Christopher Bell led the final 100 laps of Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway to score his first win of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, but they were what he called “some of the longest laps of my life.”
As cautions mounted for single-car spins, Bell faced heavy pressure from Tyler Reddick especially on the final restart with eight laps remaining. Reddick attempted to close in but any prospect of making a charge was dashed after Ross Chastain crashed due to contact from Trackhouse Racing team-mate Daniel Suárez on the final lap, ending the race under caution.
Bell took the lead from Reddick, who won Stage #2, before the final segment after electing to stay out instaed of pit. While a gamble, it paid off as he led the entirety of the stage.
“We clearly were not the best car, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief) kept asking me what I needed,” recalled Bell. “I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if you’re going to be able to help me enough on a pit stop adjustment to get me where I need to be.’ I just said, ‘Let’s stay out,’ and he believed in me and we were able to make it work.”
Kyle Larson started on the pole and seemed to be one of the the favourites before wrecking out on lap 175 after a clash with Ryan Preece.
2021 race winner Joey Logano, who claimed the Truck Series event on Saturday, had a difficult night as he was spun after contact with Bubba Wallace just twelve laps in, followed by further spins that resulted in terminal damage to his steering. Logano attributed his difficult night to the track being “really slick and as the cars get more and more sideways, they don’t really like it too much.”
Like Logano, multiple drivers spun on their own throughout the day. Notably, Michael McDowell did a 720-degree spin in the middle of the racing surface on lap 89 but managed to avoid being hit. He would go on to finish tenth, completing an impressive night for Front Row Motorsports as partner Todd Gilliland placed eighth.
Matt Crafton, racing in relief duty for Cody Ware, bowed out with an engine failure in his first Cup start since 2019.
Race results
| Finish | Start | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Status |
| 1 | 4 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 2 | 6 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 4 | 22 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 5 | 14 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 6 | 25 | 31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 7 | 27 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 8 | 15 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 9 | 26 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 10 | 23 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 11 | 13 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 12 | 11 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 13 | 10 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 14 | 18 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 15 | 20 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 16 | 29 | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 17 | 33 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 18 | 28 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 19 | 7 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 20 | 3 | 15 | J.J. Yeley* | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 21 | 32 | 77 | Ty Dillon | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 22 | 30 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | Running |
| 23 | 9 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 24 | 8 | 41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 250 | Running |
| 25 | 34 | 99 | Daniel Suárez | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 26 | 37 | 78 | B.J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 27 | 31 | 9 | Josh Berry* | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | Running |
| 28 | 16 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | 249 | Running |
| 29 | 17 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 248 | Running |
| 30 | 35 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 247 | Running |
| 31 | 19 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 240 | Running |
| 32 | 5 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 236 | Suspension |
| 33 | 36 | 42 | Noah Gragson | Legacy Motor Club | Chevrolet | 205 | Running |
| 34 | 24 | 51 | Matt Crafton* | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 185 | Engine |
| 35 | 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 177 | Accident |
| 36 | 21 | 13 | Jonathan Davenport | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 176 | Accident |
| 37 | 12 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 96 | Accident |
* – Ineligible for points