The Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway proved to be an absolute handful for both drivers and pit crews. After an early rain delay, NASCAR allowed teams to switch back to slick tires toward the end of Stage 1, handing the garage a critical opportunity to make necessary chassis adjustments. But Christopher Bell’s two-tire pit stop was far from ideal.
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Bell was keen to get back on the track and hit the gas on his No. 20 Toyota Camry. Little did he know that tire changer Blake Houston was still engaged with the car. Houston got dragged out of the pit box before he took a tumble. It was a scary scene that got Bell concerned.
“Is he OK?” Bell asked on the team radio. And in reply, his team said, “He’s a little shook up, but he’s alright.”
Bell later admitted just how terrifying the moment was from the cockpit. “I saw him kind of flopping around in my rearview camera,” Bell said after the race. “I didn’t feel my car jump up in the air, so I knew I didn’t run him over. It’s alarming and very eye-opening that these guys jumping across pit wall, they’re risking it… I’m glad Blake is OK.”
NASCAR officials intervened and penalized Bell. Dustin Long shared the penalty report on X: “Christopher Bell was cited for a safety violation and came back to pit road after that first stop during this caution period.”
Christopher Bell finished second in Stage 1 run and didn’t want to lose out on the track position. Track position is vital at tracks like Loudon, and the JGR driver was simply trying to set up a race-winning strategy. He’s finished in the runner-up position seven times so far in 2026, and given his good history at Magic Mile, this was supposed to be his shot to break his winless duck.
Unfortunately, Bell wasn’t the only championship contender to suffer a catastrophic pit road blunder during that exact cycle.
On a similar pit cycle as Bell, Byron had a rather clean stop, but his pit crew made a major blunder. One of the pit crew members left the wedge wrench attached to the back window of the No. 24 Chevy. The crew uses the tool to adjust the weight balance of the car depending on the track conditions. But it can’t be left hanging, wedged onto the race car.
Byron was immediately flagged for a penalty and forced to return to the pits so the crew could safely remove the wrench and bolt on two fresh tires, completely derailing his track position.
Both drivers were forced to dig deep and crawl their way back through the field. Remarkably, both teams managed to salvage their afternoons. Byron worked his way through the pack to secure a hard-fought ninth-place finish.
Bell’s recovery was even more impressive. Despite the safety penalty dropping him to 31st place on the restart, the JGR driver carved his way back through the field to cross the finish line in fourth.
However, his winless streak continues. While Bell was busy recovering from his pit road disaster, Ryan Blaney executed a flawless race, holding off Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry by just half a second to capture his third victory of the 2026 season and officially go back-to-back at the Magic Mile.