Bristol Motor Speedway: Bell Triumphs in Cutthroat Night Race
Bristol, TN – Christopher Bell charged from fifth place with just four laps remaining to secure victory in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, maintaining Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota’s flawless record in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Bell crossed the finish line 0.343 seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski, who delivered a strong challenge but ultimately settled for second.
The win marked Bell’s fourth of the season, his first on the Bristol oval, and the 13th of his career, solidifying his advancement to the Round of 12 beginning September 21 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway—one of his strongest tracks.
Bell’s teammates, Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, also secured wins in the Round of 16, while the race concluded the playoff hopes for four drivers: Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Berry. Bowman made a notable push but finished 10 points short of Austin Cindric, the last qualifier for the next round.
Bell’s strategy proved pivotal. After a pit stop on lap 491, he took the lead on lap 497 and held off Keselowski, even as the latter pressed him hard in the final corner. Reflecting on the dramatic finish, Bell expressed, “It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done.” He had been concerned about tire wear due to Goodyear’s softer right-side tires, saying, “Old tires just really, really pushed up in the middle of the corners.”
Keselowski lamented his choice of the top lane during the final restart, revealing, “Just frustrating. We had a great car […] and on that last restart, just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.”
In terms of race performance, Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 laps but fell to 10th after an issue in the final pit stop. His fellow JGR driver, Briscoe, who led for 127 laps, finished ninth.
Non-playoff driver Zane Smith claimed a commendable third place, while Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounded out the top five. Part-time driver Corey Heim earned a career-best sixth, followed by non-playoff drivers Carson Hocevar and Bowman.
Early eliminations marked the race, especially for Berry, whose car suffered a right-front failure by lap 75, leading to his withdrawal and a third consecutive last-place finish. Berry remarked, “Honestly, I think we would have had a chance to win tonight.”
Dillon, who started the race 11 points below the cut line, struggled with tire issues and finished 28th, missing advancement by 14 points. Van Gisbergen’s debut postseason ended in disappointment, finishing 26th.
Other notable outcomes included Chastain holding onto his qualifying position despite finishing 19th, and Chase Elliott overcoming a crash to secure his place in the next round. Drivers advancing on points included Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Logano.
Next up for the series is the Round of 12, crucial for playoff positioning as teams refocus ahead of the upcoming races.
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