NASCAR Playoffs | Christopher Bell wins through the ‘uncontrolled chaos’ at Bristol

With a late-race charge to the lead, Christopher Bell won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, securing a spot in the Round of 12 for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The victory marks the third consecutive playoff win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, following teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin in the first two races.

Bell, driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry, took the lead with just four laps remaining, fending off a hard bump from Brad Keselowski on the final corner to cross the finish line 0.343 seconds ahead. His win at Bristol is his first night race win, his fourth of the season, and the 13th of his career. It came at a crucial time, especially after a disappointing seventh-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway just six days prior.

The race at Bristol was characterized by what drivers and teams described as “uncontrolled chaos,” primarily due to unexpected and significant tire wear. Goodyear had supplied new, softer right-side tires for the event, which resulted in a level of wear that caught most of the field by surprise.

“I would have bet my house that it would have been a long-run normal Bristol, run through the stages no problem, and that was not the case,” Bell said. “It was apparent very early on that first run that we were going to have problems.”

The tire issues were so severe that some teams experienced problems with rubber buildup inside the car’s frame, leading to fires for Josh Berry and Austin Cindric.

The Bristol race was the final event in the Round of 16, and it marked the end of the playoffs for four drivers: Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry.

Josh Berry was the first to be eliminated. He brought his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to pit road with smoke and fire from the right-front wheel well just 75 laps into the race. He finished last for the third straight event.

Austin Dillon entered the race 11 points below the cut line and had his chances dashed early due to severe tire cording and a pit road speeding penalty. He finished 28th, 14 points shy of qualifying for the next round.

Shane van Gisbergen, a rookie in the postseason, also struggled. He spun out after contact with William Byron and finished 26th, ending his playoff run 16 points behind the cut line.

Alex Bowman mounted the most significant challenge of the eliminated drivers. He recovered from a spin to earn key stage points, closing to within one point of the transfer spot at one point. However, he ultimately finished 10 points below the cut line.

“It sucks not to transfer, but we have to keep on digging with seven weeks left in the season,” Bowman said. “We have to keep digging and get better.”

Bell’s victory was a testament to his team’s strategy, especially on the final pit stop, where fresh right-side tires allowed him to surge from fifth to first.

Ty Gibbs led a race-high 201 laps but a pit road mistake late in the race dropped him to a 10th-place finish.

Chase Briscoe was out front for 127 laps, finishing ninth.

Bass Pro Shops Night Race

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Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Saturday, September 13, 2025

1. Christopher Bell (P), Toyota, 500.
2. Brad Keselowski, Ford, 500.
3. Zane Smith, Ford, 500.
4. Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 500.
5. Joey Logano (P), Ford, 500.
6. Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 500.
7. Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 500.
8. Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet, 500.
9. Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota, 500.
10. Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 500.
11. Chris Buescher, Ford, 500.
12. William Byron (P), Chevrolet, 500.
13. Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 500.
14. John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 499.
15. Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota, 499.
16. Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 499.
17. Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 499.
18. Riley Herbst #, Toyota, 499.
19. Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet, 499.
20. Erik Jones, Toyota, 499.
21. Ryan Preece, Ford, 499.
22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 499.
23. Noah Gragson, Ford, 498.
24. Todd Gilliland, Ford, 498.
25. Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 497.
26. Shane Van Gisbergen # (P), Chevrolet, 497.
27. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 497.
28. Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet, 496.
29. Cody Ware, Ford, 496.
30. Austin Cindric (P), Ford, 496.
31. Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 495.
32. Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, 495.
33. Cole Custer, Ford, 488.
34. Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota, Accident, 487.
35. Chad Finchum, Ford, Brakes, 458.
36. AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Steering, 408.
37. Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, Accident, 364.
38. Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 311.
39. Josh Berry (P), Ford, Brakes, 75.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 69.686 mph.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 48 Mins, 10 Secs.
Margin of Victory: .343 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 14 for 137 laps.
Lead Changes: 36 among 14 drivers.

The drivers who advanced to the Round of 12 are:

• Christopher Bell (automatic qualifier)
• Chase Briscoe (automatic qualifier)
• Denny Hamlin (automatic qualifier)
• Ryan Blaney
• William Byron
• Kyle Larson
• Bubba Wallace
• Tyler Reddick
• Joey Logano
• Ross Chastain
• Austin Cindric
• Chase Elliott

The NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 begins on Sunday, Sept. 21, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the Mobil 1 301. Bell is the defending race winner at that track.