Christopher Bell delivered one of the most exciting performances of his career Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway, outdueling Joey Logano in the closing laps to win his first-ever NASCAR All-Star Race. With fireworks in the sky and smoke trailing from his Mobil 1 Toyota Camry, Bell soaked in the moment with a hard-earned burnout as the crowd roared in appreciation.
The win marked not only Bell’s first in the annual $1 million exhibition race but also the first All-Star victory for Toyota since 2017. While the night ended with Bell’s team celebrating in victory lane, it was a strategic call and a bold move with nine laps to go that turned the tide.
Christopher Bell Outduels Joey Logano in Final Laps
Joey Logano appeared to be headed toward a repeat victory at North Wilkesboro after leading a race-high 139 laps. The Team Penske driver was in control until a controversial caution on Lap 216 — dubbed the “promoter’s caution” — flipped the script. While Logano chose track position and stayed out on old tires, Bell and several others pitted for fresh right-side rubber.
Bell restarted sixth on Lap 223 but wasted no time slicing through the field. By Lap 227, he had already moved into second after passing Ross Chastain. Then came the decisive moment on Lap 241: Bell pulled even with Logano on the outside, forced him high toward the wall, and made the winning pass.
Bell’s final margin of victory was 0.829 seconds, but the battle felt even tighter. “North Wilkesboro, how about that one?” Bell shouted after climbing out of his car. “That right there is absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro, best short track on the schedule.”
A Costly Call for Joey Logano
While Bell was celebrating, Logano was fuming. The driver of the No. 22 Ford wasn’t shy about his frustration with the promoter’s caution that changed the race’s outcome. The mid-race yellow flag, called by Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, gave teams a split-second decision on whether to pit or stay out — a move that drastically shuffled the field.
Logano, who had dominated the race up to that point, stayed out and quickly felt the tire disadvantage. “I’m pissed off right now,” Logano said post-race. “The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast… I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. Obviously, I got bit by it.”
He added, “I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution. I’ve got to have a word with Marcus Smith.”
Logano tried to hold off Bell’s charge but couldn’t keep pace on worn tires. After the race, he also expressed frustration over the physical move Bell made to complete the pass: “He ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around.”
A Night of Intense Competition and Strategy
Beyond the duel for the win, the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race was packed with aggressive driving, bold calls, and tight battles. Bell led just 28 of the 250 laps, but his team’s decision to take two right-side tires under the caution — and his ability to quickly work his way back to the front — proved to be the difference.
“Man, that was an amazing race,” Bell said. “We saw two-wide, three-wide for the lead… Joey was fast. He gave us a lot of competition, and the 12 (Ryan Blaney), the 9 (Chase Elliott), they had competitive cars. The strategy — we knew it would be all over the place, and it fell our way.”
Ross Chastain, on the same strategy as Logano, held onto third place. Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and William Byron followed to give Hendrick Motorsports a strong group finish. Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.
Bell admitted his aggressive pass on Logano was necessary: “I knew once I got that run off Turn 4, I had to be a little more aggressive and kind of leaned on him and got him out of position. I knew once I got the lead, I had the tire advantage.”
Kyle Larson’s Rough Return and Open Highlights
Sunday’s All-Star festivities began with the All-Star Open, where Carson Hocevar raced his way into the main event by winning the preliminary race. John Hunter Nemechek grabbed the final transfer spot, while Noah Gragson earned the fan vote. Hocevar, who started 21st in the feature, impressed by finishing 11th.
Kyle Larson returned from Indianapolis 500 qualifying just in time to compete in the race, hopping into his No. 5 Chevrolet after starting last. Larson briefly surged to third place after a two-tire stop, but brushed the wall on Lap 214 and ended up 21st, three laps down.
For Larson, the All-Star Race was just a warm-up for a massive Sunday ahead: he’ll attempt the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double next weekend.
News in Brief: Christopher Bell All-Star Race Win
With his first All-Star win under his belt, Christopher Bell walked away from North Wilkesboro not only $1 million richer but also with a big confidence boost heading into one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. Post-race inspection confirmed his win, making it a clean sweep for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
The Cup Series now shifts focus to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway — the longest race of the year and the official start of NASCAR’s summer stretch. The race will also mark the debut of NASCAR’s new broadcast partner, with Prime Video taking over coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Bell may not have scored points for his All-Star win, but the statement he made Sunday night was loud and clear: he’s a contender — and he’s not afraid to take control when it matters most.
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