Hamlin had surged into the lead with just five laps remaining out of 60, but Bell managed to maneuver his way into second position as they approached the final lap.
Navigating through Turns 3 and 4, Bell executed a strategic move, initially diving low before shifting high to overtake Hamlin. Holding off Austin Cindric by a mere 0.113 seconds, Bell clinched the victory.
“It feels good,” expressed Bell. “These superspeedway races always leave me uncertain. I’ve often attributed them entirely to luck, although I know that’s not entirely accurate. Still, it seems like we’ve faced challenges reaching the finish line in the past, and I’ve found myself involved in quite a few wrecks. So, it’s satisfying to execute everything correctly today.”
Hamlin settled for third place, followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth and Harrison Burton in fifth.
In an impressive last-minute surge, Kaz Grala, driving a third entry for Front Row Motorsports, managed to surpass B.J. McLeod on the final lap, securing the last spot in Sunday’s 500.
The top-10 finishers included Zane Smith, who bounced back from a pit road speeding penalty, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Chase Briscoe, and Justin Haley.
Byron initially took command of the race after 10 laps, engaging in a brief battle for the lead with Riley Herbst. Bubba Wallace then seized the lead for the first time on lap 21, closely pursued by Herbst and Bell.
At the halfway mark of the 60-lap race, Wallace maintained a slight lead over Bell, with Smith advancing to third position.
With 18 laps remaining, a group of Chevrolets made their way to pit road to initiate a round of green flag pit stops, including Byron and Bell. Subsequently, most of the field followed suit on the next lap. Smith, however, incurred a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road.
Following the completion of the pit stops, McDowell emerged as the frontrunner with 15 laps to go.
However, on Lap 46, chaos ensued as Keselowski made contact with Kyle Busch, causing Busch to tap Byron, who then collided with Ryan Blaney, triggering a chaotic accident.
Blaney’s No. 12 Ford briefly erupted in flames from the impact, prompting NASCAR to issue a caution and subsequently red-flag the race for nearly nine minutes to clear the debris.
In total, 11 cars were involved in the incident, and several drivers will be forced to utilize backup cars for Sunday’s Daytona 500, necessitating a start from the rear of the field.
The race resumed with eight laps remaining, with McDowell leading the pack, followed by Hamlin and Cindric.
