“Adam Stevens deserves all the credit”: NASCAR Insiders shares two cents on JGR No. 20 team’s ‘stroke of genius’ at Las Vegas

NASCAR Insiders recently spoke up on the strategic brilliance of Adam Stevens, who told his driver, Christopher Bell to find another Joe Gibbs Racing pit box after a wheel was not properly bolted on the #20 car. Kim Coon called the move 'a stroke of genius' and Jordan Bianchi noted that Adam Stevens is not getting enough credit for his presence of mind.

Christopher Bell and Adam Stevens have recently enjoyed a lot of success in the Cup Series, winning three back-to-back races in the first four rounds of the 2025 season. The #20 team came to Las Vegas hoping to win four on the trot, but a mishap during a pit stop in the second stage ruined their chances of victory.

When Bell pitted during a caution on lap 108 for tires and fuel, the left front tire didn't get attached properly. Bell's crew chief Adam Stevens was quick to tell him to find one of the JGR pitboxes and get the lugnut bolted properly. Bell got into Chase Briscoe's pitbox and James Small, crew chief of the #19 JGR team got the issue fixed.

Had Bell gotten onto the track and then lost the tire, he would have received a two-lap penalty. He did receive a penalty and was sent to the back of the field, which was much less severe. Speaking on the PRN Live podcast, Kim Coon and Jordan Bianchi discussed how impressive it was for Stevens to show the presence of mind to instruct Bell to find his teammates' pit box.

"I think Adam Stevens probably isn't getting enough credit for the brilliant, in-the-moment decision he made. Quickly realizing, I have never heard a crew chief ever have the fortitude to say and the presence of mind to say, 'Hey, I need you to pit right away, we've got a loose wheel.' Incredible, and Adam Stevens deserves all the credit in the world for making that decision in the heat of the moment," Jordan Bianchi shared (via X).

James Small was also extremely quick to instruct his pit crew to fix the issue on the #20 car. He later explained to Briscoe on team radio why he was shouting ‘left front left front’ when he wasn’t even on the pit road.

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"Something that we’ve talked about before" - Adam Stevens shared details about the move

While there are a bunch of rules and conditions that prevent a driver from entering a pit box other than their own, it is allowed to do so in certain conditions. For example, if it’s a safety issue. In Adam Stevens’ case, it was a safety issue, which is why the #19 car got the standard penalty of entering a different pit box.

"Oh, that’s something we’ve talked about... We’re allowed to do that,” Stevens shared (via Racer). "And obviously, being pitted as far back (as we were) is something that we’ve talked about before, so it happened. Hopefully, we don’t have to do that too many times."

He also spoke about how Christopher Bell got into a good position after the first caution of the race on lap 34 and gained several places. However, he admitted that once they were sent to the back of the grid, it was very difficult to fight for victory in Las Vegas.

"We felt and we thought it was going to be a good day. At least (we’d) be in contention. Once we had that loose wheel, it was going to take something — a miracle — for us to be racing for the win at that point," Adam Stevens added.

The #19 team will be back in racing action next Sunday, March 23, for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.