CONCORD, N.C. – A lightning delay that turned into a heavy rainstorm made a winner of Christopher Bell in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Not that Bell didn’t deserve the victory in the rain-shortened race, which NASCAR was forced to call after 249 of 400 laps were complete.

The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota started third, led a racehigh 90 laps and won the second stage of the 14th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season.

The decisive juncture in the Memorial Day Weekend race came when Bell held off Darlington winner Brad Keselowski during a 10-lap run after a caution for Corey LaJoie’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 229.

On the ensuing Lap 236 restart, Bell and Keselowski lined up side-by-side at the front of the field, with Bell prevailing and pulling out to a lead of roughly six car-lengths before NASCAR called the seventh caution for lightning in the area.

After the lightning came heavy rain, and though NASCAR attempted to dry the track when the rain subsided, heavy humidity thwarted efforts to do so in a timely manner. As a result, Bell collected his second victory of the season, his first on the 1.5mile Charlotte oval and the eighth of his career.

The victory was a welcome momentum shift for Bell, who had finished outside the top 10 in five of his previous six races.

“Man, it feels so good – to win or lose – just to have a great race to go off of,” Bell said. “A race where we led laps. We were able to pass cars. We lost the lead at times and were able to drive back to the lead.

“We had great pit stops. It was a team effort, and it was amazing to have a good race. Hopefully, this is something we can build on and get back to being more consistent.”

Keselowski, who posted his third runner-up finish of the season, was convinced he had the fastest car.

“We just didn’t have time for it to play out,” said the driver of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, who pressured Bell throughout the final 10-lap run before weather intervened.

Stage 1 winner William Byron ran third behind Bell and Keselowski, with Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Pole winner Ty Gibbs finished sixth after leading 74 laps, including the first 42 of the race. Chase Elliott finished seventh, followed by Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry.

After finishing 18th in his Indianapolis 500 debut, Kyle Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway just before weather forced the stoppage. Larson intended to take over his No. 5 Chevrolet from Justin Allgaier, who had started the race at Charlotte because the Indy 500 was delayed by rain.

Allgaier was running 13th when the race was called, and Larson never had a chance to drive the car.

Defending race winner and reigning series champion Ryan Blaney slammed the outside wall in the second stage and exited the event after 143 laps.

“We’ll have to look if I hit something or… I don’t know,” Blaney said. “I just went into (Turn) 3 getting up to speed and blew a tire and hit the fence. It’s an unfortunate end to our night. That sucks. “We’re not even halfway and just wanting to work on your stuff all night. I thought we were getting it a little better here and there, but won’t get a shot.”

The Cup Series’ next race is the Enjoy Illinois 300, scheduled Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at World Wide Technology Raceway.

NOTES: NASCAR officials completed post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage without issue, confirming Bell’s victory. Competition officials indicated that four cars will return to the NASCAR Research & Development Center – the Nos. 34 and 45 for teardown and engine dyno and the Nos. 3 and 99 for enginedyno testing.

The victory was a welcome momentum shift for Christopher Bell, who had finished outside the top 10 in five of his previous six races.

COCA-COLA 600 Christopher Bell rolled to victory Sunday night, prevailing in a rainshortened event at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his second Cup Series win of the season.

• Friday’s NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY 200, Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. — Nick Sanchez led just the final nine laps to win Friday night’s race at Charlotte.

The victory is Sanchez’s second of the season and first since the season opener at Daytona. Sanchez’s triumph also wins him a $50,000 bonus as part of the Triple Truck Challenge. If Sanchez wins two of the three designated races in “The Trip,” the bonus increases to $150,000. And should he win all three, the bonus grows to $500,000.

Corey Heim, who led 72 laps and swept the opening stages, finished second after rebounding from multiple pit woes. Stewart Friesen scored a season-best third-place finish, while Grant Enfinger and Matt Mills completed the top five.

Defending series champ Ben Rhodes was sixth ahead of Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Dean Thompson, rounding out top 10.

Christian Eckes entered series points leader but contact from Honeycutt during practice led to body repair ahead of race, sending Eckes to the rear for the start. A late caution set up a restart with 10 laps remaining with Eckes in the lead. But after electing to stay out and conserve track position, Sanchez, Heim and others rallied past Eckes on fresher tires, relegating Eckes to an 11th-place finish.

• Saturday’s BETMGM 300, Charlotte Motor Speedway

With a masterpiece of strategy and modicum of good fortune, Chase Elliott won Saturday’s BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his first Xfinity start of the season.

Saving a set of new tries for the final run in the 200-lap event at the 1.5-mile track, Elliott grabbed the lead after a Lap 183 restart and held it.

Driving a No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a paint scheme reminiscent of the signature look of the late Ricky Hendrick’s car, Elliott crossed the finish line 0.500 ahead of Brandon Jones, who recovered from early brake problems to finish second after pressing Elliott.

The victory was Elliott’s first at Charlotte and the sixth of his career. Jones finished ahead of two of his JR Motorsports teammates, Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer, in third and fourth, respectively.

Elliott started 30th after a so-so qualifying effort. After Riley Herbst crashed on the backstretch to cause the first of eight cautions, Elliott, Jesse Love, Anthony Alfredo and Kyle Sieg stayed on the track on old tires, saving a set of stickers for later in the race. That call by crew chief Greg Ives proved to be the winning move.

A slow pit stop on Lap 170 cost Kyle Busch track position and relegated him to a sixth-place result behind fifthplace finisher AJ Allmendinger. Ryan Sieg, Josh Williams, Gibbs and Noah Gragson completed the top 10.

“Man, it feels so good – to win or lose – just to have a great race to go off of. A race where we led laps. We were able to pass cars. We lost the lead at times and were able to drive back to the lead. We had great pit stops. It was a team effort, and it was amazing to have a good race.”

– Christopher Bell, who grabbed the weather-shortened win Sunday at Charlotte

• Ricky Rudd, Carl Edwards and Ralph Moody

have been selected as members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025. In addition, Dr. Dean Sicking was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

• Ten nominees appeared on the Modern Era ballot. The Pioneer ballot included five nominees whose careers began in 1965 or earlier. Rudd received 87% of the Modern Era ballot votes, Edwards received 52%. Harry Gant finished third, followed by Jeff Burton and Harry Hyde. Ralph Moody received 60% of the Pioneer ballot votes. Ray Hendrick finished second.

• The Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte (NC) Convention Center. Tickets for Induction Weekend, Feb. 6-9, 2025, will be available June 17 on NASCARHall.com.

ARTESIA — Summer is here, and that means a chance for future Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs to work on their skills with high school athletes and coaches through summer programs and camps.

BASKETBALL Bulldog Kids’ Camp

Up first this month, the Bulldog basketball team will host its kids’ camp Monday through Wednesday, June 3-5, at Bulldog Pit. Cost is $60 per camper and $40 for each additional sibling. Grades K-8 will all attend from 8-11 a.m. each day at Bulldog Pit. Registration will run from 7-8 a.m. Monday, June 3.

The camp will feature positive attitude sessions, offensive and defensive drills, half- and full-court scrimmages, and free-throw, jump-shot and lay-up contests. Competition winners will receive medals, and each camper will receive a camp t-shirt and basketball.

Campers should bring clean gym shoes; workout clothes, including their camp t-shirt; money for the concession stand; and their own water each day. For more information, contact head coach Michael Mondragon at 575308-3524.

Lady Bulldog Recreational Basketball Also on Monday, June 3, the Lady Bulldog basketball program will begin hosting open recreational basketball, continuing four days a week through the end of the month at Bulldog Pit. Sessions include:

• Grades K-3: 8-8:50 a.m.

• Grades 4-6: 9-9:50 a.m.

• Grades 7-9: 10-10:50 a.m.

Lady Bulldog Kids’ Camp

The Lady ‘Dogs will then host their kids’ camp Monday through Wednesday, June 24-26, at the Pit. Cost is $60 per camper and $45 for each additional sibling, with sessions to run as follows:

• Grades K-3: 1-3 p.m.

• Grades 4-9: 1-4 p.m. Registration will run from noon – 1 p.m. Monday, June 24. The camp will include skill development, coaching from varsity staff and players, contests with awards for winners, scrimmages, and free sno cones on the final day. Each camper will also receive a t-shirt and basketball.

For more information, contact head coach Candace Pollard at 575-9104034. SOCCER Kids’ Camp

Tuesday through Thursday, June 25-27, the Artesia High School soccer program will host a kids’ camp for boys and girls at the Mack Chase Athletic Complex. Cost is $60 per camper, with a $5 discount for each additional sibling.

Sessions will run as follows:

• Ages 4 years through kindergarten: 8-9 a.m.

• Grades 1-2: 9:30-10:30 a.m.

• Grades 3-5: 4-5 p.m. Registration deadline for this camp is Thursday, June 20. In-person registration will be held from 6-7 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday until June 20 at The Mack, or register online using the included QR code. Campers who register by Thursday, June 13, will receive a free soccer gift.

For more information, email artesiasoccerclassic@ gmail.com.

Bulldog Development Camp

On Friday, June 28, the Bulldog soccer team will host a development camp for boys in grades 6-8 only. Cost is $125 per camper, with a $5 discount for each additional sibling. The fee includes lunch, a snack and a t-shirt. The schedule will include:

• 8-9:30 a.m.: Session 1

• 9:45 a.m.: Snack and tactics • 10:15-11:45 a.m.: Session 2

• Noon – 1 p.m.: Lunch

• 1-2:30 p.m.: Session 3

• 2-3 p.m.: Break

• 3-4:30 p.m.: Session 4 Registration deadline for this camp is Thursday, June 20. In-person registration will be held from 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays until June 20 at The Mack, or register online using the included QR code.

Under the Lights Tournament The Bulldog soccer program will host its Under the Lights fundraiser tournament Saturday, July 13, at The Mack.

The tournament will be 5v5 for U8 through U14 and 3v3 for U6. Early registration cost is $350 for 5v5 divisions and $300 for 3v3 divisions through July 3 with a four-game guarantee. The top three teams in each division will earn medals. Games will run from 3-11 p.m. For more information, contact Natalie Jones at 512-294-0469 or natalie@ 5v5soccer.com. To register, use the included QR code.

VOLLEYBALL Kids’ Camp

Monday through Wednesday, July 1-3, the Bulldog volleyball team will host a kids’ camp at Bulldog Pit.

Cost is $75 per camper and will include a t-shirt through Sunday, June 9. Campers may still register after June 9 but will not receive a shirt.

Sessions will run as follows:

• Grades 3-6: 9 a.m. – noon

• Grades 7-8: 1-4 p.m. To register and for more information, call 575-308-6336.

FOOTBALL Weights and Skills

The Bulldog football team will hold its summer weights and skills program in July.

The program will run Monday through Friday, July 1-23, at Bulldog Bowl. Sessions will include:

• Grades 7-8: 9-10 a.m.

• Grades 5-6: 10-11 a.m. No sessions will be held on Thursday, July 4. Campers should bring a water bottle and good shoes (cleats optional) each day.