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Christopher Bell’s harrowing crash at Michigan International Speedway on Lap 148 of the NASCAR Cup Series event has been identified as the most significant impact recorded in the four-plus-year history of the Next Gen car. The incident, which necessitated a 21-minute repair to the SAFER Barrier, has also been flagged as potentially the most forceful since at least 2015, according to internal NASCAR safety data.
The dramatic sequence unfolded when Chase Elliott, while battling for second position, encountered a bump in Turn 3, causing his car to lose traction and slide up into Bell. The initial contact propelled Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the wall. The severity of this primary impact was compounded when Elliott’s car made secondary contact with the left side of Bell’s vehicle as it slid back up the track.
During a recent episode of the official NASCAR Hauler Talk podcast, communications executive Mike Forde revealed the unprecedented nature of Bell’s impact. "We can confirm that it was the largest number we’ve seen in the Next Gen era," Forde stated, referencing the data collected since the introduction of the current car model in 2022. Forde further elaborated that this measurement is not only the most severe for the Next Gen car but also the most significant dating back to 2015. This benchmark was established by Matt Harper, NASCAR’s managing director of safety systems, who joined the organization that year and began employing his detailed data collection methodologies.
The metric used to quantify the intensity of Bell’s crash is Delta-v, a measure of the change in velocity experienced by the vehicle during an incident. "Delta-v is the measure of speed lost in an incident," Forde explained. "So if you’re going 200 mph and then all of a sudden you come to a stop because you hit a wall and scrub off X amount of speed, that difference is what the Delta-v is." While Forde declined to disclose the specific Delta-v number for Bell’s crash due to its proprietary nature and shared data agreements with teams and drivers, he emphasized its magnitude.
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To provide further context on impact measurement, Forde solicited explanations from Harper and John Patalak, NASCAR’s vice president of safety engineering. Patalak detailed the distinction between Delta-v and G-force (G). "A G is a unit of acceleration," Patalak stated. "You’re better talking about acceleration than G. Acceleration is how fast the velocity of something changes. You can come off a stop sign on I-85 in five seconds and have a peak of five G and a Delta-v, which is a change of velocity, of 60 miles per hour. Or, you can hit a wall and go from 60 to 0 in .1 second and a peak at 50 G. The Delta-v is the same. Both measures matter. The reason acceleration matters is mass x acceleration equals force."
Harper added nuance regarding peak G-force. "We also usually call out the peak G. That is not a constant load through the crash, just the highest value," he said. "Which is also important because if you talk about peak G, that number may seem massive, but when you’re talking about injury potential, it’s the length of time you are at a high G level." Patalak further underscored the importance of Delta-v, noting, "You could also have a really large peak G but without a decent Delta-v, it isn’t injurious or interesting."
NASCAR has provided the precise G-force and Delta-v figures from Bell’s crash to Joe Gibbs Racing. However, the decision to publicly release this data rests with the team and the driver. Following the incident, NASCAR officials conducted an immediate on-site assessment of Bell’s car and the damaged SAFER Barrier. Furthermore, a comprehensive safety review of the No. 20 car was undertaken at the Joe Gibbs Racing shop on Monday morning.
Despite the significant impact, Christopher Bell sustained a fracture to his left wrist and undisclosed ankle injuries. Crucially, he has received medical clearance to compete in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Mike Forde elaborated on the clearance process: "He needed to have a follow-up visit with his physicians. Once we got the clearance from them, we would then clear him to race… and he has received that clearance. How that works is Christopher will see his personal physicians, that physician will work with our medical team to clear him so that clearance does come from his doctors and they have to be board certified, so on and so forth, the right credentials. They work with us and say ‘we examined him and we feel comfortable he can be in the race car’ and once we get the clearance from them, we give him the clearance."
During the safety review at Joe Gibbs Racing, Matt Harper focused on the head surround foam within Bell’s cockpit. "A big priority is being put around the head surround foam," Forde commented. "We keep updating this part of the rule book as we learn more and more. The thickness of the head surround is so important. And because we were pleased with how the head surround supported Christopher in this incident, we did a lot of measurements of the type of foam he used, the softness and the thickness. We want to see, ‘Hey, is this sort of the magic number? Is this something that other drivers may want to look at? Because this was the biggest hit we’ve ever seen in the Next Gen era, and by and large, Christopher came out of it pretty well. So that’s one of the things we’ll be studying as we move forward."
Chase Brashears, NASCAR director of track services, also contributed to the podcast discussion, detailing the immediate safety protocols implemented at the track following the crash.
Christopher Bell, a prominent driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been a consistent contender in the NASCAR Cup Series. In the 2023 season prior to the Michigan incident, Bell had secured multiple victories and was considered a strong championship contender. His performance has been a key factor in Joe Gibbs Racing’s continued success in the sport. The team, one of NASCAR’s most decorated organizations, boasts numerous championships and race wins across various series.
The incident at Michigan International Speedway, a track known for its high speeds and wide racing surface, has brought renewed focus to the ongoing safety advancements within NASCAR. The introduction of the Next Gen car was intended to enhance safety and improve racing dynamics, and data from incidents like Bell’s is crucial for refining these systems. The detailed analysis of Delta-v and G-force, in conjunction with the performance of safety equipment such as the SAFER Barrier and cockpit safety features, will undoubtedly inform future iterations of car design and track safety measures. The sport’s commitment to driver well-being remains paramount, with continuous research and development driving progress in mitigating the risks associated with high-speed motorsport.
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