Joe Gibbs Racing’s Adam Stevens remains to be recovering from double knee surgical procedure however returned to the monitor Sunday and completed fifth with Christopher Bell within the NASCAR Cup Sequence playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It’s good to be again,” Stevens instructed RACER. “I didn’t dream I might ever miss a playoff race, so it’s good to be right here.”
Steven was injured in the course of the two weeks NASCAR went quiet for the Olympic break on the finish of July and into early August. Whereas spending time together with his household, he admitted he tried to one-up his teenage son on the diving board and ruptured each patellar tendons on the similar time. He spent the final 4 races working with the No. 20 group from the conflict room on the JGR store.
“We had been working laborious from the conflict room and the store all week [but] it’s simply not the identical,” Stevens mentioned. “There may be a lot that you simply soak up visually that you simply don’t need to work to absorb, and on the store it’s important to actively work. It feels such as you’re doing twice as a lot to do the identical job or in all probability not even pretty much as good a job.”
The group didn’t miss a beat no matter the place their crew chief was positioned. Bell completed sixth or higher in three of the 4 races with out Stevens on the pit field. He went from seventh to fourth within the general championship standings to finish the common season and, with the bonus factors accrued, was reseeded third with 32 playoff factors.
“Effectively, it’s important to relinquish some management to the individuals on the monitor,” Stevens mentioned of how issues went for the group. “You’ll be able to prep them for conditions and make a variety of choices, perhaps underneath warning, however as soon as the automobiles hit pit street, you’ve bought to be quiet and allow them to deal with it — particularly if a cease doesn’t go proper or if it’s a site visitors state of affairs on pit street. There’s simply nothing you are able to do from the store with a 12s delay in many of the instruments.
“Plus, shedding the web connection … occurs on a regular basis, sadly. You’re simply useless within the water, so I had a variety of religion in my guys, and so they rose to the event as I knew they’d. I’m blissful we have now that depth in our group.”
Sunday, a fourth-place end at Atlanta saved Bell and Stevens within the hunt to advance within the postseason. Bell was nervous concerning the first spherical beginning with a superspeedway (Atlanta) and the anticipated tire variables at Watkins Glen and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Nevertheless, the group started its postseason in its finest place ever. Stevens feels significantly better about their postseason hopes past the primary spherical after getting by Atlanta with out incident.
“It’s only a bit of untamed card spherical, and also you don’t wish to burn by your bonus factors after the primary race,” he mentioned. “With the brand new tire at Watkins Glen — 4s of fall off in 20 laps — no one is aware of what’s going to occur up there, which is nice, however the probabilities of it not going your approach are fairly good. Identical factor with Bristol. If we have now a race like we did within the spring the place you possibly can’t hardly run 40 or 50 laps earlier than the rubber is gone, something can occur there — of your doing, or somebody in entrance of you.
“It is a loopy spherical and we noticed a few playoff contenders not be capable of have good days, so we’re very, very grateful and lucky to have a stable day right this moment.”
Bell goes to Watkins Glen with a 40-point benefit on the cutline. In understanding and counting the factors, he believes the group wants to attain in every race to be protected. Stevens hopes that Bell can be locked into the Spherical of 12 after subsequent weekend’s occasion.
“There are solely two extra races and [there] can solely be two extra winners. There’s 16 of us, and all 16 of us can’t end within the high 10,” Stevens mentioned. “Let’s go have one other stable weekend after which be capable of be a bit of extra aggressive, in all probability at Bristol.”
