Bell falls short of Briscoe in thrilling Charlotte photo finish

A NASCAR Cup Series classic saw Christopher Bell finish just short of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in a photo finish to end Sunday's Bank of America 400 -- a highly anticipated fall return to Charlotte Motor Speedway's oval. Briscoe and the No. 19 JGR Toyota held off Bell's No. 20 machine in the waning laps, with the 31-year-old Indiana native capturing the victory by 0.029 seconds, the closest Cup Series finish so far in 2026 and the second-closest finish in Charlotte Cup history. The top mark came over two decades ago, when Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag over Bobby Labonte on May 29, 2005, in the Coca-Cola 600. RELATED: Unofficial race results | At-track photos: Charlotte For fellow Chase driver Bell, the finish is the No. 20 pilot's eighth runner-up result in 2026. Bell led 93 laps during Sunday's effort, with that brisk speed garnering valuable stage points thanks to third- and first-place finishes in Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Bell -- who entered Sunday third in The Chase standings, 55 points behind leader Kyle Larson -- shaved four points off his deficit, collecting 53 markers on the afternoon. The Cup Series competes at Phoenix Raceway next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Bell is a two-time winner at the Arizona track, with victories there in the spring of 2024 and 2025. This story will be updated.