Skip to main content
Join
NASCAR Logo

Christopher Bell wins Non-Wing Outlaw qualifier in photo finish at Tulsa Shootout

JHby:Jonathan Howard•01/03/25•

Jondean25

Christopher Bell
Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

It took him a little bit to get going, but Christopher Bell is getting comfortable on the dirt again. That could be bad news for others. The NASCAR star delivered one of the best finishes of the Tulsa Shootout so far this year.

With his fellow Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson racing as well and making headlines with heat race wins, Bell was lagging behind slightly. Now he has something those other two don’t have, yet.

Christopher Bell got a qualifier win in the Non-Wing Outlaw car. It was a photo finish, separated by just 0.029 seconds. Check out the finish from FloRacing below.

“I can’t say enough about the track crew, man,” Bell said after the win. “This place has been amazing all week, and it’s about time the driver of the 21 showed up this week. So, cars are obviously beautiful … That thing is operating. Took me a little bit to get comfortable this week and we hit on it but yeah that was awesome. Qualifiers here are what it’s all about.”

This is not an easy event to compete in. Winning heats and qualifiers is tough no matter who is on the track. Christopher Bell is an Oklahoma native, he knows this track, and now it appears that he is getting the hang of things.

It has been a couple of years since Bell was in a sprint car. Joe Gibbs recently lifted the ban on these races for his Cup Series drivers. That is good news for fans, and Bell.

Christopher Bell can take the next step

There are many reasons why Kyle Larson is the star that he is today. Dirt racing is a big reason why. For a long time, Christopher Bell had the same background. He’s a three-time Chili Bowl winner, that’s a high level of racing time and time again.

While Bell is lowkey and quiet for a pro athlete, performances on the track speak for themselves. If he is able to take on a healthy dirt schedule and get the results that he used to get before he was banned by Joe Gibbs, he could become a big star in racing.

Everyone loves a winner. Bell gets wins on dirt, in NASCAR, and I think he would be a great candidate to do the Double in the future and try to make the Indy 500. Regardless of what happens, it’s good for American motorsports as a whole.

There is a legit trio of NASCAR drivers at the Tulsa Shootout this week. Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and Kyle Busch are looking for Golden Drillers. There is a lot more racing to go today and tomorrow.