Three-Time Chili Bowl Champion Will Race at 2026 Pocono After Fracturing Wrist in Michigan Crash
Christopher Bell’s day at Michigan Speedway abruptly ended when he slammed into the turn four wall. It happened with 52 laps to go, when Chase Elliott got loose underneath him and overcorrected, hitting the 20 Toyota Camry and sending him into the wall at over 190 miles per hour. Bell was able to get out under his own power and was released from the infield care center, but further X-rays revealed a fractured left wrist. Luckily for Bell, he was cleared by doctors to race this weekend in the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono.
The three-time Chili Bowl Nationals Champion has had historic streaks in his racing career, but this was a historic feat that he did not want to accomplish. NASCAR vice president of communications Mike Forde revealed that the Oklahoma-born driver's hit was the hardest impact in the ‘Next Gen’ car, and the hardest impact at all since 2015. Bell walking away shows how resilient he is, having a background in dirt racing midget cars, which gave him plenty of experience with wild crashes. The fact that Bell only suffered a fractured wrist also shows the immense effort that NASCAR has put into the safety of the cars and the tracks.
Bell being cleared to race at Pocono is huge for his season, as he cannot afford to miss races. Bell currently sits 10th in the points standings, 259 points behind points leader Tyler Reddick, and his season has been inconsistent. The 13-time Cup Series winner has yet to win in 2026. He has finished second three times, but has finished outside the top-30 three times as well. Since the All-Star Weekend, Bell has been in contention for the win in every race. The Michigan crash, a late caution at Nashville, and rain shortening the Charlotte race prevented him from winning each time.
Joe Gibbs Racing has not yet revealed whether somebody will be on standby for ‘The Panhandle Prospect’, like how Hendrick Motorsports has Justin Allgaier and how 23XI Racing has Corey Heim. A thing to note is that Pocono is one of the longest tracks on the schedule in 2026 that isn’t a road course, and there is a 25 percent chance of rain for Sunday in the Pocono Mountains region. If Bell is struggling with handling due to his wrist fracture and the race is paused for rain, Gibbs could borrow Heim to drive the 20 during the Monday segment of the race. That way, Bell will be able to rest, and he will still receive points for starting the race. Regardless of what happens, the 31-year-old and his injury will be something to watch over the course of the weekend.
