Joe Gibbs Racing has lined up a contingency plan for Christopher Bell in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Naval Base Coronado, with rising prospect Brent Crews confirmed as the No. 20 team’s standby driver for the weekend.
According to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Crews, an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standout, has been approved by NASCAR to serve as Bell’s relief driver should the JGR star be unable to complete Sunday’s race while recovering from a fractured wrist.
Bell sustained the injury during a violent crash in Michigan when contact from Chase Elliott sent him hard into the outside wall. NASCAR later described it as the hardest impact recorded in the Next Gen era.
Fortunately for the No. 20 driver, the fractured wrist was the primary injury, with no concussion or other major trauma reported.
The 2023 Cup Series championship runner-up returned to competition at Pocono and appeared capable of contending for a top-five finish before a late fuel shortage derailed his afternoon. Bell raced with a modified steering wheel designed to accommodate the cast on his left hand, and further adjustments are expected as he continues his recovery.
While the 31-year-old successfully completed the Great American Getaway 400, the temporary road course at Naval Base Coronado will require significantly more steering input and physical effort, making the condition of Bell’s wrist a major storyline heading into the weekend.
Should Bell need to hand over driving duties during the race, Crews will be ready. That said, as long as Bell takes the green flag, he would still receive any points earned by the No. 20 car, even if a relief driver finishes the event. However, any stage points scored after a driver change would not count toward Bell’s championship total.
As for the NOAPS phenom, he enters the role with plenty of momentum. Although he has yet to make a Cup Series start, the TRD prospect has been one of O’Reilly’s top performers this season.
The 18-year-old put together four straight top-five finishes from Bristol through Texas and enters the San Diego weekend with back-to-back runner-up results at Nashville and Pocono.
NASCAR granted Crews an exception to compete at Naval Base Coronado despite rules limiting drivers to a single series during the event. Austin Hill received a similar waiver and is also scheduled for double duty.
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