HAMPTON, Ga. — In a thrilling finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell narrowly claimed victory over Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson in overtime during the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
Bell, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in a Toyota, led only the last lap after a late caution was thrown due to an accident involving Josh Berry.
“I felt like we were at our best during that final lap of the race,” Bell remarked after his win.
The 30-year-old driver from Oklahoma now has a total of 10 career wins in the Cup Series.
Austin Cindric had previously been leading in his Team Penske Ford, but a collision with William Byron, who was victorious in the Daytona 500 the week prior, occurred with just three laps to go, which set the stage for overtime.
Kyle Busch, another notable competitor, finished in seventh place, which extended his winless streak in the Cup Series. After winning the Atlanta Truck Series race the previous day, he continues to seek his first Cup victory since 2023, following the conclusion of his historic 19-year streak of at least one win each season.
Despite having qualified just 17th, Larson, the 2021 Cup champion, managed to find his speed late in the race to win the second stage. However, he hasn’t finished well in recent Atlanta races, having faced accidents in all six of the last matches at this venue.
The race was full of excitement as Elliott crashed his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet late in the second stage, colliding with Brad Keselowski’s Ford, which ultimately ended both their races. Elliott finished in 18th position.
Daniel Suarez, who had a dramatic finish in February’s race on the same track, faced disappointment when he was caught up in a seven-car wreck early in the third stage. Drivers Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, Cody Ware, Noah Gragson, and JJ Yaley were also involved in the incident.
Ryan Blaney was in contention but experienced a late one-car spin that brought out the caution flag, though he managed to recover to finish in fourth place.
In an entertaining highlight, Billy Gibbons, the lead guitarist and vocalist for the rock band ZZ Top, served as the grand marshal for the race, delivering the “start your engines” command.
In other news, 23XI Racing announced a multi-year agreement with Corey Heim, naming him a development driver. Heim will compete in a limited number of Cup Series races in the No. 67 Toyota and participate in several Xfinity races, starting next week at Circuit of the Americas. His first Cup race under this new deal will be at Kansas Speedway on May 11.
Last year, Heim made three starts in the Cup Series for 23XI and has already secured a Truck Series win at Daytona this season, though he finished 23rd in Saturday’s Truck Series race at Atlanta.
The NASCAR Cup Series is set to continue next Sunday in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of the Americas.
