Christopher Bell, a man with a dirt track in his veins and a knack for theatrics, unleashed a masterclass in adrenaline-fueled brilliance Saturday night at the Tulsa Expo Square. The stage? The 40th annual Tulsa Shootout. The co-star? None other than the relentless Kyle Larson. The result? A photo finish so tight it could’ve been decided by a coin toss, with Bell snatching victory and leaving Larson to mull over what could have been.
For those uninitiated, the Tulsa Shootout isn’t some backwater demolition derby. It’s the dirt-racing coliseum, a place where reputations are forged, egos are bruised, and the air smells faintly of motor oil and burning ambition. Bell and Larson, two titans of NASCAR, ditched the creature comforts of their million-dollar Cup Series rides to return to their roots—ripping around a bullring barely wide enough to contain their egos, let alone their talent.
The non-wing outlaw feature was the pièce de résistance: 55 laps of dust, daring, and dazzling skill. Bell, the Oklahoma native and dirt-track demigod, took control in the closing laps, but Larson, ever the opportunist, wasn’t about to let him stroll off with the glory. On the final lap, Larson launched a hail-Mary move on the high side, hammering the cushion through Turns 1 and 2 like his life depended on it. Down the backstretch, he was all over Bell like a rash, diving low into Turn 3 in a last-ditch bid to steal the show. But Bell, cool as a cucumber on a winter morning, unleashed a rocket off Turn 4 and claimed the Golden Driller trophy by the width of a tire.
Cue pandemonium. Cue Bell, beaming like a kid on Christmas morning, shouting into the microphone: “Thank you, Joe Gibbs!” A sentiment directed at his NASCAR overlord, who recently lifted the long-standing ban on extracurricular dirt racing. That decision now looks as wise as letting an artist play with paint.
For Bell, this was more than just a race. It was a homecoming, a triumphant return to the soil that shaped him. “Oh my gosh, man. I live for moments like that,” he gushed, clearly still buzzing from the thrill of it all. “There’s nothing else like it.”
Larson, no stranger to collecting Golden Drillers himself, didn’t leave empty-handed. Earlier in the evening, he pocketed trophies in both the outlaw winged feature and the winged micro sprint A-main. But make no mistake—losing to Bell in this particular showdown will gnaw at him like a splinter in his soul.
And so, the scene is set for the Chili Bowl on January 8, where Bell and Larson will undoubtedly lock horns again. But for now, the dirt world belongs to Bell, a man who reminded us all that no matter how high you climb, there’s something magical about going back to where it all began.
As for their NASCAR day jobs? Well, let’s just say the dirt racing gods should enjoy them while they can, because come February, it’s back to asphalt warfare when the 2025 NASCAR season kicks off at Bowman Gray Stadium. Until then, the dirt will do just fine.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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