“He’s Gonna Have to Play Catch Up” – Christopher Bell Issues Warning to NASCAR Newcomer Ahead of the Pocono 400

Earlier, the Trackhouse Racing team dropped some big news for the fans. After his rock star debut at the Chicago Street Course, Shane Van Gisbergen will be back in the seat once again. Needless to say, many fans were thrilled and were hoping to see another masterclass from the New Zealand native. However, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell may have to be the one to burst the fans’ bubble.

Bell is currently locked in a fierce championship battle, as he sits in third place in the standings. This places him behind teammate Martin Truex Jr and Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron. Since Bell has the Bristol Dirt race win under his belt, his Playoff spot is under no threat. However, the season is long and anything can happen in the next few races before the Playoffs begin.

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“He’s going to have to learn”: Christopher Bell warns

He told the media, “I would just say, the fact that we have all been there. We, as in the Cup group, has been there for a number of years now. Lap 1 of the race track, we’re gonna know roughly where our brake markers are. What the grip level is going to be, the different turns. So he’s gonna have to play catch up a little bit on the track knowledge. I’m sure that he’s going to have a bunch of simulator time that will prepare him for the visuals of it. I would expect, by the end of the weekend, him to not really have a disadvantage. The start of practice, he’s going to have to learn the track a little bit more than the regulars will”

In essence, the #20 driver was suggesting that van Gisbergen may have a harder race on his hands. At the Chicago Street Course, all drivers were racing there for the first time. So they and van Gisbergen were all on equal footing, but the Cup drivers were familiar with Indianapolis. Meanwhile, it would take the V8 Supercars star, some time to get used to the track, giving the Cup drivers an advantage.

Will Shane Van Gisbergen win or was Chicago beginner’s luck?

Admittedly, it will be difficult to predict how the Indianapolis Road Course race will turn out. Firstly, the weather is a big unknown, as that is a massive equalizer. Additionally, it is unclear how quickly Van Gisbergen will be able to learn the track and keep up with his rivals. Finally, the Trackhouse Racing car is no slouch, so he was always going to be in with a shout no matter what.

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