Christopher Bell knew something had gone seriously wrong almost immediately during his pit stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. What he couldn’t see from his No. 20 Toyota, though, was right-side tire changer Blake Houston getting knocked to the pavement as Bell pulled out of his stall. Man, talk about a heart-stopping moment on pit road.
The Jack Dropped, Houston Didn’t Clear
Bell, like any driver, has a signal to blast out of his stall, especially on a two-tire stop: the jack drops. But this time, it was a split-second too early for Houston. “My signal to go is the jack dropping,” Bell said after the race, “On a two-tire stop, they’re supposed to be gone across the front of the car.” The sequence unfolded in a flash. Bell dropped the jack, saw Houston “still there,” and then watched in his rearview camera as the poor dude was “kind of flopping around.” Seriously, can you imagine that feeling from the cockpit? Bell didn’t feel his car go over Houston, which was a huge relief, but he was still worried about a “finger stuck in the wheel or anything.” To add to the chaos, Bell even ran over the air hose and had to stop before getting back on pit road. Thankfully, his crew chief Adam Stevens quickly radioed in that Houston was “a little shook up, but he’s alright.” Talk about a close call where fractions of a second matter.
“It’s Alarming, And It’s Very Eye-Opening”
This wasn’t just some racing mishap, either. Bell used the whole scary incident to shine a light on the raw danger pit crew members face every single race. “It’s alarming, and it’s very eye-opening,” Bell stated. “These guys jumping over pit wall are risking it.” You watch these guys work inches from roaring, moving cars, changing tires in seconds, and you forget just how much is on the line. Bell made it clear just how much he respects his team. “I’m super grateful for all of the pit crew members, but specifically my team,” he said. “They do a really good job, and I’m glad Blake’s okay.” That’s the real win right there, knowing Blake Houston walked away okay.
Clawing Back for Fourth
Despite the pit road drama, which cost him track position and forced an extra trip down pit road, Bell wasn’t done. He fought tooth and nail, clawing his way back through the field to finish fourth, right behind race winner Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, and Josh Berry. For a driver who’d been running near the front all afternoon, you know that fourth place still left Bell wanting more. But after that kind of scare, man, just getting back out there and competing like that? That shows some serious grit.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply