In a spectacular display of skill and determination, Christopher Bell emerged victorious in the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, holding off a fierce challenge from defending winner Joey Logano to secure his first triumph in the prestigious event.
Bell, piloting the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, capitalized on a late-race pit strategy that saw him take two fresh right-side tires during a promoter’s caution on Lap 216. Restarting sixth on Lap 223, Bell quickly charged through the field, passing Ross Chastain for second place on Lap 227 and setting his sights on race leader Logano.
The decisive moment came on Lap 241, when Bell pulled alongside Logano, drifted toward the wall, and completed the pass for the lead. Bell’s superior tire grip proved to be the difference, as he pulled away to win by a margin of 0.829 seconds.
“North Wilkesboro, how about that one?” an elated Bell exclaimed after climbing from his car amidst a cloud of celebratory tire smoke. “That right there is absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro, best short track on the schedule.”
Logano, who dominated the race by leading 139 of the 250 laps, expressed frustration with the promoter’s caution that disrupted his comfortable lead and forced a critical pit-stop decision.
“I’m pissed off right now,” Logano said. “Just dang it, we had the fastest car. The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was so fast. You get to… I’m trying to choose my words correctly on the caution situation. Obviously, I got bit by it, so I am the one frustrated, obviously…”
Despite his best efforts to fend off Bell in the closing laps, Logano acknowledged that the tire disadvantage was too much to overcome. “I did all I could do to hold him off, and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option. Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could’ve got to him, he was going around after a move like that. I just couldn’t get back to him. Just too much to try to make up with the tire deficit.”
Bell, meanwhile, reveled in the intensity of the competition and the strategic elements that played into his favor. “Man, that was an amazing race,” he said. “There were so many guys up there racing for the lead. We saw two-wide, three-wide for the lead. It’s just a pleasure to race here, and especially whenever you get to drive this Mobil 1 Toyota Camry.”
Ross Chastain, employing the same tire strategy as Logano, finished third, followed by Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and William Byron. Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top ten.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to points-paying action next Sunday with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first race of the highly anticipated Prime Video era (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
