NASCAR Barometer: Christopher Bell Tops NASCAR's All-Star Show

NASCAR's annual All-Star Race threw out a few surprises, but Christopher Bell made all the right moves to get past Joey Logano to lead the final 10 laps, winning his first All-Star Race. The pair led 167 of the race's 250 laps, and track position and fresh tires were the difference makers. Saturday's qualifying heats were dominated by each race's pole sitter, which didn't bode well for the prospects of a competitive showcase Sunday night. Similarly, Carson Hocevar won the All-Star Open from the front row with just he and pole-sitter Shane van Gisbergen leading laps in the night's opener. Things got a little more interesting in the big show, though. While Brad Keselowski led early, he slipped back. The race quickly became a strategy contest between track position and fresh tires. Several contenders used two-tire stops to gain an advantage, but Logano was making no mistakes and seemed to have the edge on the competition. At least that was the case until the promoter's caution waved. That break gave Bell the opportunity to do something different than Logano, namely going to pit road for two-fresh tires. A hot contest for the lead ensued after the restart as Bell pushed Logano to the limits of his old tires and once Bell got ahead, the race was his to lose. 

This week the series returns to racing for points and the championsip in NASCAR's longest race. Last year, the marathon event was cut short by rain with Bell taking the win. A repeat this week would give him his fourth victory of the season and second in as many weeks. Many in the garage should have something to say about that as the pressure to claim one of the remaining championship playoff positions ratchets up as the season resumes, though. 

UPGRADE

Christopher Bell - Track position was critical in Sunday's All-Star Race, but Bell used a fresh-tire advantage to move to the front and claim his first win in the showcase event. Bell dominated his qualifying heat Saturday, which gave him a crucial spot at the front of the field for Sunday's main event. From that starting spot, Bell held station among the leaders throughout the 250 laps run, but his winning move came when the unexpected promoter's caution waved on lap 215. Bell opted to head to pit road, changing right-side tires and restarting sixth. He quickly gained ground upon the return to green-flag racing and passed Logano for good with 10 laps remaining. The win earned Bell a guaranteed spot in all future All-Star races and his Joe Gibbs Racing team a million-dollar prize. Championship racing returns this week at Charlotte where Bell won a rain-shortened race last season.

Ross Chastain - Contact and a spin weren't enough to keep Chastain from a spot at the front Sunday night. The Trackhouse Racing driver started third and spent plenty of time among the leaders until the competition caution. As the race restarted following that break in action, Chastain was part of a multi-car tussle that made him lose control and spin to the inside of the track. Luckily, the car didn't sustain much damage and Chastain was able to regroup and make the restart once pointed the right direction. From there, Chastain was on a charge as he progressed through the field in the remaining laps to finish back in the third position where he started. It was a gritty and determined performance for Chastain who is still looking for a 2025 points win. However, his 10th-place position in the standings has him in admirable shape for a potential playoff spot. A win would be nicer, though. 

Carson Hocevar - Hocevar combined fresh tires and track position to win the All-Star Open, leading 46 laps to win the All-Star Open. The victory earned him a spot in the main event, which he then finished 11th in despite starting 21st. Hocevar trailed Shane van Gisbergen until the race's first caution when he opted for two tires and Van Gisbergen took four. Less time on pit road gave Hocevar the lead, which he then used to his advantage. One final decision to stay out later in the race also proved correct as Hocevar's positive track position was unassailable to the finish. The victory was Hocevar's first in the series and could be a boost to his already impressive start to the 2025 season, Thus far, Hocevar has scored top-10 finishes and he captured the pole at Texas. This week he will hope to repeat that feat at somewhat similar Charlotte. Last year, Hocevar started 20th and finished 21st at the track, but he also has two top-five finishes there from three Truck Series tries.

John Hunter Nemechek - Unlike Hocevar, Nemechek opted for a two-tire stop in the last caution of the All-Star Open. Despite the loss of track position for making the change, the extra grip it afforded him helped him move from eighth on the restart to second at the finish. That was enough for him to advance to the main event. In that race, Nemechek ran a clean race, avoiding problems, and finishing 19th from the 22nd starting spot. Having the chance to run in the main event is a prize of its own, and Nemechek will hope to use that as a springboard to even better things starting this week at Charlotte. Nemechek is just outside the playoff position in the standings and only needs to close a 24-point gap to be among the top 16. A win would get him there more quickly, though. At Charlotte, Nemechek has a best series finish of 13th. in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, he won there and collected four top-10 finishes from six series tries.

Noah Gragson - Gragson won the fan vote to advance to the All-Star Race for the third consecutive season. The popularity victory gave him the opportunity to show what he couldn't in the Open race, too. In the precursor race, Gragson lost power steering and slipped backward through the field to finish 17th despite claiming the third starting spot. The team worked to fix that issue for the main event, though. With a healthy car underneath him, Gragson used that fan confidence to power to the 13th-place finishing spot despite starting last. All in all, it was a good showing for him and he repaid the fan confidence by putting on an entertaining drive from the back. Focus now turns back to the championship, though. Gragson has a lot of ground to cover, too. He is 31st in points despite two top-10 finishes. His three prior Charlotte starts have yielded three DNFs, too. It will be an uphill climb for the No. 4, and good progress would start with a top-15 this week in NASCAR's longest race.

DOWNGRADE

Brad Keselowski - Just when it seemed as though Keselowski's fortunes were turning around, the rug was snatched right out from under him. The drivers owner put in a great showing Saturday at North Wilkesboro to win the All-Star pole and then capture victory in his heat race. That performance set up what should have been a successful Sunday evening, but it wasn't to be. Despite starting at the front, Keselowski slipped down the order through the first caution period. He spent the rest of the evening running around the top 10 but failing to move back up to the front. Unfortunately, the situation only worsened just after lap 175 when a crash ended his night. This week, Keselowski and the No. 6 team continue their quest to reverse their run of misfortune. The good news is that Keselowski is a two-time Charlotte winner who was runner up last year despite starting 30th.

Daniel Suarez - A flat front tire gave Suarez the dubious distinction as being the first casualty of Sunday's All-Star Race. The Trackhouse Racing driver had a decent outing in his qualifying heat, which earned him the 12th starting spot for Sunday's show. Unfortunately, his time in the main event didn't last long. Before 60 laps had been completed, a failed front tire sent the No. 99 machine into the outside wall and out of Sunday's race. The good news for the team is that the race didn't have championship implications. Suarez is still looking for his first win of 2025 and ranks 27th in the standings with a lot of ground to cover if he wants to make another playoff appearance. Charlotte's oval hasn't been the best of venues for him, though. From 10 series starts, Suarez's best finish was sixth in the fall of 2017, and he hasn't finished in the top 20 there since 2021.

Ryan Preece - Things were shaping up nicely for Preece to advance from the All-Star Open, but a late restart penalty cost him dearly. Preece was second during the final caution of the race, but officials ruled that he rolled over the orange painted choose indicator when selecting which line to restart from. That infraction sent him to the back of the field with no chance to recover in time for the finish. In the end, Preece finished 11th and missed his chance to be part of the weekend's main event. Hopefully that bump doesn't affect the progress he has been showing in the championship. Preece sits just outside the playoff positions on the back of four top-10 finishes so far. The No. 60 car has also been showing winning potential at times. If he can keep that run of form going, a victory or a playoff spot should be within grasp. At Charlotte, Preece has a best finish of 13th from seven series starts.

Kyle Larson - Larson was always going to have an uphill battle Sunday night. The Hendrick Motorsports driver did double duty through the week practicing for his second start in the Indy 500. The first NASCAR laps he turned during the week came only Sunday night. After starting the All-Star Race 19th, he used a two-tire stop to move forward. He was actually running third when contact with the outside wall ruined his chances of a top finish. In the end, Larson finished three laps down in 21st position, which is the same spot he will start this week's Indy 500 from. This will be the second time Larson has attempted the Indianapolis and Charlotte double. Last year, after opting to finish the Indy race, Larson got to Charlotte as rain fell and ended the race. He never got into the Cup car. This year, he will hope for better timing, but he has a hill to climb from a low starting spot at Indy. He won the 600-mile race in 2021, though.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Joey Logano - If there is any driver that can feel aggrieved leaving North Wilkesboro, it would be Joey Logano. The defending All-Star Race winner was quick from the start and worked his way into a commanding lead Sunday night. Once out front, Logano was in control and counting down the laps to the finish. At least that was the case until the promoter's caution was thrown with less than 30 laps remaining. Logano opted not to pit during that break in the action, which ended up costing him the race. On the restart, Logano lost out in a close battle with Christopher Bell as the No. 20's fresher right-side tires proved to be the difference maker. Had that unexpected caution not come, the race likely was Logano's to lose. Logano will focus back on the championship this week as he seeks his second career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, though. A win there would be his first at the track since the fall of 2015.