Christopher Bell Trashes Chase Elliott’s “Helpful” Narrative by Condemning NASCAR’s “Useless” Formality

Ever since NASCAR decided to limit the practice run window to just 20 minutes, there’s been an almost unanimous demand for more time to run laps ahead of qualifying. But there’s one person who feels that, whether or not 20 minutes is ample time, as Cup Series drivers, they can’t complain. And that’s Chase Elliott.

“We’re supposed to be professionals, and we’re supposed to be at the top of our class. Why should we get an hour and a half when people that are trying to come up through the ranks only get five laps before the race?” Elliott made a good point, a point that brought a fresh perspective to the practice debate. And as NASCAR made its way to Dover International Speedway, the #9 driver had another interesting perspective.

Before practice and qualifying in Dover, an interview told Elliott about a potential 20-degree temperature swing between practice and the race. When asked how much data from the practice session could apply to the race, the Hendricks Motorsport driver replied, “I think a lot will carry over. The grip level will probably be lower tomorrow than today. But I don’t think the practice is completely a wash because of that. I think it’ll still be helpful.”

However, Joe Gibbs Racing ace Christopher Bell wasn’t sold on the idea. He was quick to share his view on the practice runs at Dover Motor Speedway, explaining just why they would be obsolete. And it’s all to do with the fact that Monster Mile is unlike any other race track. Its unique character lies in its concrete surface, which reacts quite moodily to the weather conditions. Therefore, a practice run of 20 minutes for both groups combined doesn’t offer much to enhance the race car’s tuning. So, this adds more onus on qualifying than the practice itself.

Reflecting on the same, Bell said in an interview, “The thing that’s tough about Dover is practice is pretty useless unless you have a lot of it. Because it takes a lot to get the track rubbered up, and in conditions that you’re going to see on Sunday… I mean, today is going to be all about positioning yourself for tomorrow with that qualifying session. But I don’t think anybody’s going to really know what we have until the green flag flies.” When it came to his thoughts on the length of practice sessions, though, he was on Chae Elliott’s side.

Asked how much time he thinks would be good for a practice session, Bell replied, “Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me. I enjoy the 20-minute practice sessions. Here at Dover, the 20 minutes isn’t enough.” Because of the weather-track conditions combination in Dover, he said, “You’ll probably be out of tires before you’re out of time.” With Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell on opposite sides of the helpfulness-of-practice spectrum, William Byron had a neutral opinion.

Due to the conditions, “I think you’re gonna see comers and goers [in who will have pace] with it being 81 degrees out tomorrow and sunny versus today’s cloudy and favorable conditions. I just think we lean on our notes there.” Well, that’s precisely what Christopher Bell will have to do, considering how he feels.

The 29-year-old might have had a roaring start to his season, but fans’ brows have been furrowed lately. However, the Dover race could be his glimmer of hope. And from his comments, we know he is just as focused on qualifying as on the race. He’s had a taste of both poor and good starting positions in his previous races. Hence, he is looking to achieve that balance in the upcoming race.

Can Dover help get Bell on track after a streak of disappointing finishes?

The No. 20 team was soaring high and looked like a genuine championship contender after the win at Phoenix. In the first 7 starts, the driver had five top-10 finishes, and a win sealed his playoff spot. However, the last three weeks have been far from ideal for Bell and his team.

He ran into trouble at Martinsville Speedway, where he had his misfortunes with starting 20th and the tires. He just couldn’t contest for a better track position throughout the race. In the end, he finished the race on the tail end, in the 35th spot. Going into Texas, he was supposed to bounce back from his bitter end to the race last weekend, but his struggles continued at the mile-and-a-half racetrack.

Though Bell clinched a 3rd starting spot at Texas, in his efforts to run at full throttle, he lost control of his No. 20 Camry and spun right into the wall during stage 2. The series of mishaps continued for him late in the race, and he could only have a 17th-place finish. Talladega was the same story, as he found himself on the receiving end of a nasty wreck that took him out of the race on lap 132.

He has finished inside of the top-ten position in his last two starts at Dover. And considering the string of bad results, he will gladly accept a similar outcome for today’s race.