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Christopher Bell Walks Away From Head-On Impact at Talladega

Toby Christie

Nigel Kinrade, LAT Images for Toyota GAZOO Racing

Christopher Bell took a savage hit into the inside wall on the backstretch at Talladega Superspeedway on Lap 51 of Sunday's Jack Link's 500. After a bump draft gone wrong from Denny Hamlin, Bell's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Bell was sent spinning to the inside of the track in his No. 20 Toyota.

Bell collected Chris Buescher, who he was battling for the race lead with at the time, and both drivers collided with the inside wall, which brought an early end to both of their races.

The driver of the No. 20 machine took the most severe impact though, and it was reminescent of a hit sustained by Connor Zilisch on the final lap of Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega.

After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Bell gave everyone the news we wanted to hear, that the driver was healthy following the massive shunt into the inside wall.

"Yeah, it definitely was [a brutal shot]. Thankfully, my seat, my HANS, and everything worked realy well and I feel pretty good right now," Bell said. "So, yeah, I'm healthy."

Bell agreed that a push from his teammate Denny Hamlin sent him spinning as the pack was attempting to build momentum from a Lap 51 restart, but he didn't place blame on Hamlin. Bell feels what happened is the nature of the beast at superspeedway races.

"We were certainly just trying to gain momentum. And it's just speedway racing," Bell explained. "It's Daytona and Talladega, Atlanta has been a little different because you can't be as tight together, but here and Daytona, you have to push. I don't blame Denny at all. You have to be pushed, and push, and I got turned."

While Bell didn't heap blame onto Hamlin's shoulders, Scott Graves, the crew chief for Chris Buescher's No. 17 RFK Racing team wasn't as sympathetic to the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Graves issued a scathing post on his personal X account in reference to Hamlin's bump draft, which ended the days of Buescher and Bell.

"This team works so hard every week, had our driver in position for the end of stage 1, and the guys that would consider themselves some of the best drivers in the world can't even get through a restart," Graves said in the post. "I see why you have an insurance sponsor @dennyhamlin, can I file a claim?"

Bell, who has three wins through the early portion of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, will not pick up his fourth in Sunday's Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway as he retired from the race after completing 51 laps. Bell will be credited with a 37th-place result.

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Toby Christie
TOBY CHRISTIE

Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.

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