Bell goes back-to-back, corrals COTA victory after frantic late-race battle

Christopher Bell soared to his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory, emerging from a four-car battle in the closing laps at the Circuit of The Americas.

Bell led eight of the 95 laps in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, with his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota taking the checkered flag by a 0.433-second margin of victory. Bell’s first win at the Austin, Texas road course was the 11th of his Cup Series career.

RELATED: Unofficial race results | At-track photos: COTA

Daytona 500 winner William Byron finished second in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Polesitter Tyler Reddick placed third, with Chase Elliott fourth and Kyle Busch — who led a race-high 42 laps — completing the top five finishers.

Rookie Connor Zilisch finished last in his Cup Series debut. The 18-year-old driver — who won in Saturday’s Xfinity Series event — continued after his No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet sustained damage in a Lap 1, Turn 1 jam-up that also collected Denny Hamlin and Elliott. Elliott was the victim of a first-turn dive by Trackhouse driver Ross Chastain, whose No. 1 Chevrolet clanked into Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy, forcing it to spin and drop to the back of the 37-car field.

SHOP: Race winner gear

Later on, Zilisch exited early after Trackhouse teammate Daniel Suárez spun in the 50th lap, collecting Zilisch’s car and sending it careening into the tire barrier at Turn 19. Suárez was scored 36th and Zilisch 37th in the final rundown; both drivers were evaluated and released after a trip to the infield care center.

The race was the Cup Series’ fifth at the Lone Star State circuit, but the first on a shorter 2.3-mile configuration — reduced from the full-course 3.41-mile layout used in previous events.

MORE: Zilisch, Suárez sidelined at COTA

The Cup Series’ next race is the Shriners Children’s 500, scheduled for next Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix Raceway.

This story will be updated.