In a nail-biting finale that highlighted the unpredictable nature of NASCAR’s superspeedway racing, Christopher Bell emerged winner in the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025. In his first victory on a drafting-style track, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver managed to win his 10th Cup Series after a wild overtime period.
The race was an emotional rollercoaster for both participants and viewers, with 15 different drivers sharing a record-breaking 50 lead changes. Bell, who qualified 32nd, demonstrated great patience and skill, methodically making his way through the field.
Overtime Drama
Austin Cindric and William Byron got into a late-race altercation that set off the race’s climax in overtime. Bell was in a great position to take advantage of the field’s roaring approach to the finish line. A three wide battle ensued, with Bell, Carson Hocevar, and Kyle Larson fighting for the lead. As the vehicles crossed the finish line, a secondary crash erupted behind the leaders, involving Josh Berry, Justin Haley, and Ryan Preece. The field was subsequently frozen when the caution flag was raised, awarding the victory to Christopher Bell.
“I’ll tell you what, that right there is what you dream of,” an elated Bell said after the race. “To be able to run first or second row in a green-white-checkered at a speedway, you never know how those things are going to work out, but I’ll be the first to say, I love superspeedways.”
Key Race Moments:
- Historic Lead Changes: The event saw a record 50 lead changes, illustrating the high-level competition and drafting that Atlanta Motor Speedway is known for.
- Overtime Thriller: The overtime victory created further excitement, featuring various incidents and an intense three-wide fight to the finish.
- Bell’s First Victory: The win was Bell’s initial Cup Series victory on a drafting-track configuration, where he had previously experienced difficulties on such circuits.
- Hocevar’s Solid Finish: Second-year driver Carson Hocevar put on a strong performance to finish second.
- Larson’s Podium: Kyle Larson, who had struggled in the past at superspeedways, earned a solid third-place finish.
- Incident-ridden racing: The race featured 11 periods of caution for 63 laps.
- Toyota’s performance: Although Toyota teams qualified poorly, they performed well.
Notable Performances and Moments:
- Carson Hocevar had numerous on track encounters with other drivers, such as Ryan Blaney.
- Last year’s winner Daniel Suárez was a part of a multi-car collision, ending his race early.
- Denny Hamlin also overcame a terrible qualifying run, to gain a 6th place finish.
- Josh Berry stage 1 winner, was part of the final lap wreck.
Aftermath:
The post-race talk revolved around the toughness of the racing and the nose-to-tail finishes that are now a feature of the realigned Atlanta Motor Speedway. The win cemented Christopher Bell as one of the top guns in the Cup Series, and winning on a superspeedway illustrated his range as a driver.
The NASCAR Cup Series now looks forward to its next event, with drivers and teams looking to capitalize on the momentum of the early part of the season.