HAMPTON, Ga. — Christopher Bell narrowly defeated Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson during an intense overtime finish in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Driving his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bell took the lead on the final lap, just edging ahead when the caution flag waved in overtime due to a crash involving Josh Berry.

“We really performed at our best during that last lap,” said Bell.

The 30-year-old driver from Oklahoma now has a total of 10 victories in his Cup career.

Austin Cindric had been leading in his Team Penske Ford until he and William Byron, the Daytona 500 champion from the previous week, collided with three laps to go, leading to the overtime situation.

Kyle Busch placed seventh, missing out on ending his winless streak in the Cup Series. Although Busch won the Truck Series race at Atlanta on Saturday, he has yet to secure a Cup victory since 2023, breaking a record 19-year streak of at least one win.

Larson’s recent history at Atlanta has not been favorable, failing to complete the last four races he entered and being involved in incidents in five of the six most recent ones.

His Hendrick Motorsports teammates have shined in the early races of the season, with Chase Elliott winning The Clash on February 2, followed by Byron’s Daytona 500 success.

However, Larson’s streak of misfortune reversed on Sunday, as he qualified in 17th position before making a strong push to win the second stage of the race.

CRASHES FOR ELLIOTT AND SUAREZ

Elliott was running among the top 10 when his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet struck the wall late in the second stage, subsequently colliding with Brad Keselowski‘s Ford, which ended Keselowski’s day. Elliott finished in 18th place.

Daniel Suarez, who previously celebrated a thrilling three-wide win over Ryan Blaney and Busch in the February 2024 race at Atlanta, found his bid for a repeat victory thwarted by a seven-car pileup early in the third stage. Notable drivers involved included Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, Cody Ware, Noah Gragson, and J.J. Yeley.

Blaney was also in contention until a late one-car spin brought out a caution, yet he managed to recover and finish in fourth place.

GUEST MARSHAL

Billy Gibbons, the iconic lead guitarist of ZZ Top, served as the grand marshal for the event, delivering the “start your engines” command.

HEIM’S NEW OPPORTUNITY WITH 23XI

The 23XI Racing team has revealed a multiyear agreement with Corey Heim, who will serve as a development driver. Heim is slated to participate in a limited number of Cup Series events in the No. 67 Toyota and will also compete in Xfinity races, including an upcoming race at Circuit of the Americas. His first Cup race under this new deal will occur at Kansas Speedway on May 11.

Last year, Heim already made three Cup appearances with 23XI and celebrated a Truck Series victory at Daytona earlier this year, although he finished 23rd in Saturday’s Truck Series competition in Atlanta.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Cup Series will head to Austin, Texas, next Sunday for the event at Circuit of the Americas.