{"id":115279,"date":"2025-08-03T09:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T09:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/115279\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T09:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T09:45:14","slug":"christopher-bell-takes-accountability-for-incident-with-zane-smith-at-indy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/115279\/","title":{"rendered":"Christopher Bell takes accountability for incident with Zane Smith at Indy"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWTON, Iowa \u2014 Christopher Bell steeled himself as he headed toward Zane Smith\u2019s crew after last weekend\u2019s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Bell went to apologize for wrecking Smith in overtime \u2014 the third consecutive weekend Smith has lost several positions in the final laps.<\/p>\n

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\"Syndication:<\/p>\n

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Ryan Blaney looks to repeat his win in last year\u2019s inaugural Cup race at Iowa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I could sweep underneath of him and clearly you wanted to be on the inside at Indy,\u201d Bell said of his move on Smith. \u201cI tried to sweep underneath him, and I tried to make it as last minute as possible so that he couldn\u2019t counter my move, and I misjudged my run, ran into the back of him and turned him to the right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell would reach out to Smith but also wanted to speak to Smith\u2019s crew at Front Row Motorsports.<\/p>\n

So what was it like to approach people larger than him and angry at him?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to lie,\u201d Bell said Saturday at Iowa Speedway in response to a question from NBC Sports. \u201cI was nervous, but I knew I deserved what was coming, so I\u2019m like I\u2019m going to own it. If I want to walk up there (into the team\u2019s hauler) and they want to (yell at me with expletives) and tell me to get out, I deserved that in that moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I owed them the respect. \u2026 I tried to show them accountability and tell them it was on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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#NASCAR<\/a> \u2026 Christopher Bell said he made a mistake in making a move and that wrecked Zane Smith late in the race at Indy. Afterward, Bell went to each crew member of Smith\u2019s team and apologized. I asked him what it was like to do that to people bigger than him and angry at him. pic.twitter.com\/CqPY0msG0w<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Apologies don\u2019t bring back results. Smith has lost about 50 combined positions in the final laps of the last three races.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe past two weeks, nothing has been in our control,\u201d Smith said of the issues in those late laps. \u201cLast week was for sure going to be a top-10, top-five day. Unfortunately, it was taken from us. Same thing at Dover.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woes started at Sonoma.<\/p>\n

\u201cSonoma was on me,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

The team opted to stay out on older tires late and restarted eighth with 13 laps to go. A pair of cautions allowed those behind with fresher tires to close on Smith.<\/p>\n

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\"NASCAR<\/p>\n

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Chase Briscoe has won more poles this season than any other Cup driver. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen that happens and you get closer to the end, you\u2019re just so vulnerable,\u201d Smith told NBC Sports.<\/p>\n

Those with fresher tires pounced. Smith dropped from seventh to 27th in the final four laps.<\/p>\n

At Dover, Smith was running 14th before an incident in overtime. Ryan Preece had contact and came down on Smith\u2019s car, turning it. Smith finished 22nd.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could hear (Preece) trying to gather it up,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHe just had a huge moment \u2026 nothing I could do there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then at Indy, Smith was running 13th when the contact from Bell wrecked him and Smith finished 31st.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 46 positions lost in the final laps of the last three races for Smith.<\/p>\n

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\"NASCAR<\/p>\n

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Ryan Blaney won last year\u2019s inaugural Cup race at Iowa.<\/p>\n

Despite the misfortune, Smith said the focus is on the positives in those races.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy whole team, they aren\u2019t stupid, they see that we\u2019re running good and have speed when this happens,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, if we were running 30th and get hooked, the guys are going to be pretty upset and just over it. It\u2019s far from that situation. My team has done an incredible job of grinding away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith qualified 14th for Sunday\u2019s Cup race at Iowa (coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on USA).<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like what we\u2019ve unloaded some of these weekends, we just have a really good car,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s just a matter of getting the finish that is deserved.<\/p>\n