Ring the CBell 3 Times

Christopher Bell beats Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson to the line to with the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Shriners Children's 500:

Christopher Bell won his third consecutive race of the 2025 season when he took the checkered flag Sunday afternoon at the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Bell held off hard-chargers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson in a two-lap shootout to end the race. I may have said it last week, and I know I predicted it earlier in the year, but this win (especially coming at Phoenix where the title race is held) solidifies Bell as the championship favorite. He has won on essentially all types of track this year, continues to show his growth and maturity as a driver the last two years, and is able to close the deal routinely now. 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the Bell.

The big story of the race, aside from Bell's three race win streak, is the use of option tires alongside the Goodyear primary tire. The tire strategy definitely was a major focal point of the race from a broadcast and race strategy perspective, and it did add a needed boost of attention to a race that has been known to be boring and follow the leader for the last several years. The option tire also presented exciting on track action with the strategy and how the tire raced against the primary tires. My biggest take away from the tire options and strategy is that, while it is not the best fix overall, it is likely the best fix we are going to be presented by NASCAR. Goodyear delivered on an good option tire that will make the racing better and this option tire needs to be immediately implemented as the tire to be used at short tracks (and Phoenix, Gateway, and New Hampshire) and road course races. Moreover, NASCAR and Goodyear need to immediately begin exploring options to try option tires at other tracks in the hopes of increasing the competitiveness at other tracks that have presented racing challenges the last few years (Indy and Pocono).

The race itself was pretty good. Actually, really good by Phoenix standards in the NextGen era of races. Most of that I do attribute to the option tire mixing up the strategy and presenting the options to have comers and goers. The additional attrition of a few accidents and parts failures added cautions, which added restarts, which added the complexity of strategy and planning. Those are the types of races we need to have more often, or at least have the possibility of it happening more often. I understand not every race will be a barn burner or keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Yet, we need to have all the ingredients available at the track for that to happen. We had that Sunday and it delivered. Sure, there were a few times the race got strung out, but with the tire fall off when drivers used the option tires, we had something to follow. Was Logano going to be able to get back to the front, could Preece hold on, when are drivers going to switch from option to primary and primary to option. So while it wasn't a wreck fast and intense side by side racing every lap, it did present storylines to follow from green flag to checkered flag. And, as I have stated above, the race delivered. We had a interesting and intense race to the finish, we had a late race caution that set up strategy mix ups, and we had a two-lap shootout to the checkered flag with three of the best drivers battling to the line. They all did it well, it wasn't dirty, nobody was wrecked or driven into the wall, and we got a great finish.

All in all, I'd give the race a 8.5/10. Phoenix is still Phoenix and doesn't deliver the best racing often. While I believe the option tire is the best choice for Phoenix II in the Fall, I am not sure with everyone using it we will see a marked difference from the past because Phoenix has been, naturally, a one groove follow the leader racetrack especially since the configuration. But Sunday did give is a good race, with compelling story lines, attrition, and a great finish.

Next up we stay out west and head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. All three series are back in action with the Craftsmen Truck Series kicking off the weekend Friday night on FS1 at 9 p.m. EST with the Ecosave 200. The Xfinity Series takes to the track Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. EST on The CW with the LiUNA! Xfinity Series Race. And the Cup Series caps off the weekend Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. EST on FS1.

Las Vegas Picks: Trucks = Rajah Caruth

Xfinity = Taylor Gray

Cup = Kyle Larson