Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell was able to run the entire NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway two weekends ago, just seven days after suffering a fractured wrist in a hard crash with Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott at Michigan International Speedway.
But the Cup Series hasn't run on an oval since, so it was not exactly ideal timing for the driver of the No. 20 Toyota to suffer an injury of that nature.
Due to the physical demands of the new 19-turn, 3.4-mile (5.472-kilometer) Qualcomm Circuit, also known as the Coronado Street Course, on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California, Bell removed himself from the race under the first caution flag period this past weekend.
Joe Gibbs Racing O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Brent Crews filled in behind the wheel of the No. 20 car, but he was scored in 39th (last) place after an engine issue shortly thereafter. Bell was credited with the result and scored just one point that afternoon, leaving him 12th in the point standings and 60 points above the playoff cut line.
Brent Crews on standby again for Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell
This weekend, the Cup Series is set to visit Sonoma Raceway for the third and final road course race (and the fourth and final non-oval race) of the 2026 season.
Bell's status for Sunday's 110-lap race around the 12-turn, 1.99-mile (3.203-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Sonoma, California has been confirmed in that he plans to start the race and has no plans to remove himself from it, as he did a week ago.
But should he end up needing to be replaced, Crews is once again on standby as his potential replacement.
Bell is set to be credited with the stage and race results of the No. 20 car as long as he starts the race, regardless of whether or not he is the only driver in the car all afternoon. Likewise, because this race is the first race of the second annual five-race In-Season Challenge tournament, he would be credited with the race result as long as he starts the race, even if Crews finishes it.
His first-round matchup is against Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain.
Bell qualified 14th for Sunday's race, while Chastain qualified fifth. Crews finished third in Saturday's O'Reilly Series race at the same track, behind only road course aces Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, Chastain's two Cup Series teammates.
Sunday's Toyota Save Mart 350 is set to be shown live on TNT from Sonoma Raceway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, so be sure to tune in and catch all of the action from the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season's fourth and final non-oval race!
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