Christopher Bell Clinches Thrilling Overtime Victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway
HAMPTON, Ga. — In a nail-biting finish that had fans on the edge of their seats, Christopher Bell emerged victorious in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race, which took place on a sunny Sunday afternoon, saw Bell narrowly edge out Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson in a dramatic overtime finish.
Bell, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in his trusty Toyota, only led the final lap. It was a strategic masterpiece as he managed to gain a slight edge on the outside just as the caution light came on due to a wreck by Josh Berry. “That last lap of the race we were at our best,” Bell commented, reflecting on his team’s performance.
At 30 years old, the Oklahoma native now boasts 10 career Cup victories, a testament to his skill and determination on the track.
Earlier in the race, Austin Cindric was leading in his Team Penske Ford. However, a collision with William Byron, last week’s Daytona 500 winner, with just three laps remaining, set the stage for the overtime showdown.
Meanwhile, Kyle Busch finished seventh, continuing his quest to break a winless streak in the Cup Series. Although he clinched a victory in the Atlanta Truck Series race on Saturday, Busch is still searching for his first Cup win since 2023, after his remarkable 19-year streak of at least one win per season came to an end last year.
For Kyle Larson, the race marked a significant turnaround. After failing to finish the last four and five of the last six Atlanta races due to accidents, Larson finally broke his streak of bad luck. Despite qualifying only 17th, the 2021 Cup champion surged late to win the second stage.
Wrecks for Elliott and Suarez
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for everyone, though. Chase Elliott was in the top 10 when his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet hit the wall late in the second stage, subsequently colliding with Brad Keselowski‘s RFK Racing Ford, ending Keselowski’s race. Elliott finished 18th.
Daniel Suarez, who had a thrilling victory in Atlanta’s 2024 February race, saw his hopes for a repeat dashed when he was involved in a seven-car crash early in the third stage. The crash also involved Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, Cody Ware, Noah Gragson, and JJ Yaley.
Despite a late one-car spin that caused a caution, Blaney managed to rally and finish fourth, showcasing his resilience and skill.
Sharp Dressed Man
The race had a touch of rock and roll flair with Billy Gibbons, the lead guitarist and singer for ZZ Top, serving as the grand marshal. He kicked off the event with the iconic “start your engines” command, adding a bit of star power to the proceedings.
New Deal for Heim with 23XI
In other news, the 23XI Racing team announced a multi-year deal with Corey Heim as a development driver. Heim will drive a limited number of Cup Series races in the No. 67 Toyota and will also compete in Xfinity races, including next week at Circuit of the Americas. His first Cup race under the new deal will be at Kansas Speedway on May 11.
Heim, who made three Cup starts for 23XI last year, has already secured a Truck Series win at Daytona this year. He finished 23rd in Saturday’s Truck Series race in Atlanta, but his future looks promising with this new opportunity.
Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Austin, Texas, for the next race at Circuit of the Americas next Sunday. Fans are eagerly anticipating another thrilling race as the season continues to unfold.
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
