- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,194,857
- Reaction score
- 59
Christopher Bell wasn’t supposed to make it to the finish.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver arrived in San Diego knowing a fractured wrist would prevent him from completing NASCAR’s inaugural Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado. The plan was simple: Bell would start the race, earn points, then hand the No. 20 Toyota over to 18-year-old Brent Crews.
Instead, the strategy unraveled almost immediately.
What was supposed to be a valuable learning opportunity for one of Toyota’s top prospects turned into one of the more frustrating stories of the afternoon.
Bell took the green flag and completed the opening portion of the race before climbing from the No. 20 Toyota and allowing Crews to take over behind the wheel.
The strategy allowed Bell to start the race and earn driver points while protecting his injured wrist from the physical demands of a full Cup Series event on the demanding 3.4-mile street circuit.
For Crews, the moment represented an unexpected milestone.
The teenager has emerged as one of Toyota’s most promising young drivers and entered the weekend with a strong road-course background. Still, making a NASCAR Cup Series debut under those circumstances presented a unique challenge.
Crews later explained that he had only limited time to prepare before climbing into the car.
“I had three laps, I think, in the Cup car [in practice] and five in the O’Reilly car, so it was just trying to learn to the best of my ability,” Crews said. “They are a lot different; the grip level is a lot less in the Cup car, but it’s got a lot of brakes. But right after that, it falls off and you don’t see that as much in the O’Reilly car.”
Unfortunately for Crews and the No. 20 team, the debut lasted only a handful of laps.
After taking over the car, Crews slowed on track with smoke coming from the Toyota, bringing out a caution period. The mechanical issue immediately ended what had been one of the more intriguing storylines of the race.
Crews said the problem appeared without warning.
“I was kind of going through the gears, and it just broke,” Crews said. “I’m going to have to have Adam [Stevens, crew chief] look over it and myself to figure out if it was something I did or if it was just a freak accident. Once I look at it, I’ll have more answers.”
The disappointing outcome left Crews frustrated after what had seemed like a rare opportunity to gain experience at NASCAR’s highest level.
“It’s really unfortunate for this whole team. We came here to get points and coming out with not much. Unfortunate for the whole group, it was a great opportunity to come and learn and try and help these guys out.”
The setback capped a difficult weekend for Bell, whose fractured wrist already forced the unusual driver-change strategy.
Bell accomplished the first part of the mission by taking the green flag despite his injury. But the second part never had a chance to develop.
Instead of gaining valuable experience and helping salvage a difficult day for the No. 20 team, Crews’ Cup Series debut ended in smoke just a few laps after it began, bringing an abrupt end to one of the most unusual driver situations NASCAR has seen this season.
Continue reading...
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver arrived in San Diego knowing a fractured wrist would prevent him from completing NASCAR’s inaugural Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado. The plan was simple: Bell would start the race, earn points, then hand the No. 20 Toyota over to 18-year-old Brent Crews.
Instead, the strategy unraveled almost immediately.
What was supposed to be a valuable learning opportunity for one of Toyota’s top prospects turned into one of the more frustrating stories of the afternoon.
Christopher Bell Turns Car Over to Brent Crews
Bell took the green flag and completed the opening portion of the race before climbing from the No. 20 Toyota and allowing Crews to take over behind the wheel.
The strategy allowed Bell to start the race and earn driver points while protecting his injured wrist from the physical demands of a full Cup Series event on the demanding 3.4-mile street circuit.
For Crews, the moment represented an unexpected milestone.
The teenager has emerged as one of Toyota’s most promising young drivers and entered the weekend with a strong road-course background. Still, making a NASCAR Cup Series debut under those circumstances presented a unique challenge.
Crews later explained that he had only limited time to prepare before climbing into the car.
“I had three laps, I think, in the Cup car [in practice] and five in the O’Reilly car, so it was just trying to learn to the best of my ability,” Crews said. “They are a lot different; the grip level is a lot less in the Cup car, but it’s got a lot of brakes. But right after that, it falls off and you don’t see that as much in the O’Reilly car.”
Mechanical Failure Ends Cup Series Debut Early
Unfortunately for Crews and the No. 20 team, the debut lasted only a handful of laps.
After taking over the car, Crews slowed on track with smoke coming from the Toyota, bringing out a caution period. The mechanical issue immediately ended what had been one of the more intriguing storylines of the race.
Crews said the problem appeared without warning.
“I was kind of going through the gears, and it just broke,” Crews said. “I’m going to have to have Adam [Stevens, crew chief] look over it and myself to figure out if it was something I did or if it was just a freak accident. Once I look at it, I’ll have more answers.”
The disappointing outcome left Crews frustrated after what had seemed like a rare opportunity to gain experience at NASCAR’s highest level.
“It’s really unfortunate for this whole team. We came here to get points and coming out with not much. Unfortunate for the whole group, it was a great opportunity to come and learn and try and help these guys out.”
The setback capped a difficult weekend for Bell, whose fractured wrist already forced the unusual driver-change strategy.
Bell accomplished the first part of the mission by taking the green flag despite his injury. But the second part never had a chance to develop.
Instead of gaining valuable experience and helping salvage a difficult day for the No. 20 team, Crews’ Cup Series debut ended in smoke just a few laps after it began, bringing an abrupt end to one of the most unusual driver situations NASCAR has seen this season.
Continue reading...
