NASCAR clarifies rule about pitting in another team’s stall after Christopher Bell Las Vegas move

NASCAR has clarified the rule about pitting in another team’s stall after Christopher Bell‘s move at Las Vegas. The governing body said if it happens, the car will receive a “flag status penalty.”

“If a vehicle receives service in another team’s pit stall in an effort to correct a safety issue, the vehicle will receive a flag status penalty,” NASCAR said. “The vehicle will either restart at the tail of the field or receive a pass-through for pitting outside the assigned pit box. NASCAR also said, “If a vehicle receives service in another team’s pit stall for competition adjustments, the vehicle may receive a lap(s) penalty.”

During the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Christopher Bell left his pit box with a loose left front wheel. It led to him stopping in the pit box of teammate Chase Briscoe, and the crew members of the No. 19 car tightened the loose wheel before Bell returned to the track.

Christopher Bell did not want to lose a wheel at the NASCAR Las Vegas race

Christopher Bell was penalized for pitting outside his box and was sent to the rear of the field for the restart. But he was willing to take that penalty instead of losing a wheel, being penalized for two laps and having two crew members suspended.

“I didn’t know if whenever I got to any of the teammate’s box, I didn’t know one, where they were, and then if two, if there was going to be a car in it or not,” Bell said after the race, per Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “I saw the 19 (Briscoe) out the corner of my eye. I was pointing like, ‘I’m getting left. I’m getting left.’ Obviously, guys are coming out of their box. Fortunately, he wasn’t in there. I guess he was a couple of laps down at that point. Everyone gave way for me to get left and get into his box. I don’t know how much it helped, though, because I still had to go to the back. At least we didn’t lose a wheel.”

Despite the penalty, Christopher Bell earned a P12 finish at Las Vegas. It’s been a very strong start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series for the 30-year-old driver as he won the races at Atlanta, COTA and Phoenix.