The roar of engines, the smell of burning rubber, and the crackle of fireworks filled the air Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway as Christopher Bell earned his first victory in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Bell’s triumph was a defining moment not just for himself but also for Toyota, which had not won this race since Kyle Busch’s 2017 victory. Bell’s win was a showcase of determination, strategy, and hard racing on one of NASCAR’s most iconic short tracks.
Tire Strategy and Late-Race Drama Define the Battl
The race at the historic 0.625-mile North Wilkesboro Speedway was a masterclass in short-track racing, punctuated by a key strategic decision that ultimately decided the winner. Bell’s late-race victory was shaped by a crucial call during a promoter’s caution on Lap 216, a rule innovation introduced by Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith. While most of the field chose to stay out on older tires, Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing crew gambled by pitting for two fresh right-side tires.
Restarting sixth on Lap 223, Bell wasted no time advancing, overtaking Ross Chastain by Lap 227 and then relentlessly chasing down race leader Joey Logano. Logano, the defending All-Star Race champion and driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, had dominated much of the night, leading 139 laps to Bell’s 28.
Bell’s tire advantage showed in the closing laps as he matched Logano lap for lap. On Lap 241, Bell pulled even with Logano, executed an aggressive move that nudged Logano toward the wall, and seized the lead. Bell pulled away to win by 0.829 seconds, igniting a celebratory burnout and drawing a standing ovation from the packed grandstands.
“North Wilkesboro, how about that one?” Bell exclaimed after climbing from his car. “That right there is absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro, best short track on the schedule.”
Joey Logano’s Frustration and the Promoter’s Caution Controversy
Despite leading the majority of laps, Logano’s night ended in frustration. The strategic call to stay out on older tires during the promoter’s caution put him at a disadvantage. Logano openly expressed his displeasure with the new caution rule, questioning the decision’s impact on the race’s outcome.
“I’m pissed off right now,” Logano said bluntly after the race. “Just dang it, we had the fastest car. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast. You get to … I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. Obviously, I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated, obviously … I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution. I am all about that. I’m a little … me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, OK? I’ve got to have a word with him.”
The caution bunched the field and forced pit-stop decisions that ultimately gave Bell the tire edge. Logano admitted he tried everything to fend off Bell’s charge but was unable to hold the lead on fresher tires.
“Thought maybe we could hold him off, but the 20 had a good enough restart, cleared too many of them too fast,” Logano said. “I couldn’t get away in time. It took me six, seven laps to get my car up and rolling again. I did all I could do to hold him off, and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that. I just couldn’t get back to him. Just too much to try to make up with the tire deficit.”
The runner-up’s frustration was further fueled by the lucrative $1 million prize on the line for the winner, while second place pays significantly less. Logano lamented missing out on a chance to earn a second consecutive All-Star victory and third overall.
“Just frustrated after you lead so many laps and the car is so fast and you don’t win, it hurts quite a bit.”
Bell’s First All-Star Victory and Team Effort Pay Off
For Bell, the win was a career milestone. After years of steady progress in NASCAR’s top tier, finally topping the All-Star field at a challenging and storied track was a validation of his talent and Joe Gibbs Racing’s strength.
Bell praised his team and the competitiveness of the race, emphasizing the joy of racing on North Wilkesboro’s tight, fast layout.
“Man, that was an amazing race,” Bell said. “There were so many guys up there racing for the lead. We saw two-wide, three-wide for the lead. It’s just a pleasure to race here, and especially whenever you get to drive this Mobil 1 Toyota Camry. These boys (the No. 20 crew) have done such a good job on this thing. I told them going into it, this was the best car we’ve had in a long time. Joey was fast. He gave us a lot of competition, and the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was really good there and the 9 (Chase Elliott). They had competitive cars. The strategy — we knew it would be all over the place and it fell our way.”
Bell also detailed the final pass on Logano, highlighting the need for aggression with fresher tires.
“He did a great job of trying to keep me behind him, and I knew that once I got that run off Turn 4, it was like alright, I’m going to have 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 so I should be able to cruise, and it worked out that way.”
Behind Bell and Logano, Ross Chastain finished third using the same tire strategy as Logano. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and William Byron rounded out the top six, followed by Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher to complete the top 10.
The All-Star Open earlier in the evening saw Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek transfer into the main event, finishing 11th and 19th respectively. Noah Gragson, winner of the All-Star Fan Vote, finished 13th.
Kyle Larson made his first appearance in the No. 5 Chevrolet after Saturday’s Indianapolis 500 qualifying and ran as high as third before contact with the wall relegated him to 21st.
The NASCAR Cup Series now turns its attention to the upcoming points-paying Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, marking the beginning of the Prime Video era for broadcast coverage.
