Christopher Bell spoke to SiriusXM and gave an injury update on his broken wrist. The JGR driver admitted that road courses like San Diego will be a difficult prospect.
At Michigan, Bell walked away from NASCAR’s hardest hit in the Next Gen Era. The high-speed crash took a toll on his left wrist, as he left the venue with a cast on his hand.
Despite the injury, Bell was cleared to race at Pocono. He survived the 160-lapper, but is looking at a steep hurdle at San Diego this weekend.
“This is going to be a challenge for me for sure. Any time that I have to use my left hand to hold the wheel and certainly turning while shifting is going to be the hardest part. And then road courses just have a lot more wheel movement than a track like Pocono. And going to San Diego where I’m going to have to be turning with my left hand and shifting with my right hand off the steering wheel is going to be difficult,” Bell said.
Christopher Bell also shared that he has a team of doctors catering to his injury, and that they’re cycling through a new cast every week. Bell’s cast apparently loosened during the Pocono race, and he had to get a tighter one this week.
Notably, the No.20 driver had two straight runner-up finishes before Michigan. He’s currently ranked inside the top-10 standings, but risks dropping down as William Byron and Chase Briscoe closely trail him.
Christopher Bell admits to restart difficulties with injured wrist
Christopher Bell finished outside the top-20 at Pocono Raceway, while his teammate Denny Hamlin captured a third consecutive win. He struggled to qualify inside the top-10 as well.
During a post-race interview, Bell shared whether his broken wrist had any impact on the race.
“When we banged with the No.21 or whatever getting into three or that wreck in front of me, I just don’t really have the ability to make sharp quick corrections to the car,” said Bell, “So, you know whenever I’m by myself and we got single filed out, I feel like it didn’t bother me but I certainly think it affects my restarts.”
Fans aren’t pleased with Christopher Bell’s decision to keep competing. They believe Bell is endangering himself and others, while setting a bad precedent for the sport.
However, he’s not the only one driving through an injury. Brad Keselowski began the season with a broken femur. He walked into Daytona with a cane and finished top-5. The 42-year-old went 13 races without an incident, but has faced three consecutive wrecks at Nashville, Michigan, and Pocono.
Needless to say, both drivers have a tough task ahead at Naval Base Coronado.
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