Christopher Bell unexpectedly joined the Craftsman Truck Series event last week when Stewart Friesen was sidelined following a serious fireball crash at a Canadian dirt track on July 28. Bell took over driving duties for Friesen’s No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota at Watkins Glen International on Friday, stepping into the role under urgent circumstances.
Reflecting on the experience, Bell expressed mixed feelings about racing the truck without Stewart. He said,
“I had a ton of fun, I’m sure it looked very weird seeing that No. 52 truck out there without Stewart in it. I’m just happy to give him a good run and get a good finish out of it.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Strong Qualifying and Intense On-Track Battles
Despite it being Bell’s first Truck Series start since the previous year, he rallied quickly and qualified the truck on the front row alongside Corey Heim. Throughout the race, Bell and Heim fought for the lead, showcasing a tight competition between the two drivers.
Bell described the fierce contest, explaining how difficult it was to pass, stating,
“I felt like whoever got control of the race between me and the No. 11 [Heim], it was gonna be really hard to pass each other. Whoever got the lead was gonna be it.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Challenges During Pit Stops and Race Extensions
The race momentum shifted during a late pit stop when Bell encountered fuel issues. He noted,
“It stumbled, we were out of fuel, I was surprised how good we were able to get back up through there. One more restart, one more restart.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Choosing to stay out on the track proved risky as multiple caution flags extended the race, pushing it into triple overtime. Bell reflected on the unpredictable nature of truck racing, saying,
“It’s truck racing and you’ll have that. It’s a bummer that these races — in the Cup deal you might see the same thing, Xfinity deal might see the same thing – it becomes a full-contact sport whenever you get yellow flags and restarts.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Successful Finish Despite Extended Race and Crashes
Surviving the demanding final laps, including the challenging Bus Stop corner during three overtimes, Bell managed to finish fourth overall. He credited the strong teamwork and the truck’s competitiveness, recalling a conversation with the crew chief James Villeneuve and Stewart Friesen about their expectations before the race.
“I thought it was awesome to see how good this stuff is. I remember asking Jimmy [crew chief James Villeneuve] and Stewart what they thought the potential was going to be here. They’re like, ‘Yeah, I think we’ll run top five or so.’”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Bell also emphasized his focus on reaching the finish line safely, sharing the team’s mindset:
“At one point [the team] said, ‘Checkered or wreckers.’ And I’m like, ‘Eh, well, I want to make sure I get it to the checkered flag.’”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Looking Ahead: Building Momentum with the Team
Bell ended by expressing hope for future performances from the Halmar Friesen Racing team, including promising rookie Kaden Honeycutt.
“Hopefully they can build on this and do some good with Kaden [Honeycutt] in the next few weeks.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
This strong top-five finish highlights Bell’s adaptability behind the wheel and the team’s resilience in the face of unexpected changes, setting positive expectations for upcoming races in the Craftsman Truck Series.