The competitive nature of NASCAR makes even the slightest change turn a team vulnerable. It is already a challenge to overcome the ongoing track and tire adjustments. Teams are overwhelmed with all the different rules for different races and the guidelines issued by NASCAR. And if for some reason, the crew chief of a team has to be changed mid-season, it seems like a daunting task. However, Joe Gibbs Racing‘s #20 team not only survived the ordeal, it passed with flying colors.

Christopher Bell’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, sustained injuries to both his knees during the Olympic Break. He was replaced by Bell’s car chief, Chris Sherwood, for the remaining season. While Stevens is still supervising from the headquarters, there were some adjustments that the team underwent.

The team’s chemistry plays a crucial role

It is no surprise that a NASCAR team’s success is dependent on the compatibility of its members. Talents play a part, but they might not always be mutually beneficial. The right fit could make the world of a difference in a team’s performance. And that’s what JGR had in the form of Adam Stevens. He has proven to be an irreplaceable asset in JGR from the very start.

So, there were certain apprehensions about whether his absence would mean Bell’s fall from The Chase. But Bell confirmed, “Honestly, there’s not a better guy out there for the job than Sherwood, just because I’m very comfortable around him. He was my mechanic on my Xfinity cars at JGR back in 2018, 2019, so we have a long history.”

While for Bell, there weren’t any significant changes as he had a repo with Sherwood, but the team had to make some arrangements to factor in the change. When asked about how the team maintained its chemistry, Bell responded to Mike Bagley from NASCAR Live Wide Open, “You know, from my point as a driver, nothing really changed. I, you know, the cars have been fast. Adam is still calling the strategy, just from a different location. But I’m sure that from the team’s side, it has been a lot different, and they’ve been able to grow right through it, not miss a beat.”

It is a great accomplishment for the #20 team to keep pace in Steven’s absence. Bell has been in the Playoffs before and is only getting stronger now. “There’s still a lot of races that have slipped away that I could be sitting here with a lot more Playoff points. But certainly, the pit crew performance has been a big difference maker from the years past,” added Bell.

How has Bell’s previous playoff experience improved his chances?

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Revisions always bring in more experience and improvements. There is no way around hard work. Bell agrees, as he mentioned, “I do believe in the fact that you’re more prepared every time that you go through it.” However, he denies the saying ‘You lose one before you win one.’

For Bell, it is a learning curve and it reaps its fruits as and when reached. There is no other algorithm to it. He has run exceptional races after the Olympic Break. He got wrecked from the lead at Michigan. But other than that, he was 6th at Richmond, and top 5 in the last 3 races, including the Playoffs Kickstarter at Atlanta. He is at the 3rd rank in the Playoffs and 2nd in the driver’s standings for 2024.

He made it to the Championship 4 during both his NASCAR Playoffs runs in 2022 and 2023. This time seems to be no different. Bell is confident in his team and his chances for the championship. He surmises, “We’ve been through it twice and we haven’t won yet. But I do know that this time, I’ll be, you know, more prepared than I was last time.”

Bell had strong results at Bristol last year with a win in April and a 3rd finish in September. Let us see what has he got in stock this time.