Bell recalls Michigan crash in vivid detail
Christopher Bell runs through his memories of the crash in Michigan that broke his wrist and expresses his appreciation for the love he got from everywhere in response.
Video Transcript
Do you know how you broke your wrist?
Like, was it, were you, were your, were your hands on the wheel and was, did it just kind of get crushed or did the wheel snap?
Do you, do you know and can tell us?
yeah.
I, I think I do.
so I was still hands on the wheel, hands turned left, and then the, my left hand, which was on the bottom, my wrist was bent over like that on the underside of the wheel, and then just the force into the steering wheel, slightly smashed it.
So I remember everything.
Like, I remember, you know, going into turn three side by side, and I saw Chase wiggle.
and then I, I thought that I was gonna, you know, go around the outside of him, and then at the last moment, I saw his car come right, and then it, if I remember right, it kind of like picked my nose up, picked my nose up and shot me right.
So I, I remember staring at that Michigan USA sign too, so, saw the whole thing coming.
And then, yeah, once I hit the wall, my ear, my earpiece popped out, so I scared the crap out of my wife and probably everyone else listening 'cause I didn't respond to Tab whenever he, he was checking on me.
But my earpo- my eardeal popped out, so I didn't have any communication.
and then I saw the car was on fire.
so I just, you know, was trying to get out as quick as I could.
But I, yeah, I knew my wrist was broke right away, because I couldn't disconnect my shirt.
so I, I try, reached down, tried to disconnect my shirt, and I couldn't squeeze the button, so I had to use my right hand to do that.
And then, and then, yeah, my foot hurt really, really bad too.
but, you know, we, we got X-rays on my foot.
It was just, it just ended up being bruised.
So yeah, between, beside my f- my foot and my wrist, I was good to go.
And I knew right away, or I thought I knew right away that my head was okay because I didn't have any sort of headache, didn't, you know, black out.
I remembered everything.
I've been told that it was 63 Gs on impact.
so, but I don't know what the delta V is, and honestly, I don't really, it, it doesn't, I, it doesn't matter to me.
I mean, from what I've been told, it's pretty much just an, a normal broken bone.
So, you know, under normal circumstances, they would say six weeks.
so I would expect me to be in a cast for, you know, a period of time.
I'm really glad that I didn't have any displaced bones, so I didn't have to have surgery, which was awesome.
I mean, the car did absolutely perfect, and all of my safety gear did absolutely perfect, and that's why I'm, you know, back in the car this week.
So i- incredible the amount of people that have, you know, reached out to me.
I, this past week, my phone has literally been on fire, and it's been so just, it's been eye-opening how much love I have received from, you know, everybody.
All of my competitors, you know, throughout the NASCAR garage, all of my peers and coworkers throughout the NASCAR garage, friends and family members, even, you know, previous, or drivers and competitors that I race against on the dirt side that have reached out to me.
so it is, it's been surreal to see that.
and then I can't, you know, say how high, or I can't speak highly enough of Chase as well.
Like, the moment that he saw me out of the car, he, he was visibly shaken up and, you know, concerned about me.
And, I, I appreciate, you know, so much his, his, demeanor and, and, you know, his thoughts of me and, and he's reached out several times throughout the week to make sure I'm okay.
And, I, I, I asked, obviously I asked him if he was okay too.
He had a, he had a big hit as well.
But just thankful for all of the love from everybody.
You know, everyone in the community, everyone outside of the community.
My phone has been the busiest this week it's been in my entire life.
Just gonna play it week by week and see how I feel today in practice at Pocono and then, you know, after the race.
And I, I have done a couple sim sessions at, San Diego, and I mean, I feel like I was able to get through, you know, a, an hour or two i- in the simulator and do okay.
so yeah, I'm, I'm thankful that it's another seven days away.
So incredibly fortunate and thankful and blessed that my head was okay.
and yeah, to get out of there with just a fractured wrist is, is pretty immaculate, and, you know, I owe all of the credit to NASCAR and my team for building safe cars.
You know, I s- I know I said it in my, statement earlier, but all of the previous drivers who have, you know, paid somewhat of a price, to make these cars as safe as they are today, NASCAR from learning from every experience that they've had and every moment, every crash, it all paid off, you know, last Sunday.
So super grateful, and, I'm looking forward to putting it behind me for sure.
