For the third straight week, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell got here away victorious after holding off teammate Denny Hamlin within the second-closest Cup Collection end at Phoenix Raceway.
Listed below are 5 takeaways from the Shriners Kids’s 500 at Phoenix:
Make it three in a row for Bell
For the primary time for the reason that debut of the Subsequent Gen automotive in 2022, a driver has received three straight races in a Cup Collection season. Bell has now received three of the season’s first 4 races, changing into the primary driver to perform the feat since Kevin Harvick in 2018 and solely the fourth driver all-time to take action.
Bell received Stage 2 and led a race-high 105 laps from an Eleventh-place beginning place. Sunday marked his twelfth profession Cup Collection win and the second 12 months in a row he has received the spring race at Phoenix. With wins at a drafting-style monitor (Atlanta), street course (COTA) and one-mile structure (Phoenix), Bell has confirmed he can win anyplace and isn’t exhibiting any indicators of slowing down anytime quickly.
Choice tire provides a brand new component for groups
Drivers and groups had been introduced with two units of softer possibility tires for Sunday’s race along with seven units of the first tires. The concept behind the choice tires — which had been first utilized in a factors race at Richmond final summer time — is to offer extra grip, however put on out quicker than the primaries, in the end offering crew chiefs with extra technique choices to make the most of.
It didn’t take lengthy for the choice tires to be put to make use of with RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece going from thirty third to 3rd in Stage 1 to point out how efficient they could possibly be. The restricted units of possibility tires made for some fascinating technique all through the occasion and delivered an entertaining race.
Joey Logano unable to beat early adversity
After qualifying second and main the sector to inexperienced on Lap 15 after the race’s second warning, Logano was penalized for going under the yellow line too quickly on the restart and needed to serve his drive-through penalty below inexperienced. Because of the penalty, Logano misplaced monitor place and had to make use of his first set of possibility tires sooner than most drivers to regain the misplaced monitor place, which left him at a drawback late within the race.
Logano led 81 laps and appeared to point out race-winning velocity when he was on the entrance. Nonetheless, a Thirteenth-place end — his fourth straight outcome outdoors the highest 10 to start the season — leaves the three-time Cup Collection champion with one other disappointing end result.
Ryan Blaney nonetheless unable to seek out victory lane at Phoenix
Regardless of working high 5 in every of the primary two levels, Blaney suffered a blown engine going into Flip 3 whereas working ninth on Lap 290, ending his day early with a Twenty eighth-place end.
Coming into the weekend, Blaney had 13 high 10s in 18 begins at Phoenix and a mean end of 10.4. Whereas he by no means led any laps on Sunday, Blaney was as soon as once more among the many frontrunners at Phoenix and left with nothing to point out for it.
Brad Keselowski can not catch a break
After getting caught up in a big wreck on Lap 99, Keselowski completed the race in thirty third. It’s the third time in 4 races that the 2012 Cup Collection champion has completed outdoors the highest 25 with a greatest end of fifteenth at COTA.
It has been a tough begin to the 2025 season for the proprietor/driver for RFK Racing. As a three-time winner on the sequence’ subsequent cease at Las Vegas, maybe a much-needed rebound is on the best way for Keselowski.
