Joe Gibbs Racing had a really promising day at Austin as three out of four Toyotas finished within the top 10 except #11 of Denny Hamlin. The P2 finish was truly a proud moment for Christopher Bell but it was not at all accepted by Kyle Busch who was involved in a contact with the #20 car during the race.
After the contact with Busch, Bell’s aggressive maneuver led Kyle Larson to spin and lose the positions to which Bell took responsibility and expressed his feelings on X recently.
JGR prodigy apologizes to Kyle Larson
Larson spins!
Contact with the No. 20 sends the No. 5 around! pic.twitter.com/ZAbf5hJAsZ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 24, 2024
As the race unfolded, Bell and Larson found themselves battling for position on the track. In a high-speed corner, Bell’s No. 20 car made contact with the rear of Larson’s car. The impact caused Larson’s car to spin out, losing valuable track position.
Christopher Bell on making contact with Larson and Busch during the race:
"The Kyle Larson incident was totally my fault and I take ownership of. The Kyle Busch situation, he opened his entry up and I got into him. I didn't mean to spin him out."
— PRN (@PRNlive) March 24, 2024
After the race “PRN” shared a post on X where Bell was talking about both of the crashes. Bell apologized to Larson and took responsibility for the incident whereas he expressed uncertainty for Busch over the second incident.
A heated gesture from Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch is not happy with Christopher Bell. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oRVjHJokj3
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 24, 2024
The incident unfolded in turn one, where the two drivers found themselves racing side by side. After the contact, Bell expressed regret for the collision, acknowledging that Kyle Busch had every right to be upset. While Bell was speaking to the media, Busch approached him in a visibly furious manner, leading to a brief exchange of words between the two. Eventually, Busch walked away after issuing a warning to his former teammate.
However, Bell refrained from commenting further on the incident, stating that he hadn’t yet reviewed the replay. With both drivers set to compete at Richmond next week, all eyes will be on their on-track interactions, making for an intriguing showdown.
READ MORE: Kyle Busch Confronts his former JGR teammate on the Pitlane after COTA showdown
