Christopher Bell Wins Thrilling NASCAR Race at Phoenix, Formula 1 and IndyCar Prepare for Season Openers

Yesterday in Auto Racing: NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula 1 Recap

NASCAR Cup Series: Phoenix Raceway Aftermath

Christopher Bell continued his dominant streak, securing his third consecutive victory in the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver narrowly edged out teammate Denny Hamlin by just 0.049 seconds in a thrilling photo finish. Kyle Larson rounded out the podium in third.

Key moments included a late-race caution for Ty Gibbs' brake failure, setting up the dramatic two-lap shootout. Bell's strategic move to the high line in the final corners proved decisive.

In the championship standings, Bell has now climbed to second place, trailing only William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports.

Qualifying highlights from Saturday saw William Byron claim his 14th career pole position, outpacing Joey Logano and rookie Carson Hocevar.

IndyCar: Gearing Up for St. Petersburg

While no races were held yesterday, teams and drivers are in final preparations for this weekend's season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Defending champion Alex Palou looks to start his title defense strong, while Josef Newgarden aims to bounce back after a challenging 2024 campaign.

Practice sessions begin on Friday, with qualifying set for Saturday afternoon. Weather forecasts predict ideal racing conditions for Sunday's 100-lap event.

Formula 1: Australian Grand Prix Build-Up

The Formula 1 paddock has descended upon Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Yesterday saw drivers and team principals participate in media day activities, providing insights into their expectations for the upcoming race weekend.

McLaren enters as the pre-race favorite following impressive pre-season testing performance. However, driver Lando Norris cautioned against overconfidence, stating, "I'm quite surprised so many people are so short-sighted, especially people you wouldn't expect to be making so many conclusions before we even started the season."

Other notable storylines include:

- Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated Ferrari debut
- Six rookies joining the grid, including promising talents Oliver Bearman and Kimi Antonelli
- Alpine's reported "insane improvement" compared to their struggles at this point last year
- Williams' unexpected pace gains, with Alex Albon expressing growing confidence in the car's predictability

Practice sessions begin on Friday, with qualifying scheduled for Saturday at 5:00 PM local time. Sunday's race start is set for 3:00 PM AEDT.

Looking Ahead

NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Pennzoil 400. Christopher Bell aims to extend his winning streak to four races, a feat not accomplished in the Next Gen era.

IndyCar kicks off its season with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, while Formula 1 opens its 2025 campaign with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.

Stay tuned for more exciting racing action as the 2025 season shifts into high gear across all major series!