Christopher Bell delivered a statement performance on Thursday night by winning the Chili Bowl Prelim A-Main, entering the Championship Feature alongside Kyle Larson, who also won his preliminary race. The victory added another milestone in Bell’s long-running relationship with the dirt event.
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Bell has contested 13 times in Tulsa and has a resume that includes three straight championship wins from 2017 to 2019. After stepping away for two seasons, Bell returned last year and finished 10th in the Saturday finale. This time around, he has wasted no time reasserting himself as a force on the dirt inside the Tulsa Expo Center.
Bell opened his 2026 Chili Bowl campaign on Monday night with a wire-to-wire performance in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions. He set the pace in qualifying and earned the pole position for the 25-lap feature after drawing a zero in the invert.
From the drop of the green flag, Bell controlled the race, absorbing brief pressure from eventual runner-up Shane Golobic before sealing his fourth Race of Champions victory. Notably, it was his first time as an owner-driver.
Bell carried over his winning momentum to the Heats on Thursday. After taking Heat Race 5, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added his ninth career Chili Bowl Nationals preliminary victory.
Bell managed to win Thursday’s Prelim A-Main race despite rolling off from eighth on the grid for the 30-lap feature. In the initial part of the race, his progress was affected by traffic. But as the race entered its latter stages and the intensity ramped up, Bell adjusted his approach.
Christopher Bell takes a bow pic.twitter.com/pXKdQ3b3Lt
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) January 16, 2026
Bell altered his racing line, unlocked additional speed, and began carving forward as the chaos around him created opportunity. In the closing laps, he surged past C.J. Leary and Ryan Bernal, slicing through the top two in one decisive sequence. Once clear, Bell shut the door and reached the checkered flag first.
Now with the Championship Feature Events looming, the JGR ace expressed confidence that his car possesses the raw pace required to contend when it matters most. “I feel really good about the speed in the racecar. I think the racecar is super fast,” he said.
“We have been working on it and changing the car a little bit. I still think we have a little bit to get the car a little more drivable, especially when the track gets really treacherous like that. The car is super, super fast,” added Bell.
With both Bell and Larson locked into the finale again, the dirt fans are ready for an elite battle. It will also act as a precursor to their tussle in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series season.
