Honestly, if you're looking for a Cup Series trophy presentation on your TV right now, you're looking in the wrong place. We are officially in that weird, freezing gap of January where the big heavy stock cars are still tucked away in shops in North Carolina, getting their final wraps and setups for the Daytona 500. But if you want to know who won in NASCAR today, the answer isn't coming from a superspeedway—it’s coming from a dirt track inside a giant building in Oklahoma.
Monday night was the kickoff for the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa. Even though this isn't a "NASCAR race" in the corporate sense, the guys taking the checkered flags are the exact same names you see on Sundays.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell: The Dirt Kings Strike Again
It felt a bit like a replay of last year, didn't it?
Kyle Larson, the 2025 Cup Series champion, didn't waste any time. He went out on Monday night and absolutely checked out in the first preliminary feature. He started fourth, which, on a tiny quarter-mile dirt oval like the one inside the SageNet Center, can be a death sentence if you get caught in a pile-up. He didn't. By lap 10, he was at the front.
There was a hairy moment, though. Larson tangled with a lapped car—Gaige Weldon—and for a second, everyone in the building held their breath. If Larson tears up a car on Monday, his whole week is basically cooked. But the car held together, he kept his cool, and he secured his spot in the Saturday A-Main.
Then you have Christopher Bell.
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Bell did something a little different this year. He’s racing as an owner-driver, which is a massive headache. He actually admitted after the race that he felt like he was going to puke before the green flag because he was so stressed about the mechanical side of things. It didn't show once the visor went down. He won the Race of Champions—an invite-only sprint for the best of the best—leading every single lap from the pole.
Why This Win Matters for the 2026 NASCAR Season
You might think winning a Midget car race in January doesn't matter for a guy driving a Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in February. You'd be wrong.
The Chili Bowl is the ultimate "rust-shaker." These guys haven't raced competitively since Phoenix in November. Jumping into a high-horsepower car on a slick, changing dirt surface keeps their reflexes sharp. Christopher Bell noted after his win that the track time is more valuable than the trophy. He thinks the winner of the Saturday finale is going to come out of that Monday night Race of Champions field.
It’s also about momentum. Larson is coming off a championship year. Seeing him win the very first time he hits a track in 2026 is an ominous sign for the rest of the Cup field.
The Big News You Might Have Missed
While the dirt was flying in Tulsa, NASCAR dropped a massive bombshell back in Concord, North Carolina.
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Basically, they’ve officially killed the "win-and-you're-in" playoff system. Starting this year, we are going back to "The Chase."
- 16 drivers still make the postseason.
- Points are king again—you don't get an automatic bid just because you won a lucky race at Talladega.
- Consistency matters. You have to be good for all 26 regular-season races to even have a sniff at the title.
Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were both there for the announcement, and they were basically beaming. They’ve been vocal about getting back to a format that rewards the best overall driver, not just the guy who survives a chaotic elimination round.
What's Next on the Calendar?
If you're waiting for the real-deal NASCAR Cup Series action, here is the roadmap for the next few weeks.
The teams are currently doing organizational tests. Today, Tuesday, there is a major test session happening at North Wilkesboro Speedway. They are testing a new 750-horsepower engine package. This is a big deal because fans have been begging for more power on short tracks for years, and it looks like NASCAR is finally listening.
After that, the schedule looks like this:
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- February 1: The Busch Light Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. This is an exhibition, but it’s going to be a total "madhouse" (literally, that's the track's nickname).
- February 12: The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona.
- February 15: The 68th Running of the Daytona 500.
A Quick Reality Check on the Results
Don't get confused by the headlines. If you see "Larson Wins" today, it’s the Chili Bowl. If you see "Chase Elliott Leads Laps," you’re probably looking at a replay or a news story about his win at the Bowman Gray Clash last year.
The 2026 season is technically in its "pre-season" phase, but for guys like Larson and Bell, there is no such thing as an off-season.
To stay ahead of the curve for the upcoming season, keep an eye on the entry lists for the remaining Chili Bowl preliminary nights. Ty Gibbs is scheduled to run tonight (Tuesday), and Corey Day—who is moving to a full-time Hendrick Motorsports ride in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series—will be someone to watch as the week progresses.
Go ahead and set your DVR for the Bowman Gray Clash on February 1st. It's the first time we'll see the full Cup field on track together, and with the new "Chase" points system looming, every driver is going to be trying to set a tone early.