Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway lived up to its name and legacy, as two of the best drivers on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit dueled it out for supremacy in the $1-million-to-win showdown.
Defending and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano was the class of the field throughout the exhibition event, but in the end, it was Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell that will be making a significant deposit at the bank on Monday.
The Norman, Oklahoma-native started the 250-lap contest from second after securing the win in Saturday’s second of two All-Star Heat Races. Throughout the entire afternoon, the driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE remained in contention and flexed his muscles at several points throughout the race.
With just 35 laps remaining, Bell was quickly reeling in Joey Logano when the Promoter’s Caution – a cause-free stoppage decided by Marcus Smith, the promoter of the NASCAR All-Star Race that could be thrown between Lap 100 and Lap 220 – was displayed.
That triggered a deluge of different strategies, with Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Carson Hocevar, and Harrison Burton staying on the racetrack, and the remainder of the 23-car field still on track, choosing to pit for fresh tires.
Those tires, even though they restarted outside the top-five, quickly prevailed, as Bell sliced and diced his way through the pack and quickly got to race-leader Logano, before setting up the opportunity to pass for several laps.
NEW LEADER: CHRISTOPHER BELL! pic.twitter.com/q3fTUYBOrw
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 19, 2025
Finally, with the help of his right-side door, Bell took over the race lead with just 10 circuits remaining around the North Wilkesboro, North Carolina short track, and quickly darted away from the Team Penske driver, who had led a race-high 139 laps.
After climbing from his No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE, Bell dedicated the win to his crew.
RACE RESULTS: 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
“Man, they’re the best. There’s nothing else to say. This sport can be so humbling because behind the car, behind the wheel, you’re just a small part of success,” Bell said. “These boys right here, Adam Stevens on the pit box, all the mechanics, all the engineers that put this thing together, they’re the big picture. I’m the guy that gets to sit up here and talk to you and take pictures, but without them, I’m nobody. I owe it all to these guys.”
Joey Logano, who dominated the event and was looking for back-to-back wins in the NASCAR All-Star Race, had to settle for the runner-up position. Ross Chastain was also involved in the late-race battle and came home third, while Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott finished fourth and fifth.
William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, and Chris Buescher completed the top-10.
Chevrolet, with a team of Chastain, Boman, Elliott, Byron, and Busch, dominated the manufacturer’s showdown on Sunday, with a cumulative score of 26. Toyota was second place, with 48, while Ford came a distant third with a cumulative score of 67.
Kyle Larson, who flew in from Indianapolis to compete in the NASCAR All-Star Race after qualifying 21st-place for the Indy 500, was running inside the top-10, and at one point had the race lead, when his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet slapped the wall, causing immense damage.
Next up for the NASCAR Cup Series is a home race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the teams will tackle the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600, on Sunday, May 25 at 6:00 PM ET on Prime Video, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
