Bell Cleared to Race at Pocono With Brace After Michigan Hit

Christopher Bell returned to Pocono Raceway six days after a violent Michigan crash that left him with a fractured left wrist and raised fresh questions about NASCAR’s Next Gen car. Bell said the crash did not require surgery, and he was medically cleared to race at Pocono while wearing a brace. Joe Gibbs Racing adjusted the car’s steering setup so he would rely less on his left hand, and Bell said simulator work earlier in the week gave him added confidence. He planned to drive the No. 20 Toyota in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400, with Brandon Jones listed as the standby replacement if needed.

Bell’s wreck came on Lap 148 of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, when his car struck the Turn 4 wall head-on after Chase Elliott got loose following a push from William Byron. NASCAR said the impact was the hardest recorded in the Next Gen era and produced the largest Delta-v reading since the car debuted in 2022. Bell climbed out under his own power, but his heavily damaged car was sent back to Joe Gibbs Racing for inspection. He finished 31st with a DNF and fell to 10th in the points standings.

The crash renewed scrutiny of the Next Gen car’s ability to absorb high-speed hits. The wreck damaged the SAFER barrier, and Bell said the car’s safety systems and his protective gear helped prevent more serious injuries. He thanked NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing for the support around the crash. Kenny Wallace said Bell "could have been killed," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he had not seen a crash that hard in a long time, and Byron said the Next Gen car’s aerodynamics and tire package made the accident harder to control and more severe than a comparable Gen 6-era crash.