Christopher Bell spent the last month proving he could endure pain.
On Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, he proved something even bigger.
Just one day after revealing he had finally traded the hard cast on his fractured left wrist for a removable splint, Bell nearly drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to Victory Lane, charging to within 0.276 seconds of teammate Chase Briscoe before settling for a runner-up finish.
It was Bell’s best result since suffering the injury at Michigan International Speedway and another encouraging sign that one of NASCAR’s championship favorites is beginning to turn the corner.
Christopher Bell’s recovery took another positive step
Saturday brought Bell’s first significant medical update since fracturing his wrist at Michigan.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver revealed he had officially ditched the hard cast in favor of a removable splint, although he cautioned that his mobility remains limited.
“I mean, the pain level has been low ever since the beginning but I would say my ability to drive the car is the same as what it has been,” Bell said Saturday. “I just keep using the word clunky. Like, I just can’t be quick and precise with the wheel.”
Bell added that while wearing the splint is more comfortable than racing in a cast, it has not yet restored the movement he needs.
“I had a cast on my arm, and now I’ve got the splint, but my mobility is the same. So hopefully I can regain movement of my left wrist here shortly and get back to normal.”
Even with those limitations, Bell entered Sunday’s race optimistic that his recovery was progressing.
Twenty-four hours later, he backed it up with one of his strongest drives of the season.
Bell nearly chased down Chase Briscoe
Bell rolled off sixth and steadily worked his way into contention throughout the afternoon.
Following the final round of green-flag pit stops, he emerged as Briscoe’s biggest challenger, erasing much of the deficit over the closing laps after passing William Byron for second.
Bell got within striking distance several times in the closing laps, looking for any opening around his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, but Briscoe never made the mistake Bell needed.
Instead, Bell crossed the finish line just 0.276 seconds behind Briscoe, who earned his first victory of the 2026 season. Denny Hamlin completed a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing by finishing third.
While Bell narrowly missed adding another trophy to his collection, the runner-up finish may prove just as meaningful.
After weeks of simply trying to manage the injury, Bell showed he remains capable of contending for victories against NASCAR’s best despite not having full strength in his left wrist.
If Sunday’s performance is any indication, Bell’s return to Victory Lane may be a matter of when, not if.
