BELL ROUNDS OUT NEW HAMPSHIRE WEEKEND WITH RUNNER UP FINISH
In a wild race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell finishes second
LOUDON, NH (July 18, 2021) – Christopher Bell scored a runner-up finish in Sunday afternoon’s darkness-shortened NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After a red flag for rain on lap eight for rain, NASCAR was forced to shorten the 301 lap race by eight laps to 293.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race 22 of 36 – 293 laps, 318.458 miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Aric Almirola*
2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
3rd, Brad Keselowski*
4th, Joey Logano*
5th, Ryan Blaney*
10th, DENNY HAMLIN
12th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
26th, BUBBA WALLACE
37th, KYLE BUSCH
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem – Watts Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
What was it like trying to chase down Aric Almirola in the closing laps?
“How many laps did we run? 293 – so eight laps, that sucks. Really proud of everyone on this No. 20 Rheem Pristine Auction Camry. We did good. We kind of struggled early and made the car the best it was right there at the end. That’s all you can ask for and felt like we gave him (Almirola) a run for his money, that’s for sure.”
Had the race gone the distance, did you feel you could have passed Aric Almirola for the win?
“I didn’t know how may laps they cut it short, but definitely whenever I saw the board and saw that we were eight laps short, it stings man. I felt like I probably had a little better pace than him and I was able to get to him. I know lapped cars were giving him a bad time, but I was able to get to him. It was going to be a heck of a race, but really proud of everyone on this Rheel Pristine Auction Camry. They did really good. Everyone on this 20 crew – we didn’t start out the greatest and then we were really good, probably the best we were all day right there at the end of the race. That’s all you can ask for is to have a shot at it and just wish we had eight more laps.”
Where do you feel like you were better than the other cars throughout the race?
“I don’t know. I fought a little bit of everything – was a little loose in, a little loose off. I feel like my car cut the center probably better than theirs and that’s where my speed was. I’m happy for Aric (Almirola), that’s cool for him to win. He’s been close a couple times. Building on our program too so hopefully we can knock off a couple more wins here soon.”
At any point, did you feel like it was getting too dark towards the end of the race?
“Well, I don’t know, I had a dark shield on so I had to flip that thing up 50 laps ago. It was pretty dark for the last however many laps of the race. What’s eight more?”
Were you ever concerned about getting today’s race in due to the weather?
“Looking at the forecast, it looked like we weren’t going to take the green at all today. Then all of the sudden in cleared up and said it wasn’t going to rain. They dropped the green and it started raining. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m happy we got it in for sure.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
How much damage did you sustain from the incident with the rain on the track?
“A little bit, but I don’t think it’s detrimental or anything like that. We were fortunate. I think we were just far enough up the field to be in the wreck, but far enough back to where I saw the leaders wrecking and were able to check up and brake 100 feet which kept us out of the wall. It was fortunate and unfortunate, but we’re going to be fine.”
What was the condition like behind the wheel as the rain was falling?
“It’s wet. We run slick tires and these cars don’t have any grip on slick tires and wet asphalt. To me, that’s the job of the corner spotter has in NASCAR. They’re sitting over there, they can feel when it’s raining and see when it’s raining. That’s their job to tell NASCAR that it’s raining and we have to stop so we don’t have that situation. You always in these situations , you want them to air on the side of not looking bad and this is just a bad look.”
How quickly did the rain coming about?
“But we had a 30-second warning or more because there were cars that were sliding up the race track the lap before. The rain had not slowed down, it had picked up. It’s only going to get worse, as you saw.”
How does this communication improve with NASCAR?
“You just rely on NASCAR to do their part and that is to rely on the corner spotters to tell them when the surface is unsafe whether that be for debris, rain, whatever it is. That is their job to do. They can’t see from the tower. They can see the rain, but they don’t know how damp the surface was. That’s the job of the corner official to tell them that. Be interesting to see what communication was being had during that 30 to 40-second period.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods #LetsPicnic Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 12th
What did you feel going into turn one when you spun in the rain?
“It’s just ice. Slicks don’t stick to water. I think the 18 (Kyle Busch) and I had it the worst because we were out front. We’re a half-a-lap ahead of the back of the field so it’s the wettest when we get there. The lap before I went into (turn) one and about did the same thing and I hollered on the radio that the track is wet. Like wet, wet. I tried to back it down and I got in there and it just kept going. I couldn’t even slow it down. At some point you have to turn the wheel and that’s when it spins out. I don’t know. I hate it for Reser’s Fine Foods. We only have a few races with them and they have a lot of people here. We were excited for the opportunity to race here at one of my favorite tracks. Now we’re out. We’ll be able to get some work done on it, but it’s not pretty.”
What is the extent of the damage to the race car?
“The rear is not bad, the suspension isn’t bad, but the splitter is on the earth under caution. A lot of stuff bent up under the left front splitter. Obviously, that’s a critical, important part of the car to get around here fast. Try to get it off the race track and soldier on, but we felt like we were going to have a good car today. It’s a real shame.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 37th
Had you reported rain to NASCAR or your team over the radio prior to the accident?
“We started the race under a mist. It never should have gone green to begin with, but then it kept getting worse and worse lap over lap. The lap before I went into (turn) one and it shoved the nose really bad and I was able to keep it under control. It wasn’t bad enough. The next time I went down there, hell, I lifted at the flag stand – maybe a little past the flag stand, don’t get too dramatic – and just backed it in. We’ve been talking about it for two laps that it was raining. There’s no sense in saying what I want to say, it doesn’t do you any good.”
How frustrating is this at a track where you started from the pole and have a strong history?
“We’re done, we’re going home. It’s over. There’s no fixing that thing.”
Is there a way to improve communication with NASCAR?
“That’s going to get me in trouble.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit ToyotaNewsroom.com
