Christopher Bell: “Yes, he hit me and spun me out. I left him a lane and a half to not do that.”
Last weekend, NASCAR visited the road course of Watkins Glen International. On lap 55 of 90, two friends came together on the race track.
Christopher Bell was on the bumper of Martin Truex Jr and looking for the lead. As they battled, Kyle Larson joined the fight, making it a three way battle for the race lead.
Larson dove to the inside of Bell into turn one. Bell went for a spin, ending his hopes at the win. Larson drove to victory lane.
After the race, Larson was quick to note an apology to Bell for the contact. Perhaps too quick because after Larson watched the tape, he thought it might have been Bell’s fault for not leaving him enough room on the inside.
Larson still sent an apology text to Bell. That text went unanswered. By Monday, Larson was speaking on his win and the contact. He noted that he wasn’t happy Bell didn’t respond to his text message.
Related: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell trade comments after Watkins Glen incident (Video)
Christopher Bell responds to Kyle Larson
This weekend, NASCAR is back at another road course. As of Saturday, the two drivers still haven’t spoken. But, more words are being exchanged…
“Larson, in my opinion, if he really wanted to talk to me, he would have called me to talk to me,” Christopher Bell told Bob Pockrass.
“I received a text message, at midnight. It said, ‘Sorry, hate I spun you.’ “
“I’ve sent out apology calls and texts, in my day. If I really want to talk about it, I call the person and handle it that way. If I can’t talk to them in person.”
Larson took Bell’s lack of response as a sign of future payback.
Bell explained, “Really, I was moved on. The on-track incident, I wasn’t happy about it. But, it was fine.”
“Then, whenever he went and cried about it, cried to the media about me not texting him back to the text message I got at midnight. I called him to discuss that part of it.”
“He didn’t answer my call. He called me back and I had some obligations, so I didn’t answer either.”
“On-track incident, it’s whatever. Him crying to the media that I didn’t reply to his sorry text message. Like, come on.”
Bell commented on the crash as well…
“I went back and looked at it on SMT, which is real data. I was a car length and a half, above the normal bottom line. That was compared to my normal bottom line and his normal bottom line.”
Bell concluded, “Yes, he hit me and spun me out. I left him a lane and a half to not do that.”
Related: Watkins Glen race results from August 8, 2021 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Kyle Larson also comments on Saturday
Kyle Larson was also asked about Bell during this weekend at Indianapolis.
“Part of me thought that as much as we’ve race together, you know, growing up, before we even got to NASCAR that he would at least have respect enough to talk,” Larson said on Saturday.
“But, I’m also not surprised. Yeah, it’s cool, it’s fine.”
“It doesn’t really matter. At this point, I think we’re both probably over it.”
Larson added, “I don’t really think that we really need to talk. I’m over it. I’m pretty sure that as the week’s gone by, he’s gotten over it as well. We’re going to race together for a long time. So, I’m not too worried about it.”
Christopher Bell comments on Kyle Larson
Related: Kyle Larson vs Christopher Bell at Watkins Glen incident (Video)
Related: Knoxville Nationals Results from August 14, 2021 (World of Outlaws)
Links
Kyle Larson | Christopher Bell | Watkins Glen International | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | NASCAR
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