Christopher Bell holds off Daytona 500 winner William Byron at Circuit of the Americas for second straight win
Christopher Bell took home his second NASCAR victory in as many weeks, winning the checkered flag at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.
Bell also won the Ambetter Health 400 in Atlanta last week before taking home this year's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on the road course.
Kyle Busch led for a decent chunk in the second half of the race but fell back in the closing laps after his right rear got messed up.
The final three laps were a three-man race between Bell, William Byron and Tyler Reddick, who make up the last three winners of this race.
The Daytona 500 winner in Byron did all he could to get by Bell, and once Bell cleared Busch, the Oklahoma driver had to make a desperate bid to keep his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in front of the hard-charging Byron in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and 2023 race winner Reddick of 23X1 Racing's Toyota.
But in his effort to take home his second-consecutive EchoPark victory (Bell came in second last year), Bell was able to hold on for the victory on the straightaway.
"These road course races are just so much fun," Bell said. "(Busch) was doing such a good job running his race. He bobbled and allowed me to get out front. When he did, I just said don't beat yourself."
It's the first time since 2023 that a NASCAR driver has won back-to-back races, when Byron took home the Penzoil 400 and United Rentals Work United 500 that March.
It's the 11th victory of Bell's career, which began in 2020. Bell has now won at least two races in each of his last four seasons; he won three last year.
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