Cup Series: Bell steals All-Star victory from dominant Logano

Written by Sean McKean

Credit: David Jensen / Getty Images

Despite Joey Logano leading a majority of the proceedings, it was Christopher Bell who took the victory on Sunday night in North Wilkesboro. It was his first All-Star victory.

As it unfolded

On the Saturday before the main race, the drivers ran two heat races to determine the inside and outside lanes. Brad Keselowski won the first heat – and subsequently the pole – and Christopher Bell won heat two, which slotted him second.

Three hours prior to the main event, the All-Star open qualifiers ran. Despite dominance by Shane van Gisbergen, Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek finished top-two to advance to the main event. The last advancer came via the fan vote, with Noah Gragson getting shoed into the main.

Despite an aggressive start from Bell, Keselowski kept the lead off the start of the main. But, in only five laps, Joey Logano aggressively got to his inside and challenged for the lead.

As most battles began stalling out, the first caution came out. In Turn 2, Daniel Suarez suffered a flat right-front tyre – sending him into the outside wall. 

All drivers came down pit road. Keselowski retained his lead, but William Byron and Kyle Busch came out in second and third respectively. Logano came out fourth.

Keselowski led on the next restart, but an aggressive move by Kyle Busch on the outside set up William Byron nicely to take the lead. Throughout this melee, Logano moved into second.

By Lap 76, Logano and Christopher Bell caught up to Byron and began pressuring him for the lead. Logano made the leading move stick on Lap 81 whilst Bell snuck into second.

This running order remained until the Lap 100 caution, dubbed the “All-Star Caution.”

Top ten on Lap 100:

1. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

2. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

5. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

6. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

7. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

8. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

9. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

10. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

Everyone took the option to come down pit road. Bell won the race off pit road followed by Logano and Chase Elliott.

Bell led the way on Lap 109. Shortly thereafter though, the caution came out again – this time for Ross Chastain going for a spin in Turn 3. Austin Cindric notably came down pit road right when the caution came out, reporting a flat tyre following unrelated contact with Josh Berry.

Bell led again on Lap 121 and faced a bigger challenge from Logano this time around. It only took four laps for Logano to make the move stick.

The caution came back out on Lap 176 for Brad Keselowski. He got loose on entry into Turn 3 and slammed the outside wall – akin to his crash in Kansas one week ago. The former champion went out of the race.

Yet again, everyone took the opportunity to pit. By taking two tyres, Kyle Larson jumped from seventh to take the lead. Logano and Bell followed behind.

Larson got a good jump on Lap 183, but Logano quickly passed him followed by Bell.

Just as Kyle Larson hit the wall and broke his toe-link, the caution was thrown on Lap 216. This was part of the promoter’s caution, wherein race control can throw the caution any time before Lap 220. Funnily, 1996 All-Star race winner, Michael Waltrip, waved the flag and dropped it on track.

Most drivers took to the pits, but Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney notably stayed out. Of those who pitted, Bell came out first ahead of Elliott.

Logano led the way and secured the lead on Lap 222, but it only took a few laps for Bell to challenge him for the lead. Their battles brought Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman into the picture. 

At ten laps to go, Bell secured the lead. He hung on to win his first ever All-Star race.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

2. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

3. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

4. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

5. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

6. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

7. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

8. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

9. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

10. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

11. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

12. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

13. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

14. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

15. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)

16. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

17. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

18. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

19. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)

20. No. 51 - Harrison Burton (Rick Ware Racing)

21. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) +3 laps

22. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing) [DNF]

23. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing) [DNF]