"How about that one, race fans?" asked Christopher Bell moments after taking the checkered flag at Phoenix. The post Denny Hamlin Shows True Colors After Christopher Bell’s Phoenix Dominance Earns NASCAR Fans’ Respect appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history.

With the two leaders side-by-side coming off Turn 4, Bell prevailed in the drag race back to the finish line to win by .049 seconds, the second-closest margin of victory in Phoenix history and the closest since the frontstretch was moved from what is now the back straightaway to the dogleg in 2018.