Bell Rings Up All-Star Victory for Joe Gibbs Racing

The winner's trophy - a replica of a moonshine still

(NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – MAY 18, 2025 – RIS) Christopher Bell took Joe Gibbs Racing to the victory stage at North Wilkesboro in winning the 2025 NASCAR All-Star. The million-dollar win is the third win for JGR. After the race, Gibbs joked that the team had “spent thirty million dollars to win a million dollar race.”

Brad Keselowski’s “Pirate Ship” Ford led for the first laps of the All-Star, with Joey Logano moving up to challenge for the lead while Chase Elliott and William Byron followe in a two-by-two block as the lead quartet looked almost like a formation lap until Elliott dropped back but Logano would make a challenge, then drop back. Keselowski’s Mustang is called “Pirate Ship” because it is wrapped with the colors of East Carolina University’s Pirates, where his wife attended college.

Kyle Larson, after starting in 20th position, steadily moved up in the standings, running in fifteenth after 50 laps.

Daniel Suarez had his right-front tire go down, sending the No, 88 Chevy out of the race after hitting the wall to bring out the first caution on lap 57. Keselowski and Byron led the field out of the pits, 

Kyle Busch got to the outside of Keselowski on the restart and William Byron capitalized on the battle between them to sweep into the lead with Joey Logano challenging him for the lead after Byron took on two new tires to Logano’s four fresh slicks.

Logano and Christopher Bell both got around Byron, who reported to his crew that the car was getting loose on the mix of used and new tires. 

Logano, Bell, Elliott, Blaney and Byron led the field under the “All-Star caution” flag after 100 laps. Bell and Logano took the pit road race to come back on the track in front of the field, followed by Elliott, Blaney and Byron. Bell and Logano pulled ahead to the lead, with Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney racing side-by-side for third place.

Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric tangled in a three-wide with Alex Bowman on the inside, bringing out another caution flag with Cindric’s car getting the worst of the exchange. Logano and Bell restarted one-two again with Blaney and Elliott next. Kyle Larson has raced into the top ten, running in eighth place.

With 100 laps remaining of the 250, Kyle Larson had advanced to seventh place, with his Hendrick teammate Byron back in eighth place.

Brad Keselowski crashed in fourth turn, bringing out another yellow and sending the field to the pits for new tires again with just under 75 laps remaining in the race. Larson took only a pair of tires in a gamble to gain track position as the first car off pit road. Larson and Logano raced side-by-side for the lead until Larson slipped a little high and Logano then Bell got around him for the first two positions while Chase Elliott moved up to challenge for third place. 

Kyle Larson hit the wall just before Michael Waltrip threw the promoter’s caution yellow flag – really threw it – as it came out of his hand and landed on the front straight in front of the field.

The two Penske cars stayed on the track while the majority of the field pitted. After the restart, Blaney got caught in a four-wide melee and fell back in the field while Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell challenged for the lead, with Alex Bowman moving up on the inside to challenge Chastain for third place. Bell took the lead with nine laps left and Chastain moved up to challenge for second while Bell eased out to a half-second lead with lap times about a tenth of a second quicker than Logano’s laps.

“North Wilkesboro, how about that one? That right there was absolutely incredible. North Wilkesboro is the best short track on the schedule. Let’s go,” exulted Bell following the race.

“They’re [his pit crew] the best. There’s nothing else to say,” he added. “This sport can be so humbling because behind the wheel you’re just a small part of the success. These boys right here, Adam Stevens (crew chief) on the pit box, all the mechanics, all the engineers that put this thing together – they’re the big picture. I’m just the guy that gets to stand up here and talk to you and take the pictures, but without them I’m nobody and I owe it all to these guys.”

Unofficial Results: NASCAR All-Star Race, May 18, 2025 - North Wilkesboro Speedway
Fin, Str, Driver, Car, Laps, Times Led, Laps Led, Status
 1) 2, Christopher Bell (T), No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota, 250, 4, 28, Running
 2) 4, Joey Logano (F), No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, 250, 7, 139, Running
 3) 3, Ross Chastain (C), No. 1 Busch Light Fan Vote Chevrolet, 250, , , Running
 4) 9, Alex Bowman (C), No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, 250, 1, 1, Running
 5) 6, Chase Elliott (C), No. 9 Amazon Prime Video Chevrolet, 250, , , Running
 6) 5, William Byron (C), No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet, 250, 1, 12, Running
 7) 13, Tyler Reddick (T), No. 45 SiriusXM Toyota, 250, , , Running
 8) 8, Kyle Busch (C), No. 8 SENIX Chevrolet, 250, 1, 2, Running
 9) 14, Chase Briscoe (T), No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, 250, , , Running
10) 10, Chris Buescher (F), No. 17 Kroger/Tylenol Ford, 250, , , Running
11) 21, Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Gainbridge/WNBA All Star '25 Chevrolet, 250, , , Running
12) 20, Denny Hamlin (T), No. 11 Progressive Toyota, 250, , , Running
13) 23, Noah Gragson, No. 4 Rural King Ford, 250, , , Running
14) 15, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet, 250, , , Running
15) 17, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 SUNNYD Chevrolet, 250, , , Running
16) 7, Ryan Blaney (F), No. 12 Menards/Wrangler Ford, 250, , , Running
17) 11, Josh Berry (F), No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford, 250, , , Running
18) 16, Austin Cindric, No. 2 Freightliner Ford, 250, 1, 1, Running
19) 22, John Hunter Nemechek (T), No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota, 250, , , Running
20) 18, Harrison Burton, No. 51 Morton Buildings Ford, 250, , , Running
21) 19, Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, 247, 2, 5, Running
22) 1, Brad Keselowski (F), No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford, 176, 2, 62, Accident
23) 12, Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, 65, , , Accident

Race Length: 250 Laps, 156.25 Miles
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 37 Mins, 56 Secs.
Average Speed: 95.728 MPH
Margin of Victory: .829 Second

Fastest Lap: No. 22, lap 6, 18.583 sec

Comments: Christopher Bell has won the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Prior to the start, the following cars dropped to the rear for reasons indicated: No. 5: driver change.

Cautions: 5 for 32 laps;
Laps: 58-63 (#99 Incident Backstretch [42]);
102-108 (All-Star Caution [None]);
114-120 (#1, 2, 48 Incident Backstretch [None]);
177-182 (#6 Incident Turn 3 [51]);
217-222 (Promoter's Caution [2]).

Lead Changes: 18 among 8 drivers;
B. Keselowski (F) 1-5;
J. Logano (F) 6;
B. Keselowski (F) 7-63;
K. Busch (C) 64-65;
W. Byron (C) 66-77;
J. Logano (F) 78-102;
A. Cindric 103;
C. Bell (T) 104-119;
J. Logano (F) 120;
C. Bell (T) 121;
J. Logano (F) 122-177;
A. Bowman (C) 178;
K. Larson 179-182;
J. Logano (F) 183;
K. Larson 184;
J. Logano (F) 185-228;
C. Bell (T) 229;
J. Logano (F) 230-240;
C. Bell (T) 241-250.