Christopher Bell reminded everyone why he was the early championship favorite to start the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, surviving a chaotic night at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning the Bass Pro Shops Night Race in a five-lap shootout to punch his ticket to the Round of 12.
This was Bell’s first win since March, when he won three of the first four races of the season. After cooling off in the summer months, Bell is now heating up at the perfect time.
Bristol was everything fans could want in a race and more: absolute chaos.
Tire wear was the story of the night, with cords showing after only a few dozen laps and drivers running slowly trying to avoid a blow out all over the field.
Many different drivers traded the lead throughout the night, and track position proved to be a constant battle. By the final restart, Bell put himself in position and never looked back.
The playoff picture was shaken up in a big way. Josh Berry, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Alex Bowman are all out of the postseason.
Berry’s night ended almost as soon as it started. A fire broke out on his car early, forcing him behind the wall. Berry finished last in all three races of the Round of 16. A brutal and unprecedented playoff performance.
Austin Dillon’s season of frustration continues. Despite winning at Richmond to make it into the playoffs. Dillon never found the speed Richard Childress Racing needed to compete with the frontrunners. Dillon settled for a 28th-place finish.
Shane van Gisbergen’s first full Cup season was filled with highs and lows. He won four road course races, and looked to really he improving on his oval track stats, but Bristol was not kind to him. Multiple issues throughout the night forced him to settle for 26th.
”I’m pissed at myself,” van Gisbergen told USA Network after the race. “I wasn’t good enough.”
Alex Bowman was probably the biggest surprise elimination of the 2025 playoffs. He gave it a good shot. Despite the tire struggles and an early spin, Bowman kept it up front all night, and was in the mix on the final restart of the race. Bowman finished eighth, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the next round.
Meanwhile, Chase Elliott survived what could have been a playoff-ruining night. Mid-race, Elliott crashed head-on into the outside wall in one of the hardest hits he took all season.
Elliott watched his points cushion and fall lower and lower, and ultimately the only thing that was going to keep Elliott out of the Round of 12 was an Alex Bowman win—which considering his speed all night, was not out of the realm of possibility.
Chase Elliott’s 38th place finish looked bad on paper, but it advanced him into the Round of 12.
Austin Cindric also gave Alex Bowman hope late in the race. Cindric had a fire erupt under the right-front of his car, similar to Ford teammate Josh Berry’s fire earlier in the night.
Retiring from the race would have meant “season over” for Cindric and his No. 2 team, so when he brought his car down pit road, the team extinguished the blaze
Smoke quickly surfaced throughout the cockpit, leaving Cindric with poor visibility, and poor air quality for that matter. Ultimately, toughing out that final 50-or-so laps with a smokey windshield was all it took for Cindric to keep his playoff hopes alive.
The night race at Bristol was the kind of race that left everyone breathless. Lots of wrecks, tires cording all throughout the field, and the playoff picture was turned completely upside down. What more could you ask for?
But when the dust settled, Christopher Bell stood on top of the “Last Great Colosseum,” back in victory lane, and back in championship form.
