Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport

Christopher Bell places blame on Carson Hocevar's team for pit road collision

Carson Hocevar Christopher Bell Adam

Christopher Bell suffered damage at Darlington that severely impacted the performance of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but it didn't happen out on the race track.

While exiting his pit box during a round of pit stops under caution, the driver who caused the yellow crossed paths with him at the worst possible moment. Bell was leaving his stall while Carson Hocevar was entering his own, resulting in significant contact between the two cars.

Bell suffered right-front damage that proved too much to overcome, even with the lengthy repairs that followed. He finished 29th, and leaves Darlington just 11 points above the cutline in the opening round of the championship playoffs.

"I talked to Adam [Stevens, Bell's crew chief] about it, and the more that he thought about it, the more frustrated he got," said Bell in a post-race media scrum. "I need to make sure I dot my i's and cross my t's, and understand what fully happened. The picture that I see is that he [Hocevar] wasn't going to gain a spot on pit road. He should have been able to give way to the playoff cars.

"I don't blame Carson. He's just doing what he's told, right? And if it is a competitive stop, then it's on us to get out. I don't know all the details of where he was out on track, but I do know he was the one who brought out the yellow.

"Adam told me that if he was tucked up to the field, he should have been in his pit box. That tells us that he was still behind the field, and not racing anybody on pit road, if that's the case. If that is the case, then I'm frustrated with the team for not telling him to give way to the cars coming out of the pit box that are racing for position."

While in-car video shows that Hocevar did catch up to the rear of the field before entering pit road, he was still a ways behind anyone he could have challenged for position. Despite the contact, Hocevar went on to score a top ten finish for Spire Motorsports.

Photos from Darlington - Race

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
General view

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Darlington - Sunday, in photos
NASCAR Cup
41
In this article
Nick DeGroot NASCAR Cup Christopher Bell Spire Motorsports
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Drake calls WWE star Rhea Ripley his ‘muse’ but admits he’s probably ‘the opposite of everything she likes’
Drake made an appearance at the WWE Elimination Chamber in March
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
‘She undermined your parenting boundaries. Not cool!’: Mom says server shamed her in front of family for ordering water at a restaurant
Dining out with kids can be stressful enough, but one mom says her recent restaurant visit was made worse by the way her server handled drink orders.
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Cardi B assault allegations finally reach verdict in viral civil trial as she continues to claim she ‘did not touch’ the accuser
Her alleged victim had stressed that the singer's attack left her needing plastic surgery.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
How to turn leftover cooked orzo into a delicious late-summer salad – recipe
A hugely satisfying way to use up odds and ends in your cupboard and crisper drawer
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
'How pathetic': Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack blasts Pink Floyd star for 'vomiting out bulls***' about late dad
Roger Waters, 81, shared his thoughts on Ozzy, who died aged 76 in July, in a recent interview
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Are all processed foods really that bad? This is what the label can tell you
ANALYSIS: Clare Collins reveals what consumers can learn from reading the labels of ultra processed foods
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play