Christopher Bell has done it again! On Sunday, the No. 20 driver clinched his third season win and the 12th of his career. The win is historic for the driver who becomes the first to win back-to-back races in a Next Gen car. It was an epic finish for Bell, who spent the race’s final laps tussling with JGR teammate Denny Hamlin. It was a glorious sight as race goers fell to the edge of their seats during the final stage at Phoenix Raceway. Even so, the gripping battle ended abruptly after Bell sailed to the finish line in 0.049 seconds to victory. Can he turn his third consecutive win into a fourth in Las Vegas this week?
All Eyes on Christopher Bell
The Shriners Children’s 500 was hands down Christopher Bell’s most notable of the season. All eyes were focused on Bell’s No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE as he held off teammate Denny Hamlin. The JGR driver led 105 laps to mark victory during the race’s final stage. Bell (P11) began behind Hamlin (P10), making the mashup interesting and nerve-wracking.
The intense on-track battle shocked the sold-out crowd of 42,000 at Phoenix Raceway. Team owner Joe Gibbs recalled the pair closing their dominance in a post-race press conference.“Nervous isn’t probably a good word for it, I was ready to upchuck,” Gibbs told reporters of the final lap showdown between Bell and Hamlin.
He added, “It is one of the things I always worry about when we get two of our cars up there because that makes for an intense meeting on Monday.” There’s no argument there, but both have competition with Kyle Larson (P3), Josh Berry (P4) and Chris Buescher (P5). Who will take the checkered flag at Las Vegas? Will Christopher Bell notch another win on Sunday or are the odds stacked against him with Hamlin’s recent gain?
Key Takeaways
William Byron held a lead in Stage 1 that trickled into Stage 2 until Austin Cindric passed him midway through. Yet, it wouldn’t be long before No. 22 Joey Logano took over and began edging the field in the remainder of Stage 2. However, Logano could not maintain his edge during the last 7 laps once Christopher Bell stole the lead. Bell was unstoppable once he inched his way in, maintaining the edge into stage 3 for 105 laps. He spent the last 16 head-to-head with teammate Denny Hamlin before reaching the checkered flag for the win.
Bell remarked on the win, explaining he initially thought he’d lost the race to Hamlin on the outside.”I thought I had lost the race coming to the white flag on the bottom with Denny on my outside. And then I once again felt like I had lost the race coming to the checkered flag down the back straightaway whenever Denny was on the outside,” Bell explained.
He credits Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Kyle Larson for pushing him out of Hamlin’s snares to victory. “I don’t know how I won. I do know how I won. The No. 5 car gave me a great shove coming off the turn forward to push me to the line, and that was the difference maker.” The win is iconic not only for Bell, but for NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing. It marks the first time since Kevin Harvick in 2018 to earn three consecutive wins to start a season.
Final Thoughts
Christopher Bell has proven that the 2025 NASCAR Cup Season is his through and through. He has mastered Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix for a headstart in Las Vegas this week. This contrasts how the season started in Daytona for Christopher Bell, and his P31 finish. Obviously, he’s put the work in to secure these wins, but can he pull another?
