NASCAR on TV this week

Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell Swap Pit Crew Members Ahead of Atlanta

Changes have been made to the Toyota NASCAR Cup Series pit crews of Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell ahead of the series’ 19th race of 2022 at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, according to the team’s rosters on July 5.

The No. 23 team of Wallace has gained a new front tire changer and tire carrier, Housten Stamper and Joe Crossen. Both are former members of the No. 20 team of Bell.

The Joe Gibbs Racing entry will in turn be joined by two new tire changers and a tire carrier. All three new members, Jackson Gibbs, Nick McBeath and AJ Rosini, have all served on Wallace’s crew at some point in 2022.

See also
Bubba Wallace Crew Chief, Crew Members Suspended After COTA Penalties

The changes come two weeks after Wallace’s frustrated radio transmission which took place after a loose wheel occurred during a pit stop, adding to the list of pit stop mistakes from the No. 23 team so far this year.

The No. 23 is also one of 12 teams to have received a lost-wheel penalty after suffering a detached wheel at Circuit of the Americas in May.

The new roster arrives eight races before the Cup Series playoffs and while Bell sits on the bubble of the top 16 in points. He is only 20 points ahead of 17th-place driver Kevin Harvick for the last playoff spot.

 

About the author

Dalton Hopkins began writing for Frontstretch in April 2021. Currently, he is the lead writer for the weekly Thinkin' Out Loudcolumn, co-host of the Happy Hour podcast, and one of our lead reporters. Beforehand, he wrote for IMSA shortly after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019. Simultaneously, he also serves as a Captain in the US Army.

Follow Dalton on Twitter @PitLaneCPT

Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter

A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.


9 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kenneth Keidel Jr

It’s not gonna help…bubba just aint that good

Bobby DK

I got questions. If the 23 XI crew was so bad, why is JGR taking them on? And why are they former Bell crew? Why go to 23XI? My read is instead of a driver and team looking for a better crew, maybe a crew looking for a better driver and team.

Echo

If I was Bell I wouldn’t be happy at all. He’s got a chance at pointing into the playoffs. Seems Gibbs is willing to sacrifice Bell for the possibility of getting bubba a win. Hope the wheel falls off after the first pit stop.

Old Fan

It will never happen, but I’d love to see a pit crew that’s been thrown under the bus by the driver (Harvick, baby Busch, Bubba) just put the tires, jack and gas can over the wall during the next pit stop and just walk away.

DoninAjax

Didn’t help Danica and it won’t help Blubber…er Bubba. He is Danica 2.0!

Echo

Joe Gibbs just showed Christopher Bell and all driver’s the real Gibbs. He’s tossing Bell a bad deal while Bell is trying to make the.plaoffs. Bells sponsors need to pay attention.

Bob

Certainly true

WJW Motorsports

Silly me, and here I thought Joe Gibbs was only allowed to have 4 teams.

DoninAjax

That is a NA$CAR “rule” in the “rule” book that only applies to owners not named Mr. H or Reverend Joe! Just like many of the other “rules”!