NASCAR Star Christopher Bell Secures Historic Three Peat at Phoenix Raceway While F1 Testing Concludes in Bahrain

Yesterday in Auto Racing: Bell's Historic Three-Peat, F1 Testing Wraps Up

Christopher Bell made NASCAR history at Phoenix Raceway, securing his third consecutive Cup Series victory in a thrilling finish to the Shriners Children's 500. Bell held off fierce challenges from teammate Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson in the closing laps, crossing the line just 0.449 seconds ahead of Hamlin. This marks the first time a driver has won three straight races in the Next Gen era.

Bell's victory came after a dramatic race that saw multiple cautions and strategic pit calls. Joey Logano, who started on the front row, faced an early setback with a drive-through penalty for crossing the start line too soon. The race featured intense battles throughout the field, with drivers like Ryan Preece and Austin Cindric making bold moves on softer tires to gain track position.

In the championship standings, William Byron maintains his lead with 165 points despite finishing sixth. Bell's win vaults him to second place with 152 points, while Tyler Reddick holds steady in third with 143 points.

Notable performances include Josh Berry's fourth-place finish, giving the Wood Brothers Racing team their first top-five at Phoenix in the organization's 75-year history. Katherine Legge made her Cup Series debut, finishing 30th and becoming the first woman to start a Cup race in over seven years.

Looking ahead, the Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend for the Pennzoil 400.

In Formula 1 news, pre-season testing concluded in Bahrain with Red Bull's Sergio Perez setting the fastest time of 1:11.678. The compressed three-day test saw teams frantically gathering data ahead of the season opener in Australia on March 16th. Notable performances came from Williams' Alex Albon and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who finished second and third respectively in the final day's timesheets.

Mercedes showed improved form compared to last year, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton both finishing in the top 10. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc had limited running due to reliability issues but still managed the fifth-fastest time overall.

The 2025 F1 grid features several driver changes, including Lewis Hamilton's highly anticipated move to Ferrari. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli steps into Hamilton's vacated Mercedes seat, while Liam Lawson partners Max Verstappen at Red Bull following Sergio Perez's departure.

IndyCar teams are in final preparations for their season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, on March 2nd. The 2025 season brings significant changes, including a new broadcast deal with FOX that aims to increase the series' exposure. Defending champion Alex Palou seeks a rare three-peat, while Josef Newgarden aims to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s.

As we approach a thrilling start to the 2025 racing season across all three major series, fans can expect intense competition, technological innovations, and plenty of on-track drama in the weeks and months ahead.