NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell has opened up about the Joe Gibbs Racing meet in the wake of Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs’ clash at New Hampshire. While Bell refused to reveal details of the meeting, he admitted that a “line was crossed” during the track battle.
Gibbs and Hamlin’s clash was one of the race’s highlights, as it went on for 10 laps for the eleventh position. Gibbs was eventually knocked out when Hamlin tried to push through a gap, breaking a toe link on Gibbs’s car.
Before the conflict with Hamlin, Gibbs battled with his other teammate, Bell. This raised many questions about the motives of Gibbs, especially since he isn’t contending in the playoffs, while Hamlin is battling for the championship. Notably, Gibbs is the grandson of Joe Gibbs, the team’s founder.
Speaking on the recent JGR meeting, where all drivers were present, Bell told Bob Pockrass:
“I thought it was productive and hopefully we can do better moving forward.”
When asked if he thinks everybody feels that way, he said:
“Yeah, I think so.”
Asked for an insight into the meeting, Bell refused, saying “I can’t do that.”
However, Bell said that the issue went too far, since it nearly cost him and Hamlin their spot in the playoffs. He added:
“I definitely think it is fair to say that a line was crossed. That was bad. We don’t need to have teammates get crashed. Hopefully we can do better moving forward and that was the goal – race each other better moving forward.”
Hamlin gave his account of the clash after the conflict at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, describing Gibbs’ battle with Bell before it was his turn. He said:
“I probably got a little upset, a little hot under the collar because first of all, I was a witness to the 54 [Gibbs] and the 20 [Bell] thing. I was right behind it and I’m watching it just shaking my head.
“There was a just a lot of tire smoke, both from the inside and the outside on that one, but it was just tough to watch. And then, I apparently when you go back and listen to Ty’s audio, he got really upset about the 20 car at that point, and I think whoever got to him next, he was gonna be difficult to.
“Unfortunately, I was the next guy in line to pass him and again, me and the 20 were fighting so hard to get around the 54 that we ended up fighting each other and then when we got singled out, we both ran him down again. I’m thinking, ‘OK, I’m just gonna go on by, I’m clearly faster.’
“And it was just aero-block this corner, aero-block that corner and then when you get beside, it’s like, ‘OK, what else do I have to prove that we’re clearly faster? I’m definitely going to pass you, we got 60 laps till the end of this stage.”
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