Christopher Bell wins Bristol thriller after making a daring late pass, continuing Joe Gibbs Racing‘s strong playoff run during a chaotic night plagued by tire issues and dramatic upsets. The late-race surge at Bristol Motor Speedway also prompted a major shift in the NASCAR Cup playoff picture, with four drivers knocked out of contention as the dust settled Saturday night.
Late-Race Heroics Secure Bell Victory
As the elimination round wound down, Bell saw his opening during the final restart when Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar drifted up the track on worn tires. Bell charged through the gap and took the lead with just four laps remaining. Brad Keselowski chased him aggressively, bumping Bell in the last corner, but could not overtake him at the finish as Bell clinched a tense victory for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, I was nervous on that choose,”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Bell explained his strategic uncertainty as the decisive restart unfolded, adding that Keselowski’s choice left him no option but to take the bottom lane. Bell anticipated drivers on older tires would struggle in the final laps and seized his chance when the opportunity presented itself.
“All night long, I don’t know, old tires just really, really pushed up in the middle of the corners, so I was hoping that those guys on old tires would push up, and they did. They did, and I was able to get by or get underneath them. It wasn’t pretty there at the end, but we got her done.”
—Christopher Bell, Driver
Race Leaders and Elimination Drama
Brad Keselowski settled for a hard-fought second place, visibly frustrated after his aggressive move failed to pay off. Zane Smith claimed third, followed by Ryan Blaney in fourth and Joey Logano rounding out the top five finishers. Truck Series talent Corey Heim, racing part-time in the Cup Series, achieved a career-best sixth. Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, and Ty Gibbs completed the top ten.
Alex Bowman, facing a must-win scenario, looked like a contender through much of the event but was left with no fresh tires for the final dash, dooming his playoff hopes. Bowman, along with Josh Berry, Shane van Gisbergen, and Austin Dillon, became the first four drivers eliminated from the 2025 NASCAR Cup playoffs after the Bristol showdown.
Tire Chaos and Early Race Attrition
A.J. Allmendinger earned his first pole in more than a decade, but tire wear immediately turned the night unpredictable. Worn tires caused several close calls as drivers struggled for grip, while those with fresh sets made rapid gains. The first significant caution emerged when Josh Berry’s car caught fire from rubber accumulation in the right front fender, ending his playoff run and marking his third consecutive last-place finish. Meanwhile, Bowman spun but avoided damage and kept his race alive for a time.
Ryan Blaney, who regained a lead-lap position thanks to a timely wave-around, surged to a narrow Stage 1 win, nipping Ty Gibbs at the line in a photo finish. As teams and Goodyear scrambled to manage tire supplies, Gibbs kept his car out front and claimed victory in Stage 2, striving for his maiden Cup win.
Trouble Intensifies in the Final Stage
The chaotic environment only ramped up as Stage 3 unfolded, with multiple incidents including spins from Shane van Gisbergen (SVG), Cole Custer, and Noah Gragson. Chase Elliott suffered a hard crash that ended his day and put his playoff chances in jeopardy. Bubba Wallace, at one point leading, fell back quickly as his tires fell apart, colliding with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the process.
Chase Briscoe then led the charge as further tangles unfolded; Stenhouse, acting as the catalyst, tangled with Kyle Larson, sending Larson up the track into Daniel Suarez and dealing major damage to both. Moments later, Denny Hamlin appeared to lose a wheel and took Allmendinger with him into the wall.
Gibbs and Briscoe vied for the lead as the final 100 laps began, but Gibbs’ pit entry mistake during a green flag stint took him out of the running for victory. The lead swapped multiple times with racers like Bowman, Logano, Hocevar, and Keselowski each taking their turns at the front.
Pit Stop Strategies and Final Dash to the Finish
As the demanding tire conditions continued, Austin Cindric’s car flared up due to a fire similar to Berry’s earlier incident, threatening Cindric’s playoff run. Most leaders elected to pit for fresh tires with under 30 laps left, but Keselowski, while in front, caused the final caution by sending Custer into Wallace’s car. This left Hocevar, Smith, and Bowman on worn tires, forced to stay out as they had no sets remaining, setting the stage for an all-out shootout over the final four laps.
Amid the turbulence, Bell capitalized on the situation, executing a clever move to secure the win and solidify Joe Gibbs Racing‘s strong playoff position. The aftermath left a reshuffled playoff field, with several hopefuls eliminated just as the championship chase intensifies.
What the Bristol Chaos Means for the Playoff Race
The mix of strategic gambles, relentless tire issues, and last-lap dramatics at Bristol has set a volatile tone for the remainder of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. With Christopher Bell wins Bristol thriller and four drivers knocked out in dramatic style, contenders like Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs will look to maintain momentum. Meanwhile, eliminated drivers like Josh Berry and Shane van Gisbergen face the disappointment of seeing their championship bids cut short. Joe Gibbs Racing’s sustained excellence and the unpredictability introduced by extreme tire wear suggest that the stakes will only rise as the playoffs continue, providing fans with more intense and unpredictable races ahead.
