In last week’s COTA race, Christopher Bell faced a lot of heat from his RCR rival, who tried very hard to rattle the younger driver. Yet the #20 JGR driver stood his ground with a resolute aim in his mind. That was to keep his team’s name on the winning charts of NASCAR in the Richmond race, although it turned more difficult due to rainy conditions.

He could not clinch a top-five spot, yet Bell got a sixth-place finish. His JGR teammates showed their top-notch skills as they picked up top-five and top-ten spots like berries in a garden. This is how Bell’s ‘JGR’s playhouse’ verdict came true. All of them could adjust to the unique wet conditions at Richmond Raceway. Christopher Bell admitted to NASCAR’s superb efforts in dealing with Mother Nature’s whims.

Christopher Bell applauds NASCAR for saving the Richmond race

A bout of showers fell over Central Virginia throughout the early afternoon and early evening on Sunday. The rain made racing fans bite their nails in anticipation of a possible postponement or cancellation. Yet NASCAR officials were determined to flag off the Richmond race, taking the aid of Goodyear’s wet weather tires. 

Teams were instructed to put on the treaded Goodyear rubber. After drivers hit the racetrack, the benefits of the change were evident. In a post-race interview, JGR driver Christopher Bell saluted NASCAR for their efforts. “Yeah, I thought that was as good as it was gonna get. And I thought that was the perfect scenario, perfect conditions to run the wet weather tires. It all worked out perfect. So hats off to them”.

Bell also tipped his hat to the officials for a crucial call taken on lap 30. “Yeah I mean, we were at 30 right? And they were hurt at the end of 30. I was starting to struggle, I know a couple of other guys were too. But that’s about all you need to dry the track. So you could tell instantly. I don’t know if it was 15 to 20 in where the dry lines started developing and the grip picked up”.

The track had dried up by lap 30 due to the heat from tires and cars. Hence, officials called for a competition caution on lap 30, initiating non-competitive pit stops to replace the wet-weather treaded tires with traditional racing slicks. This call was taken for safety reasons, and as Christopher Bell emphasized, helped drivers immensely in the long run.

An upper executive shed more light on this topic in a post-race interview.

“This Is JGR’s Playhouse”: Christopher Bell Stamps Joe Gibbs and Co’s Richmond Dominance

NASCAR bigwig underlines safety in wet conditions

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When rains hit the Richmond race, drivers prepared themselves for unpredictable factors to rule the race. This is because the race was only the third time that NASCAR had to resort to their rain hack. Goodyear’s wet weather tires first hit the track last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway in the All-Star Race exhibition. A NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race also used these special wheels. Hence, Elton Sawyer stressed that the safety factor was high in this situation.

“Unlike road courses when pit road is wet, where we would allow the teams to make the decisions whether to put drys or wets on,” Sawyer explained, “on the short ovals, we’re still not to a place where we feel comfortable doing that. We’re looking out for the safety.”

But they are working on giving teams more autonomy in this regard. “That’s one thing we want to work hard on; is to be able to start the race, put all the competition in the teams’ hands and strategy. When to put tires on, when to take them off, and the sanctioning body not be in the middle of that decision-making. I think we’ll get there sooner than later.”

NASCAR is making good decisions to ensure a seamless racing experience for racing teams. Hopefully, we will see the good work continue in the future as well.

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