No. 1 Again: Christopher Bell achieves second consecutive victory with Cota Triumph

Christopher Bell held William Byron and Tyler Reddick in the final rounds to win at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, giving him the victories of the back-to-back cup.

This past weekend, Bell only led the last round in Atlanta. On Sunday, Bell Kyle Busch passed by six rounds to stand the pressure of those behind to achieve his 11th career victory and third on a roadway.

Christopher Bell has become the first manager to win two of the first three races of the cup season since 2018.

This is Bell’s fourth consecutive season with multiple victories. He is the first driver to win two of the first three races of a season since Kevin Harvick did it in 2018. Bell goes for three in a row in Phoenix next weekend. He won this last spring race there.

It was not an immediate concern on Sunday. He just enjoyed his victory.

“These road racing is just as much fun,” Bell told Fox in Victory Lane.

Byron finishes second. Reddick was third. Chase Elliott coincided to finish fourth place after being spun by Ross Chastain on the first corner of the first round. Busch, who led a 42 rounds with a race, fell to fifth place. Shane van Gisbergen placed sixth.

Bell made Busch shade for a few laps in the race and tried to get to him without hitting him out of the way. They had contact to enter the Essess on Lap 90 of the 95-Round race, but Busch remained ahead. Bell continued to push him and in turn came to him, a left hand leading to the leading lead.

Busch, who was on older tires than those around him, fell back. Tires were the key for Bell. He had fresh tires as those around him, and his last stop on lap 71. Byron and Reddick placed 68 on the round. Busch placed on cloth 69.

“I just sat there waiting for one of them to slip their tires,” Bell and Busch said. “Bell came to him and I felt that he had come to him once and was clear, his car was super loose and it gave me a few shots at him. I just could never get next to him. We always chased very well together, so I didn’t want to move him blatantly. ‘

Sunday’s result led Byron, the Daytona 500 winner, in the points in the usual season.

Eighteen-year-old Connor Zilisch, who made his cup debut, finishes last in the 37 car field after failing to avoid the spinning car of teammate Daniel Suarez. The contact both eliminated.

Eighteen-year-old Connor Zilisch ended a day after winning the Xfinity race on Cota.

Phase 1 winner: Bubba Wallace

Phase 2 winner: Ryan Preece

Following: The series rushes at 15:30 ET Sunday 9 March at Phoenix Raceway on FS1