Crew chief Adam Stevens will miss the next “few weeks” after needing surgery on both knees due to an injury suffered during the Olympic break, Joe Gibbs Racing stated Monday.
Stevens has led Christopher Bell to three victories this season. Bell has a series-high nine stage wins and is eighth in the points heading into Sunday’s race at Richmond (6 p.m. ET on USA).
The team stated that Stevens suffered a double knee injury while on vacation with his family. He has undergone surgery to repair both knees and will work remotely for a few weeks.
The team stated that car chief Chris Sherwood will assume at-track crew chief duties for the No. 20 team. Stevens will work in the command center on race weekends at Joe Gibbs Racing until he is able to return to the track.
“I hate that I won’t be at the track for a few weeks, but I will be fully engaged remotely,” Stevens said in a statement from the team. “I am very thankful for the depth and strength of this 20 team and don’t anticipate my physical absence having any effect on our performance. The surgery went well, and I will be back at the track in a few weeks.”
Stevens said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he ruptured the patellar tendon in both knees diving at a swimming pool while with family in his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. He returned to the Charlotte, North Carolina, region and had surgery. He said his legs must stay straight for the next six weeks as part of the recovery from the surgery.