Pit Stop Radio News

No. 20 Rheem-Smurfit Kappa Toyota Camry News and Notes:

• Sonoma Raceway: The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) heads to California for the 2.52-mile road course of Sonoma Raceway.  Sunday’s 90-lap Toyota Save Mart 350 will be Christopher Bell’s first laps around Sonoma Raceway.   
• Road Course Winner: Bell took home the checkered flag in the first road course race of the season at Daytona.  
• Road Course History: Bell’s Daytona Road Course victory may have surprised a few people, but he has had some past success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) making left and right turns.  In 2019 he competed in four NXS road course events.  Bell earned his first road course victory at Road America and finished second at both Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.  He was on track for a top-five finish at the ROVAL until a penalty late in the race.
• On Top the Box: Bell might be making his first start, but his crew chief Adam Stevens has been on top of the pit box for four races at Sonoma and has earned one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. 
• Featured on the Car: Smurfit Kappa will be featured on the sides of Bell’s No. 20 Toyota Camry in Sonoma.  Smurfit Kappa, a FTSE 100 company, is a world leader in paper-based packaging.
• Rheem Cheering Section: Rheem will host over 100 guests at Sonoma Raceway.  The group will consist of guests from Smurfit Kappa, Western Water Heating Dealers, Baker Distribution and Eemax.   
• Coca-Cola 600 Recap: Bell qualified 17^th and ran just outside the top 10 through the first two stages.  In stage three he brushed the wall and a few laps later the tire went flat from the contact.  Bell had to pit under green for tires, costing him a few laps to the leaders, ultimately crossing the finish line 24^th. 
• JGR at Sonoma: Joe Gibbs Racing owns five NASCAR Cup Series victories at Sonoma Raceway.  In 69 combined starts at the track, the organization has tallied 16 top-five finishes, 29 top-10s, and 368 laps led.
• RACE INFO: The Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 6, 2021. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, Sirius XM 90, and PRN Radio.

From the Cockpit:

Christopher Bell: “I’ve heard a lot of cool things about Sonoma and with last year being cancelled, I’m looking forward to making my cup debut at the road course this weekend.” 

Bell’s 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:

Bell’s Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Joe Gibbs Racing PR