Christopher Bell secured his third win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season in dramatic fashion, edging out teammate Denny Hamlin in the closest finish ever recorded at Phoenix Raceway. The two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers battled side-by-side through the final laps, with Kyle Larson in hot pursuit. As they came through the dogleg, Bell managed to pull just ahead of Hamlin at the line to take the win.
Early Incidents Shake Up the Field
The race began with a storyline as Katherine Legge became the first female driver to attempt a Cup Series start since Danica Patrick in 2018. Legge tempered expectations, admitting her goal wasn’t to win but to learn as much as possible and earn a future opportunity. “I just want to get out there, not interfere with the regular series drivers, and hopefully get invited back,” she said. Unfortunately, her race took a turn early. Just three laps in, Legge spun and brought out the first caution of the day.
The trouble continued shortly after, as a multi-car incident on Lap 10 saw Cole Custer slide up into Todd Gilliland, who in turn clipped Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending him around and bringing out the second caution.
A major restart penalty for Joey Logano for crossing below the line before the start/finish further mixed up the early running order. Meanwhile, Ryan Preece, the first driver on the softer option tire, made an impressive charge from 33rd to third, slicing through the field with ease.
Stage 1: Byron in Control
William Byron, who started from the pole, maintained strong pace and controlled much of Stage 1, ultimately taking the stage win. However, Stage 2 saw teams experiment with the softer tires, which initially provided a performance boost but quickly revealed a major flaw.
Austin Cindric, one of the drivers on the option tire, surged from 15th to 4th in just a few laps, but tire wear soon became an issue. Michael McDowell was the first to suffer from excessive heat buildup, leading to a blown tire and single car spin that brought out another caution.
Lap 99 Brings Major Wreck
Lap 99 saw the biggest wreck of the race when Ty Gibbs made contact with Justin Haley, setting off a chain reaction that collected Chase Briscoe, who was lifted into Carson Hocevar and slammed into the wall. Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer, Shane van Gisbergen, and Noah Gragson were also involved, resulting in heavy damage and multiple retirements from the race.
Stage 3: Strategy, Tire Wear, and Late Drama
Most of the field opted for the option tire at the start of the final stage. On Lap 220, Legge had another spin, this time after clipping Josh Berry. Daniel Suárez, who had been running sixth, had nowhere to go and was caught up in the incident. The car suffered damage but he was able to solider on, though he could not recoup his spot at the front of the field.
With 40 laps to go, Bubba Wallace suffered a brake rotor failure, sending the No. 23 Toyota hard into the wall and bringing out another caution. During the ensuing pit stops, Tyler Reddick was hit with a speeding penalty for entering pit road too fast, costing him valuable track position.
Ryan Blaney’s race came to an early end on Lap 290 when his engine let go, forcing him to retire. With eight laps to go, Ty Gibbs cut down a right-front tire and hit the wall, bringing out one final caution that set up a thrilling three-lap sprint to the finish.
A Photo Finish
On the last restart, Bell and Hamlin launched side-by-side, with Larson looking for an opening. The two JGR teammates stayed even through Turns 1 and 2, making slight contact down the backstretch. As they entered the dogleg, Bell managed to edge ahead just enough to cross the line first, taking his third win of the season and the closest recorded finish in Phoenix Raceway history.
Top 5 Finishers:
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin
- Kyle Larson
- Josh Berry
- Chris Buescher
Championship Standings (Post-Race)
William Byron remains the points leader with 165 points, while Bell’s victory moves him into second, just 13 points behind. Tyler Reddick sits third with 143 points.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas next Sunday for the second regular oval of the year.
Credit: AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 09: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 09, 2025 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)