Joe Gibbs unleashed a monster akin to Kyle Larson by lifting the ban on his Cup Series drivers from participating in races outside of NASCAR. Christopher Bell is one of Larson’s biggest competitors on dirt tracks, and he has wasted no time in filling his dirt racing schedule up following the coach’s green flag.
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Bell is currently in Tulsa, Oklahoma, participating in the 2025 Tulsa Shootout. He is racing in the Winged Outlaw and the Non-Wing Outlaw divisions with the No. 21x Bill-Kemenah Racing Micro Sprint team. Following the conclusion of this event on January 4, he will be a part of the Chili Bowl Nationals from January 12-18.
He will drive the No. 71W for Keith Kunz Motorsports, the same car number with which he won three consecutive Golden Driller trophies from 2017 to 2019. In February, he will make his 410 Sprint Car return with Kreitz Racing’s No. 69K team. He will drive in the World of Outlaws season opener on February 5.
Should everything go according to plan, he will stay at the Volusia Speedway to race on February 6 as well. He will follow this up with his presence in Las Vegas for the Kubota High Limit Racing Series season opener on March 13. Bell will be a busy man over the next three months. Gibbs can only pray that this doesn’t affect his Cup Series performance.
Bell is excited to be racing on dirt tracks again
The 30-year-old confirmed his participation in the World of Outlaws and the High Limit Racing Series earlier this week to FloRacing. He said, “I’ve been out of Sprint Car racing for a while, so I’m looking forward to getting my feet wet and seeing how comfortable I am in my return.”
His biggest rival on dirt, Larson, had high expectations of him. He admitted to the media that he wouldn’t be surprised if Bell won his first race back. However, Bell is yet to win a race in the ongoing Tulsa Shootout with his best finish being runner up in the Heat Races of his divisions.
On the third day of competition, he has finished second in the Stock Non-Wing class after starting from seventh place (Race 183). There is still some way to go before he makes it into the Qualifiers of one of his classes and becomes one of the 24 featured drivers to race for a Golden Driller trophy on the final day.
