It’s a rivalry renewed.
Christopher Bell held off fellow NASCAR driver Kyle Larson to win the Tulsa Shootout micro sprint car dirt race.
The event is a prelude to the Chili Bowl Nationals that both will be competing in.
The Oklahoma-born Bell’s roots are in dirt racing, but he’s had to sit it out for the past couple of years due to a ban by his Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Cup Series team.
Read Also: 65-YEAR OLD MIKE WALLACE ENTERING NASCAR’S DAYTONA 500
The restriction has been lifted this year, however, and he had no trouble picking up where he left off against Larson, who owns his own dirt racing series.
Bell was leading in the final laps with Larson throwing everything he had at it in a car somewhat ironically wearing a CB Industries livery unrelated to Bell.
Larson went high into the cushion looking for speed and dove inside on the last turn to take the lead for a second, but Bell stayed wide and carried his higher speed across the line to beat Larson in a photo finish.
Bell and Larson will be at it again during the Chili Bowl Nationals, which is a week-long open event that runs from Jan 13-18 and features hundreds of entries.
Read Also: NASCAR IS MAKING BIG CHANGES TO QUALIFYING FOR 2025
Bell has won it three times and Larson twice. They will be joined by fellow Cup Series drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Briscoe and Kyle Busch, who will be marking his first entry in a major sprint car dirt racing event for the first time.