By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Though more than 10 second in rears of winner Shane van Gisbergen, it was Christopher Bell who pounced on the final lap Sunday at Watkins Glen International.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was on the move during a flip-flop of pit strategies that saw a number of driver stretch their stints, pit early or run hard to the end.
For Bell, a third-place finish in Stage 2 gave him the track position before pitting and needing to pass cars in the final stage.
Fighting until the last lap, Bell caught Chris Buescher and finally completed the pass before the checkered flag fell.
Fighting the dirty air of the Next Gen car was no easy feat for the three-time race winner in 2025.
“I wanted to get to [Buescher] for sure,” Bell said. “I was hoping to get to him before the last lap.
“Dirty air… dirty air is so bad. You can close the gap and once you get to two car lengths back, you can just feel the hot air – even the air that is going through your helmet. It gets hot, the brakes get hot, you lose grip and you stall out.”
With the final 46 laps running caution-free, Bell’s march to the front had to be done naturally.
“I was moving pretty good so I was content with no yellows and just letting it run green,” he said. “Thankfully, I had enough pace so I could break through that bubble and get by him. It took a little bit longer than I wanted to.”
The result was Bell’s fourth second-place finish since his last win, which came back in March at Phoenix.