Joe Gibbs Racing has moved Ty Gibbs’ pit crew to Christopher Bell’s team in an effort to boost Bell’s chances in the Cup playoffs.
Bell enters the playoffs as the seventh seed. He has 2,014 points, putting him seven above the cutline ahead of Sunday’s Southern 500 (6 p.m. ET on USA Network, post-race show on Peacock).
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The pit crew swap was made since Gibbs did not make the playoffs. His pit crew has been among the best this season. Gibbs’ crew won the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge during All-Star Weekend in May at North Wilkesboro.
Gibbs’ crew ranks third in the series in average time for a four-tire stop at 11.254 seconds, according to Racing Insights. Bell’s pit crew ranks 20th in average time for a four-tire pit stop.
Racing Insights times pit stops from the moment the car enters the pit stall to when it exits the stall.
Bell’s fastest four-tire pit time this season, according to Racing Insights, is 9.8096 seconds. Gibbs’ pit crew has had 13 stops faster than that this year.
Joe Gibbs Racing times its stops from the moment the car goes up on the jack on the right side to when the car comes down from the jack on the left side in a four-tire stop. Gibbs’ crew had an 8.54-second pit stop at Richmond. That was one of three consecutive pit stops by that crew at Richmond below 9 seconds, according to the team.
Bell’s new pit crew will be: Blake Houston (front tire changer), Michael Hicks (rear tire changer), Jacob Holmes (tire carrier), Derrell Edwards (jackman) and Peyton Moore (fueler).
Gibbs’ new pit crew will be: Jackson Gibbs (front tire changer), Kevon Jackson (rear tire changer), Nick McBeath (tire carrier), Braxton Brannon (jackman) and Ian Anderson (fueler).
