainder of their evening…#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/CgyFDsy5Bz
— Noah Lewis (@Noah_Lewis1) September 1, 2025
Despite the disappointment, he refused to cast the full blame on Hocevar. Bell reasoned that the youngster was just doing what he was told by his team and that they ought to have made him more aware of the situation.
He said, “I think it’s more on his team to not let him know the circumstances that he’s pitted on an island with all the playoff cars. He just spun, brought out the yellow. He’s not going to gain a spot on pit road. He didn’t give way and ruined my night. It’s a bummer.”
A save and spin for @CarsonHocevar.
The yellow flag waves on Lap 152. pic.twitter.com/4ryaIBoNhT
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 31, 2025
What did Hocevar make of the sequence?
The 22-year-old Hocevar stated that it was just bad timing that he made contact with Bell. He also admitted that his team had been watching the No. 12 Ford Mustang of Ryan Blaney and that his team might have missed gauging Bell’s position because of it.
“I mean, I think it’s just hard to watch everything,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to pick a car to watch.” Hocevar recovered from the incident and went on to score a ninth-place finish.
