Bell recovery on schedule with move from a cast to a splint for Chicago

Christopher Bell has reached one of the benchmarks in his wrist healing by moving from a cast to a splint for Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway.

“I think it’s pretty much on schedule,” Bell said of the splint. “The goal was to be out of the cast for Chicago, and I don’t have a cast on my arm anymore, so that’s good. I can wear a normal firesuit, which is nice, and I can wear my normal glove, which is nicer, but the mobility of my wrist is still the same as it would be in a cast.”

Bell fractured his left wrist four weeks ago. It was, fortunately, the only injury he sustained in what was marked as the hardest crash in the Next Gen era at Michigan International Speedway, and he’s been racing hurt ever since. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has completed two of the last three races he has started, only giving way to Brent Crews in San Diego due to the course’s difficulty.

Sunday should be no issue for Bell. And he’s expecting to be in contention for a strong finish with his No. 20 team.

Bell is ready to be done with the healing process and be back to normal, and not have anything on his wrist. Although it is his left wrist, meaning not the one he needs to shift, the injury has still made it difficult to grip the steering wheel and feel like he can react as quickly and smoothly as he needs to in race conditions.

“The pain level has been low ever since the beginning, but I would say my ability to drive the car is the same as what it has been,” said Bell. “I keep using the word ‘clunky.’ I can’t be quick and precise with the wheel … my mobility is the same. Hopefully I can gain movement of my left wrist here shortly, and I’ll be back to normal.”

The initial timeline Bell was given was at least a six-week recovery. But he will mark the end of the healing process when he can race freely and has nothing on his wrist to lock it down.

“I was hopeful that it would be North Wilkesboro, and I think it’ll either be Wilkesboro or Indy,” Bell said. “I think we’re going to take a step backward and go back to a cast for Atlanta [next weekend] just with the nature of the beast there and make sure I have the maximum protection that I can have.”

Chicagoland and Atlanta will give way to North Wilkesboro and Indianapolis before the NASCAR Cup Series has its final off weekend at the end of the month.

Bell qualified sixth for Sunday’s race.