Christopher Bell Outran Tyler Reddick to Win Bristol Dirt Race

Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick on the final lap to claim victory in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. It marked the first win for a driver with extensive dirt-racing experience since Joey Logano claimed the season opener.

Growing up in Oklahoma, Bell was a natural on the track; winning three Chili Bowl Nationals driving midget cars on dirt. That experience proved invaluable when he faced off against veteran dirt racers at Bristol this spring.

Stage 1

Christopher Bell leveraged his growing up dirt racing experience to outrun Tyler Reddick and claim victory in the Food City Dirt Race Sunday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. By outlasting both rivals in the final stages, Bell earned his first Cup Series victory on red clay track.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver started a bit late but managed to hold off Reddick in Stage 2 before winning the final stage and taking home victory. His victory was further enhanced by an unexpected caution on the last lap that effectively stopped all competition.

On a slippery track, the best dirt racers of the Cup Series competed. Ryan Preece and Kyle Larson also battled for positions within the top 10, but Bell emerged victorious. He'll look to keep that momentum going into Stage 3.

Stage 2

On Sunday night, Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick to claim victory at Bristol's Food City Dirt Race. It marked Bell's fifth win at Bristol in his career.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver had an intimate understanding of the track's dirt surface, which he described as "the ideal layout for drivers with lots of dirt experience."

With that knowledge in hand, Bell took control of the final stage of the race and outran Reddick through a restart eight laps from completion for his fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory.

Bell concluded the race in dramatic style, performing a Polish Victory Lap to commemorate Cup Series legend Alan Kulwicki who passed away 30 years ago this month. Check out the highlights below.

Stage 3

Bell, a young dirt racing sensation who ran his first race at age 9, outran Tyler Reddick on the final restart to claim victory at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. It marked Joe Gibbs Racing driver's fifth victory in NASCAR Cup Series competition and came at his home track where he felt most at ease.

Bell developed an interest in dirt-track racing at the tender age of nine when his dad David took him and his crew chief David to Tulsa for junior sprint races as soon as they could escape school.

He then progressed to micro sprints at I-44 Riverside Speedway, where his love affair with dirt tracks truly began to blossom.

Experience has led Bell to a successful career in both NASCAR Truck and Xfinity series, where he boasts numerous wins, top fives and top 10 finishes. Last fall he earned himself a place in the Championship 4 following an impressive Playoff run.

Stage 4

On Sunday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick to claim victory in the dirt race. Growing up as a gifted dirt racing prodigy, Bell made full use of the track's slippery surface to claim his fifth NASCAR Cup Series triumph and second at Bristol.

Larson appeared headed for another top-five finish, but 96 laps from the end he spun on his own and got involved in a dirt battle with Ryan Preece that ended 20 laps later. Enraged by earlier contact with Larson, Preece gave Larson an angry hand gesture as their cars passed each other during a caution period.

Stage 4 concluded with an exhilarating burst of high-speed action that saw yellow flags fly 14 times and more incidents not noticed by the official safety crew. The ultimate Cliffhanger obstacle required competitors to climb up a tower then swing around on the other side in 30 seconds for a $1 million prize!

Stage 5

Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick to win Bristol Motor Speedway's inaugural dirt race, a NASCAR Cup Series event. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had grown up dirt racing and knew the track's surface would reward those with experience.

On stage 45, a four-man breakaway was reduced to two with about 45 kilometers remaining. British rider Zeb Kyffin (Ribble Wedtite Pro Cycling) and Spaniard Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) made valiant efforts to remain clear, but were caught with 9.6km remaining.

Despite their loss, the breakaway gained time on the peloton with several intermediate sprints. Teggart edged Iacchi to win Edingley's intermediate sprint and took Retford's before being caught.

Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma) completed the podium with a third-place finish, increasing her lead in the overall standings to 26 bonus seconds. She'll look to add even more bonus seconds on Friday's hilly stage before reaching the final day.

Stage 6

In a race that saw many drivers push the edge in the dirt, Christopher Bell powered through the restart to outrun Tyler Reddick and claim Bristol. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver held onto the lead eight laps from the finish for his fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory.

As opposed to many famous NASCAR drivers who come from racing families, Bell didn't. His parents brought him to I-44 Speedway in Oklahoma at the age of 6 to watch Daniel Orr compete in junior sprint races.

Orr was an experienced track veteran and knew how to bring out the best in young drivers. This enabled Bell to hone her skillset so she could become a success at the track.

Stage 7

Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick to take home the third Bristol Dirt Race and become the first driver with extensive dirt experience to triumph in the series. His win was a highlight for an impressive top-five that also included Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe.

Kyle Larson started from pole and looked like he would be an impressive force all night. But he ended up bumping Ryan Preece multiple times throughout the stage, forcing him to spin and pit on his own 96 laps later.

After a brief lull, Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates teammates took control of a breakaway with a two-minute lead. But Jonas Vingegaard and Rafal Majka eventually caught them as they reached gravel with six kilometers remaining.

With just four laps to go, he passed Reddick for the lead. Unfortunately, a caution flag on the final lap prevented Reddick from making one last-ditch effort to win.

Stage 8

Christopher Bell outran Tyler Reddick to win Stage 8 and claim his fifth NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Doing so on the track's dirt surface seemed tailor-made for drivers like Bell who grew up racing on it - the perfect storm!

With 15 laps remaining, defending race winner Kyle Busch spun and Bell took off on the restart for a commanding lead over Reddick. When the 16th and final caution flag flew with just a few laps remaining, Bell was still in the lead after an intense battle for it.

Bell marked his victory with a Polish Victory Lap in honor of Alan Kulwicki, who passed away 30 years ago this month. Additionally, Bell extended his streak of top-10 finishes to four races, placing him as an early contender for Rookie of the Year honoree.

Stage 9

Christopher Bell, a dirt racing prodigy from Oklahoma who grew up racing on dirt tracks, outran Tyler Reddick to win Bristol Motor Speedway's Food City Dirt Race. Beating out other NASCAR Cup Series stars who also grew up racing dirt tracks, Bell scored his first win of the season and fifth win overall in an already illustrious career that has lasted nearly five years.

Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe all finished strongly at Bristol; Dillon and Briscoe each scored their best finishes of the season while Stenhouse earned his second top-five at Bristol and tied his season high finish of seventh in the race.

Kyle Larson, another dirt racing supernova who continues to compete on surfaces outside NASCAR, started from pole and won the opening stage. Unfortunately, Larson spun on his own 96 laps from the end and had to pit and restart at the rear of the field.