Did NASCAR potentially steal a win from Joe Gibbs Racing star, Christopher Bell, at Iowa? It is indeed tough to quantify how the questionable caution call from the officials would play into the end of the race. However, Bell’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, was having none of it and was riled up during the race to see NASCAR spoil their race-winning strategy.

Christopher Bell started the Corn 350 at the rear end of the field after crashing during the practice run. Moreover, he had to rely on his backup car to put in a good performance on Sunday, which he did. But yet again, NASCAR was back to its usual shenanigans and snatched away the #20 team’s slimmest of chances to win the race. But why exactly is the caution that resulted in Stevens losing his cool on the team radio under scrutiny?

Is NASCAR back with the mysterious debris caution?

The Iowa race saw multiple drivers bust their tires during the race. But with most of them managing to steer clear of traffic and enter the pit lane, no cautions were called. Even many of them made contact with the outside wall, overshooting their corners, but again, the race was green. Call it misfortunes or a controversial decision by race officials, Daniel Hemric’s No. 31 hitting the outside was enough to wave the yellow, they indeed were quick on the trigger.

Reacting to the decision, Adam Stevens was fuming on the radio. “God dang it. We can’t get f***ing get a break here. That was the most ridiculous f***ing caution I’ve ever seen in my life. That’s chicken sh*t.” He was heard throwing this rant via NASCAR’s YouTube channel. And why wouldn’t he be mad? His entire crew, in a bid to prepare the backup car for their driver, worked early until the morning of the race. And this call by the officials potentially snatched a win from their hands.

Stevens knew that Bell’s #20 car was strong in the long run. Therefore, trying to play smart, he rolled the dice and decided not to pit when race leaders Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson decided to change tires. Instead, he advised his driver to stay out and gain track position, which he did, racing up to fourth place. But all of their hard work and the game plan were trashed, with NASCAR dropping the caution as the field was cycling and Bell hitting the pits to get his fresh sets of tires.

Despite being handed the short end of the stick, Bell made the gains in the final stage and finished the race inside of the top 5 places. But according to the driver, this was a disappointing finish, knowing that he could have been in victory lane or at least competing for the win.

Bell wasn’t content with the 4th place finish at Iowa Speedway

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For most of this season, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin were believed to be real contenders for the championship. They still are, but C. Bell seems to be plotting his charge under the radar and could turn up the heat during the business end of the season. The P4 finish was his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, including his win at the Coca-Cola 600.

Although a P4 result was a strong run, Bell had mixed feelings about the outcome. “A top five is a good day. Obviously, we had pace to be a lot better than that, so that’s why I’m sitting here mixing emotions. Great effort, and if we keep bringing cars like that, hopefully it will be our day one of these times. It was a rocket ship on the long run.” Bell was quoted saying this via Motorsports Wire.

After the Iowa race, C. Bell jumped one spot, holding the 8th position. But he will have his hopes up in New Hampshire, as he has a win and a runner-up finish in his last three starts at the racetrack. So considering his run of consistent performances, it is fair to say he is among the top contenders for a win this weekend.