Christopher Bell made a remarkable achievement on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. He outpaced his teammate, Denny Hamlin, becoming the first Cup driver to win three races in a row during the Next Gen era.
In a thrilling finish, Bell held off Hamlin during a two-lap shootout that ended the race on the 1-mile track. Kyle Larson, who last won three consecutive races in 2021, finished in third place. Josh Berry and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.
Bell crossed the finish line just 0.049 seconds ahead of Hamlin, marking the second-closest finish in Phoenix Raceway’s history. His victory in the No. 20 Toyota follows wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Circuit of the Americas in the previous weeks.
For the final restart, set up by a crash involving Ty Gibbs, Bell chose the inside lane. Hamlin initially led at the white flag, but Bell took back the lead on the last lap, securing his 12th career win.
This race also introduced a new tire strategy, featuring prime and option tires with different durability and speed. Teams had to navigate this change, adding another layer of excitement to the race.
In other news, Katherine Legge made her NASCAR Cup debut with Live Fast Motorsports, becoming the first woman to compete in a Cup race in over seven years. She finished 30th.
William Byron won Stage 1, while Christopher Bell took Stage 2. The next race will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 16, at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on FS1.
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