NASCAR Cup Series driver Zane Smith has now come out and revealed fresh concerns regarding Christopher Bell's condition after a devastating crash at Michigan.

During an interview with sports commentator Steve Letarte on Inside the Race, Smith revealed that he was at the infield care center when Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott were brought in for evaluation after the crash.

“Christopher lay down next to me, and I could tell he was in pain,” Smith said. “I know he also wasn't feeling good after that. And yeah, we're hoping the best for him, but I mean, just that he's able to walk away from that, I mean, is insane.”

The JGR star had walked away from a serious racing incident, which many considered fortunate. The destruction to the SAFER Barrier on track clearly revealed how bad the crash truly was.

“Man, yeah, I saw that crash on TV when I was in the Toyota Care Center. That is as violent as it gets, like that is just a bad angle," Smith told Letarte.

The Cup Series driver pointed out that the crash was worse because of the manner in which it happened, with two cars colliding.

Smith elaborated, saying, "It's super underrated of like how that feels sometimes when the heavy impacts into the wall... but man, just as violent as when it's car to car because it's like two energies meeting at one.”

According to Smith, other drivers also had a similar reaction to seeing Chase Elliot and Christopher Bell's crash.

“I talked to a few of the guys that were out there still, and man, they said that was the most violent that they've ever seen,” he recalled.

Smith didn't have an update on Bell's status, but concluded by wishing good health and a quick recovery to both drivers, saying, “I certainly hope he's [Bell's] okay, and along with Chase too.”

Christopher Bell had a disastrous run at Michigan. Even though he remains within the playoff picture, the 2026 season hasn't been that great for him.

Bell's Speed Hasn't Matched His Results

Christopher Bell's 2026 season seems to be lukewarm at best. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver sits inside the top 10 in points, with five top-five finishes and six top-10s.

But he is still searching for his first victory of the year after entering the season as a championship favorite.

Bell himself called his current season “disappointing.” The NASCAR driver faced a speeding penalty at Bristol, was caught in another driver's incident at Texas, and struggled to finish well at Kansas and Atlanta despite having good speed.

This issue of not winning despite having speed is especially frustrating for Bell. He finished second at Phoenix, third at COTA, fourth at Las Vegas, and won the pole at Las Vegas this season while leading one of the fastest Toyota efforts in the field.

It seems all the driver needs to do is stay calm and march towards victory. He is consistently fast; all he needs to do now is consistently win. Do you agree?

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit