Christopher Bell was evaluated and released from the infield care center at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday following a vicious impact during a crash on Lap 147 of the NASCAR Cup Series race.
The incident occurred when Chase Elliott bobbled underneath him, breaking traction and sending them both hard into the wall. Bell’s impact crushed the SAFER Barrier and necessitated a lengthy repair and Elliott then gave him a second impact on the driver side.
Elliott was evaluated and released and spoke to the media afterwards but Bell exited out the other side of the facility without comment. Team owner Joe Gibbs confirmed during a post-race press conference that Bell is dealing with injuries to his wrist and ankle.
“I think it’s just we’re going to continue tonight,” Gibbs said of his continued evaluation. “When he gets home, we’re going to make sure that he gets everything that he needs to get there, whatever it might be, and then we’ll just have to kind of wait.
“So, it is his wrist and his ankle, I think, so we’re just going to have to wait.”
Joe Gibbs Racing has not issued any additional statement beyond what Coach Gibbs said following the race.
For his part, Elliott says he has no lingering issues from the incident.
“I feel okay,” Elliott said. “I just really, really hate that happened, first and foremost. I want to apologize to Bell and the whole 20 team. That was my fault. I ran on the bottom, got loose, thought I was going to spin, and I had kind of committed to spinning out and just hoping I could spin, basically. And as soon as I started to commit to spinning out, it hooked a right, and unfortunately, he was out there. So it was definitely a big one. I knew that he kind of took the brunt of it, I felt like, in that, so yeah, I definitely just hate it. Hate that it happened. Hate that it happened to anybody, but certainly — he races me with a lot of respect, and it was nothing intentional. I just stepped over the line and over-corrected.”
Bell climbed out of his car under his own power and was met on the track by Elliott. There was a brief exchange of words and a side-hug. Elliott apologized for the incident.
“I mean, it was a huge hit,” Elliott said. “Huge hit for him. Pretty big hit for me, too. So I just knew that when it happened. And when you’re watching the wall come that quick, it’s going to be large. I knew he’d already hit the wall hard, too, before I hit him. So those things happen fast, but I saw it happen. I knew it was big, so I just wanted to make sure he was alright and just tell him ‘I’m so sorry,’ because that was not at all my intention for that to happen.”
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