Christopher Bell pulls out of Truck race after Richmond postponement

After inclement weather forced NASCAR to postpone the Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond to 12pm EST on Saturday, Cup star Christopher Bell has pulled out of the event.

He was set to drive the No. 62 Halmar-Frisen Racing Toyota, qualifying 17th for the race. However, he will not be attempting to run 650 laps on the same between Trucks and Cup, which will be separated by just a few hours.

Leland Honeyman Jr. will replace Bell as the driver of the No. 62 truck, which means he will have to start from the rear of the field. Bell will be back in the truck at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend. He won with the HFR team earlier this year at Bristol, but is still searching for his first win of the 2026 Cup season with a remarkable seven runner-up finishes so far.

Shane van Gisbergen, who earned his first NASCAR oval pole in qualifying for the Richmond Truck race, remains in the field and will be the only driver attempting double duty. 

As for Honeyman, this will be just his second NCTS start of the 2026 season, and only his third ever. He competed at Charlotte in May with the Halmar-Friesen team, finishing 23rd. He is far more experienced in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series with 66 career starts there, and seven this year as a part-time driver. That includes a couple of starts at Richmond, placing as high as 20th.