Christopher Bell captured the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, completing a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep of the Round of 16. Bell seized the lead on lap 497 following a late-race restart and held off a strong challenge from Brad Keselowski to claim his fourth win of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Key Moments and Strategy During Critical Restart
The race saw multiple drivers pit for fresh tires after a caution on lap 489 caused by a collision between Cole Custer and Bubba Wallace. Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar opted to stay out, lining up on the front row for the restart, joined by Alex Bowman who was seeking a win to advance in the Playoffs. Keselowski took the outside lane behind Hocevar and Bowman, while Bell aligned behind Smith on the inside lane.
Bell’s decision to restart on the inside lane proved decisive, allowing him to surge past Smith and Hocevar as they struggled for grip through turns one and two. Keselowski aggressively closed in during the final lap and even nudged Bell in turn three, but Bell maintained control and crossed the finish line first.
Driver Reflections on Race Tactics and Tire Challenges
I was nervous on the choose,
said Bell.
I didn’t know if I wanted to be on the bottom or the top. Whenever Brad picked the top, it really didn’t give me an option. I had to pick the bottom.
—Christopher Bell
All night long, I don’t know, old tires just really, really pushed up in the middle of the corner. I was hoping that those guys on old tires would push up, and they did. I was able to get by and get underneath Bowman. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.
—Christopher Bell
After winning three consecutive races earlier in the season, Bell had experienced a long winless streak since March’s event at Phoenix Raceway. His victory at Bristol marks an important turnaround, reinforcing his presence as a serious contender heading into the next Playoff round.
We just know that any week, any given week, it could be us,
Bell added.
It hadn’t been us for a long time, but Bristol, baby, tonight, it’s us.
—Christopher Bell
Keselowski and Others React to Outcomes and Pit Choices
Brad Keselowski expressed regret over his outside lane selection on the crucial restart, lamenting the missed opportunity to win.
Just the story of our season, just a 50/50 shot on the restart, and I got the lane that couldn’t launch,
Keselowski said.
Just frustrating. We had a great car, great strategy, put ourselves in position to, if not win, at least have a really, really solid day, on that last restart and just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.
—Brad Keselowski
Playoff Eliminations and Tire Woes Shape the Final Results
The Bass Pro Shops Night Race was the final contest in the Round of 16 for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Bell’s triumph completed a clean sweep by Joe Gibbs Racing in this opening segment, while four drivers’ championship hopes were dashed. Josh Berry suffered another frustrating outing, ending last after a fire forced him out after 75 laps. Alongside Berry, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, and Shane van Gisbergen were eliminated.
Bowman had hoped his decision to stay out on older tires would open a path to victory and a Playoff berth, but his worn tires failed him during the final restart, leaving him unable to hold position.
I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us,
Bowman explained.
Being out of tires at the end isn’t good, right, and honestly, we just played the hand that we could and stayed out.
—Alex Bowman
Surviving Challenges: Austin Cindric’s Narrow Advancement
Austin Cindric faced his own adversity with a fire during the race but managed to finish 30th, five laps down, narrowly advancing to the Round of 12. He credited his team’s preparedness for aiding the recovery.
Yeah, it’s not ideal, Cindric said. I had the fire there, and definitely held a lot of smoke, but huge credit to all my guys behind the wall, over the wall, to be prepared for a situation like that and to only lose five laps.
We had a great car tonight, and definitely with the long run speed and being able to keep tires on the car, I’m not sure I would have been able to tell you that was going to be the game to start the day, but just proud of the effort, and well earned Sunday off for the 2 car.
—Austin Cindric
Next Steps for Drivers as Playoffs Advance
The Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will begin next Sunday, September 21, with the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Fans can follow coverage through USA Network, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio as drivers continue to battle for championship positions.
