Honestly, if you weren't watching the dirt fly in Tulsa last night, you missed the kind of magic that reminds you why we love racing. It wasn't just a win. It was a statement. Christopher Bell didn't just win last night's race at the Chili Bowl Nationals; he basically reminded the entire field that the road to the Golden Driller still runs through him.
But it wasn't easy. Not even close.
For most of the 30-lap A-Main feature during the Hasty Bake Qualifying Night, it looked like Bell was stuck in the mud. He started eighth. In a field this deep, moving up from eighth is like trying to run through a brick wall. He was struggling. He was running a distant fifth, and the leaders—Ryan Bernal, C.J. Leary, and Spencer Bayston—were checked out.
Then the cautions happened.
The Chaos That Handed Christopher Bell the Win
Racing is funny. Sometimes the fastest car doesn't win because a yellow flag ruins their rhythm. Last night, the yellow flags were Bell's best friend.
A late-race caution with just seven laps to go bunched the field back up. Before that? Bell admitted he didn't think he had a prayer. "I didn't think I was going to get there," he told the folks at FloRacing afterward. He wasn't lying. He didn't have the pace on the top of the track.
So he changed the game.
Under that caution, Bell decided to throw away the playbook. Everyone else was committed to the "cushion"—that high line right against the wall. Bell dove to the bottom. He started "hitting the berm" in Turns 3 and 4, finding grip where nobody else was even looking.
- Lap 23: Caution flies. Bell is 5th.
- Lap 27: Bell slices past C.J. Leary for second.
- Lap 28: The move. Bell throws a massive slide job on Ryan Bernal in Turn 1 to take the lead.
It was classic Bell. Precise. Aggressive. A little bit wild. He held on for the final three laps to secure his ninth career Chili Bowl preliminary night victory. That puts him in a dead heat with Kyle Larson for the most prelim wins in the history of this event.
Behind the Scenes: The Car Owner Struggle
What makes this win even more interesting—and a bit more stressful for Bell—is that he's doing this as an owner-driver this year. Usually, he’s got a massive team behind him. This time? It’s his equipment. His calls. His neck on the line if the car isn't right.
He’s clearly happy, but he's also perfectionist-level frustrated. Despite being undefeated so far this week (he also won the Race of Champions on Monday night), he told reporters the car isn't "drivable" enough yet to win the Saturday finale.
He’s got the speed. The data shows it. But "consistency" is the word he keeps coming back to. If you’re a betting person, seeing a guy win from eighth while complaining that his car "isn't good enough" should probably terrify the rest of the locker room.
Who Else Stood Out?
While Bell grabbed the headlines, he wasn't the only one doing work under the lights.
C.J. Leary finished second, which is a massive deal because it locks him into Saturday’s championship feature. Leary is driving for Alex Bowman Racing. Yes, that Alex Bowman. The NASCAR connection in Tulsa is getting stronger every year, and Bowman now has two cars locked into the big show on Saturday.
Ryan Bernal, who led a good chunk of the race, faded to third. He’ll have to fight his way through the B-Main on Saturday. It’s a heartbreak for Bernal, but that’s the Chili Bowl. One mistake, one slide job, and your guaranteed spot in the finale vanishes.
🔗 Read more: Coventry City FC Standings: Why Everyone Is Talking About Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues
And we have to talk about Josh Bilicki. He didn't win, but he gave the crowd a heart attack. He flipped his car in the B-Main, did a full rotation, and the safety crew just rolled him back over. He actually kept going. That’s dirt racing in a nutshell: flip, roll, and keep the hammer down.
What’s Next for the Chili Bowl Finale?
The win last night was a qualifying night, but the stakes are much higher now. By winning, Christopher Bell has officially punched his ticket to his 11th Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature this Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Here is the reality of the situation:
Bell and Larson are now the clear favorites. They both have nine prelim wins. They both look like they’re playing a different game than everyone else. But the track in Tulsa is "magic," as Bell puts it. It changes every hour.
If you're following the action, keep an eye on the track prep for Saturday. Bell’s ability to find that bottom lane last night might be the blueprint everyone else tries to copy. But copying Bell and actually driving like him are two very different things.
For those heading to the SageNet Center or watching on FloRacing, the "Alphabet Soup" starts early on Saturday. Drivers will be fighting from the P-Mains and O-Mains just to get a shot at the A-Main.
Actionable Insights for Saturday’s Finale:
✨ Don't miss: Simone Biles Net Worth 2025: Why Most People Get the Math Wrong
- Watch the Bottom Lane: Bell proved last night that the bottom is viable when the top gets "cluttered." If the track dries out Saturday, the person who masters the berm first wins the Driller.
- The NASCAR Factor: With Larson and Bell locked in, plus Alex Bowman’s cars showing speed, the professional "big league" experience is proving hard to beat on late-race restarts.
- Tire Management: Keep an eye on the rubber. The track was rocky and abrasive in spots last night; teams that can save their tires for those final 10 laps of the 55-lap finale will have the edge.
The stage is set. Bell has the momentum, but as he said himself, "It’s never over until it’s over." Saturday night is going to be a war.