Bell Powers JGR to Playoff Sweep

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Goodyear tires were a non-factor during the practice, but became crucial in deciding the winner at Bristol. It was hard to pin hopes on one driver as cautions and restarts kept resetting the front-runners. But it was Christopher Bell who came up with a clutch move late in the race.

A lot of big names had a quiet outing, and therefore, no one has a clear advantage heading into New Hampshire. The field of playoff drivers got reduced to 12, and from here on, there will be no margin for error.

Stage 1: Brake pads took a beating throughout the race, but for Josh Berry, his playoff journey ended in flames and smoke. Ryan Blaney won the stage by a whisker in a thrilling battle against Ty Gibbs.

Stage 2: Both Blaney and Gibbs were back tussling for the stage win, but this time around, the JGR driver edged out in front due to tire advantage.

Stage 3: Tire strategies and a late-race caution set up a thrilling finish between Ford and the Toyota. Christopher Bell, who was running in the top 10 with 40 laps to go, made some swift moves late in the race to grab his fourth win of the season.

Just a week ago, Christopher Bell was fuming on his radio after seeing his teammate Denny Hamlin win at Gateway. With Briscoe and Hamlin both firing off strong to start their title charge with a win, he was growing frustrated. But the No. 20 team regained momentum at the right time by securing a massive win at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell wasn’t the most dominating driver throughout the race. However, with tire strategy playing a key role in gaining track position, the #20 team made the most crucial call in the final stage. The JGR driver took fresh right-side tires after pitting on lap 491 and took the lead of the race on lap 497. The strategy call by Adam Stevens and a perfect execution by Bell allowed JGR to sweep the Round of 16.

The likes of Carson Hocevar, Ty Gibbs, and Alex Bowman had the upper hand until their tires gave up. Then came the race-deciding restart with four laps to go. Hocevar and Zane Smith didn’t give each other an inch, which allowed Bell to thread the needle for the lead on the inside lane. However, despite clearing off the front-runners, his job was far from done.

Brad Keselowski was in the mix throughout the race, and this was his opportunity to get an RFK Racing Ford in the victory lane. It was a thrilling battle, too close to call, and on the final lap, Keselowski made his move. He ran up close to the bumper of the No. 19 Toyota and gave a good shove, trying to get Bell loose. In case you missed out on this action, here is a glimpse of that epic battle.

Bell didn’t crumble under the pressure and stayed firm. He crossed the start-finish line 0.343 seconds ahead of the RFK Racing co-owner and driver. But, this race wasn’t just about the winner, as four drivers who were under the cutline got knocked out of the title race. Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Josh Berry, and Shane van Gisbergen were eliminated after the Bristol showdown.

Now that the four drivers are out of the race, there is a new cutline for the twelve remaining drivers. And let’s just say, heading into the New Hampshire race weekend, we have some big names who find themselves in the danger zone.

Bristol wasn’t a good race for favorites like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron. Thanks to their heroics in the regular season, they still have a good 20+ point buffer heading into the next race. But the same can’t be said about the drivers who find themselves in the bottom four.

Austin Cindric was on the verge of being eliminated with Bowman making his charge for the win. His worst fear came true with 43 laps to go, as the brake pad on the right front tire caught fire, forcing him to make a pit stop. Cindric spent a lot of time stalled in a thick cloud of smoke. It looked like he would suffer a similar fate as Berry, but his crew stepped up big time. Watch how the #2 crew put out the flames and got their driver back rolling.

The Penske driver might have survived the war of attrition in Bristol, but he is placed 9th in the points table. Adding to this list is his teammate Joey Logano. All he needed was a clean race, and that is exactly what he got with a top 5 finish. But here’s the kicker. Without multiple wins in the regular season, he is 10th in the standings, trying to overcome the deficit of two points.

Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick make up the final two spots below the cutline. Chastain hasn’t found any joy after his win at Charlotte, whereas Reddick is still searching for his first win. The bad news for HMS fans is that Chase Elliott, after his DNF at Bristol, is just five points above the cutline. The No. 9 team cannot afford a bad race or fumble from here on. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace and his team will be tested too, as he sits right on top of the bubble.

Continue Reading: NASCAR’s Bristol Tire Experiment Gets Exposed by Team Radio

Relief, despair, and elation were on full display as drivers shared their honest and raw take after 500 laps of racing. Race winner Christopher Bell took a moment and paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, but he wasn’t expecting to bag his first Bristol win, battling tire management.

Brad Keselowski was just heartbroken as he gave his all to get his team back in the victory lane. Opportunities to grab a win have been few and far between for the #6 team this year, and therefore, the runner-up result wasn’t good enough for the veteran driver.

“Story of our season. 50-50 shot at the restart and I got a lane that couldn’t launch. Just frustrating, we had a great car. On that last restart, I just rolled the dice and didn’t get anything good.” The veteran driver has strayed away from his bad Brad image for a while, but he just couldn’t hide his feelings, throwing off his gloves in disappointment.

Another year, another mediocre run by the No. 48 team. Although Bristol could’ve been their saving grace, they just haven’t hit consistency in the playoffs. A combination of luck and strategy worked against the HMS driver at Thunder Valley. “Our cycle tire restarts were just really poor. I couldn’t go at all. Zero grip,” Bowman explained after the race.

Austin Cindric, who had an up-and-down night, still believes his team is plenty capable of making a splash in the playoffs. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series. It’s been a constant climb, and those around me reflect that.” Here, check out the interviews of all eliminated drivers from the Round of 16.

Continue Reading: Race Officials’ Penalty Call Against Hamlin Raises Questions

Short track racing at Bristol is rough, and drivers had a tough time keeping their race cars pointed in the right direction. The race officials had to bring out the caution flag 14 times, which is the most since 2020.

It all started with Alex Bowman spinning around during the first stage and SVG losing control during the second stage. However, the final stage was where the race just couldn’t have green flag runs with yellow fever kicking in. Multiple restarts just added fuel to the fire, which worked against Chase Elliott.

On lap 310, John Hunter Nemechek just rammed into the back of Elliott’s car and sent him flying into the wall. The hard impact forced the HMS star to retire. However, if you take a second look at the sequence of this crash, it wasn’t all Nemeck’s fault. None of the drivers were ready to give an inch to their rivals. Whereas those trying to advance further didn’t think twice about using their bumpers.

Caution laps ate up a quarter of this race. The Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol became the race with the highest number of caution laps (137) in the modern era. To put the modern era in perspective, that is a total of 1,771 races. This is a big statistic that perfectly explains the desperation of the teams and drivers. And expect this intensity to notch up going into the Round of 12.

Talking about statistics, Joe Gibbs Racing also racked up some good numbers, and this just might be a warning sign for their rivals. With Bell’s win at Bristol, JGR notched its 11th win of the 2025 season. This is the most since their 2019 campaign, and the scary part is that we still have seven races lined up on the schedule.

Continue Reading: Josh Berry’s Playoff Dream Goes Up in Flames in Bristol Chaos

1. Bristol’s Tire Experiment Leaves Brad Keselowski Shocked - Full Story

2. Christopher Bell’s Heartfelt Tribute to Charlie Kirk at Bristol - Full Story

3. What Went Wrong for Josh Berry, SVG, Alex Bowman, and Austin Dillon? - Full Story

4. Jeff Burton Defends Joey Logano Amid Playoff Criticism - Full Story

5. SVG Details Bristol Tire Nightmare That Ended His Title Hopes- Full Story