In a suspenseful finish to the Ambetter Health 400 on February 23, 2025, Christopher Bell took his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race ended with an overtime conclusion, with Bell leading only one lap to earn his 10th career Cup Series win.
Race Highlights
The race was characterized by keen competition, as there were a record 50 lead changes involving 15 drivers. Bell, who began 32nd, moved up through the ranks consistently.
A turning point was reached when Austin Cindric and William Byron’s late-race collision brought out the caution, paving the way for an overtime conclusion. On the final restart, Bell, with Carson Hocevar pushing him, took the top spot on the outside line. A later multi-car crash brought out a caution, and Bell was declared the winner at the time of the yellow flag, taking the victory.
Post-Race Reactions
An ecstatic Bell stated his joy: “That right there is what you dream of, to be able to start over on the first or second row in a green-white-checkered on a speedway.” He recognized the difficulty of superspeedway racing and gave credit to his team’s work in maximizing the car’s performance.
Kyle Larson, the third-place finisher, discussed the finish: “Came up a little bit short, but proud of the effort today by everybody on our HendrickCars.com Chevy.” Larson’s performance capped a turnaround that put an end to six-straight crashes in Atlanta.
Carson Hocevar’s runner-up finish was a career-high. Yet his hard racing attracted post-race debate with veterans Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain. Hocevar admitted the need to improve: “There are some things I’ve got to learn and clean up a bit, but I think we put ourselves in the ideal situation to try and win a race.”
Implications and Looking Ahead
Bell’s win not only is a career highlight but also puts an end to Joe Gibbs Racing’s winless streak, its first since June last year. The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to its inaugural road course event of the season, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas, next Sunday.
