Christopher Bell just snapped a crazy streak with an epic win, taking the Southern 500 in the first race of the 10-race Chase! After seven runner-up finishes this year with zero victories, Bell told us Wednesday he had a simple plan to win: “The same way that we finished second seven times, that’s how we’re going to win in The Chase.” On Sunday night, he did exactly that. He grabbed new tires on a pit stop and absolutely outdueled the competition across the final 24 green-flag laps to capture the victory. Talk about clutch!
Bell’s Brilliance and Larson’s Costly Gamble
Bell had to play it cool, though. Kyle Larson was out front, but he was on older tires. Bell waited patiently for Larson to start struggling before making his move and passing him with just 12 laps left. That’s his 14th career victory, by the way! He crossed the line ahead of five other Chase drivers: Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Larson, and Chase Briscoe. Bell was hyped after the race, saying, “There is no other track that’s harder to drive, that rewards a talented driver more than Darlington and the Southern 500. This is the epitome of NASCAR, and I’m just super grateful to be here. It’s better than a dream come true.” You love to see it when a driver gets exactly what they worked for!
Meanwhile, Larson’s gamble on those older tires, which had about 10 green-flag laps on them, didn’t pay off like he hoped. He finished fifth. Only Larson and three other drivers opted not to pit, and he admitted, “I thought more people would stay out. I think another two or three people staying out would have helped. I think, ultimately, they would have got to me. I was just hoping I could get some laps where I could take care of my tires.” Sometimes the dice just don’t roll your way, and this time it cost him.
Hamlin’s Scare, Byron’s Nightmare
Regular-season champion Denny Hamlin had a real scare. He broke a toe link in a tight battle with Michael McDowell, and those repairs put him a lap down. Yikes! The Joe Gibbs Racing driver fought hard, got his lap back late, and finished 18th. He still pulled off a decent 35-point day by finishing third in each stage. His 25-point lead over Ryan Blaney got cut, though, and he’s now only 12 points ahead of Bell, 16 over Blaney, and 24 over Reddick. It wasn’t great, but honestly, it could’ve been so much worse for the points leader.
The real heartbreaker of the night has to be William Byron. An apparent engine issue ended his night way too early, and now he’s dead last, 16th among all Chase drivers, and 114 points behind Hamlin. His Chase might already be over before it even really began. Byron thought something was broken in one of the wheels laps earlier, saying, “I don’t know if I was blowing up in that process and got oil on my tire or what. We had an eighth- or ninth-place run going, but it was just an unfortunate end to the evening.” What a brutal way to kick off the Chase!
Next up, the Cup Series hits World Wide Technology Raceway, or Gateway, for its one visit. It’s a 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis. This could be interesting because Toyota might not have that distinct advantage there. With this new version of The Chase, every point and every finish is massive, and we’re just getting started!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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