Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was involved in a high-speed wreck at last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan. The team released a statement on June 9, 2026 and revealed that Bell broke his left wrist in the crash, but has been cleared to race at Pocono, with the fans bashing the decision.
Fans bashed Bell’s decision to race with a broken wrist, highlighting the dangers involved.
“Sets a bad precedent. Racing while injured. Danger to himself, danger to others on the track. Hate it for the sport,” commented a user
Another wrote, “Not a good idea; his health is more important.”
Some fans came out and pointed out how bringing back ‘The Chase’ means every race is important compared to the previous year’s playoff, where it was a win to get in and hence drivers are hesitant to miss a race.
“Honestly, I get it points matter but at what point does your health matter too,” mentioned a user
Another commented, “I worry that the pressure of the new points system is going to lead to drivers trying to drive through injuries,” mentioned another
Kyle Busch requested a doctor at his truck midway through the NASCAR All-Star race. Some fans came out pointing at how others haven’t learned anything from his sudden death.
“Apparently we’ve not learned anything from Kyle Busch, if you’re not 100%, don’t keep pushing it or else it’s going to catch up to you,” commented a user
Brad Keselowski suffered a broken femur during a skiing vacation that required surgery but was back in time to race at the 2026 Daytona 500 despite not fully recovering after the surgery.
After the crash at Michigan, Christopher Bell was taken to the infield medical centre. The team, in their official statement, have revealed that the X-Rays confirmed a fractured left wrist.
“@CBellRacing suffered a fractured left wrist after an accident on lap 148 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Bell returned home to North Carolina where X-rays confirmed the fracture. Bell has been cleared and will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE this weekend at Pocono Raceway,” read Joe Gibbs Racing’s tweet
Chase Elliott was able to escape from the crash without any serious injuries. Elliott took full blame for the crash with Christopher Bell and apologized to him as well as his team, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Christopher Bell’s statement after getting cleared to race at Pocono with a fractured wrist
Bubba Wallace described Christopher Bell’s crash as the “scariest” one that he had ever seen. Chase Elliott lost the rear of the car, and in an attempt to catch it, when the car gripped up, it went straight into Bell’s Toyota, which subsequently went into the barrier.
The Toyota was torn apart, but Bell was able to get out of the car. As Joe Gibbs Racing released the statement of Christopher Bell racing at Pocono, he responded with a message that read,
“Thank you to each and everyone who reached out to check on me, I truly feel the love. I’m grateful for my team of doctors, JGR, NASCAR and all of the previous drivers who have helped pave the way for the safety standards in our sport. See you in Pocono!”
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The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway will take place on June 14, 2026. However, the race after that will be at the Coronado Street Course. An oval race doesn’t require as much wrist movement to steer a car as much as a street/road course does. Hence, whether Christopher Bell is cleared to race at Coronado is yet to be seen.
