Christopher Bell Unsure If He Can Finish NASCAR San Diego Race

CORONADO, Cali. -- Christopher Bell didn't question the fun he had wheeling a NASCAR Cup Series car around Naval Base Coronado like he questioned whether he can finish Sunday's Anduril 250 Race the Base.

"If we knew that the race would get strung out and it would go green flag, there wouldn't be a ton of research. I know 100% I would be in the car but it's the contact, the restarts, the all of the tight confines and chaotic stuff that makes it risky," Bell said.

With a lingering wrist injury from a crash at Michigan International Speedway, Bell didn't have any pain last weekend at Pocono Raceway, where he nearly won on fuel mileage, or this weekend at the base in the shadow of San Diego. However, the shadow cast over Bell is his injury's physical limitations, which he realized at Pocono.

"Before Pocono, I thought I was going to be completely fine... and Pocono was, an eye opener of 'I'm not at 100%.'," Bell said. "I did have little tinges of pain at Pocono and I can tell that I'm another week healed because I didn't have any pain. It's just the physical limitation of not being able to turn the wheel quick enough.

"If everything goes perfect and I don't get loose and I don't miss an apex and I hit my downshifts, I'm fine but it's just the extracurriculars that come up."

Bell is thankful his big concern is over a wrist injury that will eventually heal -- and not something potentially career-ending.

"I'm very grateful I'm still driving. If I had hit my head, I don't think I would've been driving but it's been a tough year for us," Bell said.

Bell sits 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. He has six top-10 finishes in 16 races but and an average finish of 17.2, thanks to five finishes of 26th or worse.

"It's been a year of what could've been, that's for sure. In a roundabout way, I think I said the same thing year after year after year because we just haven't performed up to our potential consistently for a full season," Bell said. "This year, our potential is really, really high and we just haven't performed up to that potential."

Bell has led almost as many laps as Toyota manufacturer-mate and championship favorite Tyler Reddick (419 for Reddick, 416 for Bell). Combined with being 70 points above the Chase cutline and this season isn't lost for him.

However, he has to get through this weekend and make getting back to 100% the priority.

"It's a high risk racetrack and I can't afford any setbacks, two weeks into this," Bell said.

That means young gun and quick NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series learner Brent Crews could get the call up to Cup to fill in.

"I think this is the perfect scenario for Brent [Crews], coming to a racetrack where it's an equal playing field for everyone. He's obviously an amazing road course racer. He did great in the simulator. In practice, we were really struggling with our car but he certainly was doing a great job and was on a respectable lap before he made a mistake late in the lap," Bell said.

Bell watched the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and is going to watch the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races to get a good read on how the Cup Series race may play out. 

The decision to step out of the car after starting likely won't come until race day.

"It's going to be a decision we weigh out as it unfolds. We haven't made the decision. It's going to be a game time decision," Bell said. "Adam and I will have to sit down and talk about what our goals are."

Bell was 36th fastest of 39 drivers, with a fast time of 140.509 seconds around the 3.4-mile course. 

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