Christopher Bell Conquers Bristol and Secures Joe Gibbs Racing Sweep in NASCAR Playoffs
In a demonstration of absolute dominance, Joe Gibbs Racing completed a perfect sweep in the first round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Christopher Bell took the victory on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading the final four laps and ending a 24-race winless streak. Bell, who started from fourth position, managed to overtake his competitors on the final restart. With this victory, the fourth of the season, the driver celebrated a special moment in his career.Bell’s triumph adds to those of his teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, consolidating Joe Gibbs Racing’s success in the first phase of the playoffs. Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Berry were eliminated from the championship race, which comprises ten races.“It wasn’t easy in the end, but we did it,” said Bell, who led only 12 laps in his thirteenth career victory. “We know any week can be ours, and it hasn’t been for a long time. But Bristol, tonight we are the ones!”
Christopher Bell
Brad Keselowski, who was looking to break a 51-race winless streak, finished in second place, 0.343 seconds behind Bell. Zane Smith, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano rounded out the top five. The race was marked by a record 14 yellow flags and 137 caution laps, due to excessive wear on the right-side tires, which forced multiple pit stops. The playoff drama reached its peak when a fire broke out in Austin Cindric’s Ford number 2 with 40 laps to go. Although the team managed to extinguish the flames, Cindric lost several laps in the pits and re-entered the track outside the top 30. Despite finishing in 30th place, Cindric secured the last spot to advance to the second round.“I’m very excited about the start of the playoffs,” commented the team owner, Joe Gibbs.
Joe Gibbs
Alex Bowman, after recovering from a spin on lap 100, managed to take second place. Although a victory would have allowed him to surpass Cindric, he finished eighth, remaining 10 points away from advancing. Ty Gibbs, seeking his first Cup victory, led the most laps (201 of 500), but a mistake on his final pit stop cost him valuable time. Josh Berry was the first driver eliminated, with a dramatic retirement marked by smoke and flames in his vehicle. The Wood Brothers Racing driver, who had qualified in tenth position, had to retire due to a fire in his number 21 Ford.“Moving forward,” Cindric said after finishing 30th. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I haven’t been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series.”
Austin Cindric
Bell, known for his usual calm, expressed his frustration with the team and its strategy after finishing seventh in the previous race at Gateway. The driver, with no wins in 24 races and no top five since July, said he was frustrated after seeing his teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe win the first two playoff races. The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will begin on Sunday, September 21st, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It will be the first Cup race on the 1.058-mile oval since June 2024 and the first playoff race in Loudon, New Hampshire, since September 2017.“Man, what a disappointment,” Berry said. “That was going to be a lot of fun. We were making progress. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it hasn’t been because of performance. We executed well and ran well, we just haven’t had the results.”
Josh Berry
