Christopher Bell beats Kyle Larson at Tulsa Shootout

01/05/2025 01:45 PM

Christopher Bell wasted no time in his return to dirt, putting on a thriller Saturday night at the Tulsa Expo Square to beat Kyle Larson in a photo finish to win the non-wing outlaw feature in the 40th annual Tulsa Shootout.

The pair of NASCAR Cup Series stars returned to their roots on the Oklahoma 0.2-mile dirt track, fighting for another chance of glory inside the famed exhibition center. Both Bell and Larson are past winners of the Chili Bowl held at the same facility driving dirt midget cars, but the Tulsa Shootout features an array of micro sprint cars with winged and non-winged divisions.

The 55-lap feature came down to a nail-biting finish between the veteran racers. Though Bell established the lead in the closing laps, Larson stormed to second in the final handful of circuits. On the final lap, Larson used the outer cushion to his advantage in Turns 1 and 2 and rocketed to Bell‘s rear bumper down the backstretch. Bell sent his car high into Turn 3 with Larson around the bottom, but Bell maintained the advantage with an enormous run off Turn 4 to score the Golden Driller trophy.

Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl winner, drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series. The JGR organization previously prohibited its drivers from competing in extracurricular dirt races for a number of years. However, the team reversed its policy in November 2024, allowing Bell to return to his old stomping grounds. Bell made good use of his newfound opportunity.

— NASCAR.com —