Christopher Bell narrowly defeated his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin at Phoenix Raceway, securing his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series win.
A late restart created tense moments, making team owner Joe Gibbs uneasy.
Bell edged Hamlin by just 0.049 seconds, earning the second-closest victory in Phoenix Raceway history and becoming the first driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car.
Despite the race unfolding differently than he expected, Bell felt the hard-fought victory made it even more meaningful.
After starting 11th, Bell moved forward early and took the lead after a late pit stop under caution.
He defended his lead through two late restarts, becoming the first driver since Kyle Larson in 2021 to win three consecutive races and the fourth since Kevin Harvick in 2018 to win three of the season’s first four events.
Crew chief Adam Stevens acknowledged their impressive success, though he admitted maintaining such a streak would be difficult.
The race featured two sets of option tires for the first time since Richmond in 2023, adding a strategic element as red tires provided more grip but wore out quickly.
Some drivers, including Joey Logano and Ryan Preece, used the red tires early to gain an advantage but later fell back.
Bell saved his red tires for the final stretch, using them to extend his lead on a restart with 17 laps remaining.
A late caution forced a close finish, adding to the tension for Bell’s team.
Hamlin challenged Bell in the final laps, briefly pulling ahead, but Bell held on to claim his 12th career Cup Series victory after leading 105 laps.
Hamlin admitted he had the position on Bell but expected an aggressive move, leading to contact between the two.
Kyle Larson finished third, Josh Berry placed fourth, and Chris Buescher completed the top five.
Katherine Legge became the first woman to compete in a Cup Series race since Danica Patrick in 2017.
Her race started poorly with a tight-handling car, leading to an early spin.
Struggling with her setup, Legge fell to the back of the field and later collided with Daniel Suárez, ending her race in 30th place.
She admitted that overnight car adjustments negatively impacted her performance.
Joey Logano started on the front row but was penalized early for dipping below the yellow line on a restart.
Frustrated by the penalty, Logano expressed disbelief over the radio.
Using red tires, he twice surged to the lead but lost positions on primary tires, ultimately finishing 13th.
Ryan Preece gambled by using red tires early, climbing from 33rd to third before tire wear dropped him back.
After switching to primary tires with 42 laps remaining, Preece faded and finished 15th.
