Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are among the most successful drivers at Chili Bowl. Combining 5 Golden Driller trophies, the Cup Series duo has raised the level of the competition in the past half a decade. However, when they boycotted the prestigious dirt racing tourney a few years ago, it was a big surprise for the racing community. Bell, a three-time winner, was also among the missing big names at the Tulsa Expo Raceway last week.

On the other hand, despite Kyle Larson announcing a shocking return and his pursuit of the ‘Dirt Double,’ he failed to make a significant impact after a double flip ruled him out of the preliminary race. Following it up on social media, the Hendrick Motorsports #5 driver shared his thoughts about the facets of the Chili Bowl Nationals that needed a refurbishment. Reading his colleague’s thoughts, Christopher Bell couldn’t help but agree to get the Golden Driller back to its former glory.

Kyle Larson is scared someone will get “hurt really bad” if changes are not made

One of the major changes Kyle Larson stated with regard to the Chili Bowl revamp was about the preliminary races. He iterated that the Beginner’s Night should be organized on Sunday with about 80 drivers competing for progression, and the prelims for other drivers should continue from Monday to Thursday. One of the reasons for such a thought process is his belief that this will maintain the intensity of competition throughout the week.

The 2021 Cup Series champion talked about some unnecessary additions to the races, like radio checks, while he also waved the green signal for changes like the pole shuffle and this year’s track preparation. Keeping in mind the safety aspect, the HMS driver, while reiterating how someone could get “hurt really bad”, suggested safety measures including an outlaw safety bar, seats and seatbelts and also put an emphasis on how arm restraints are not needed.

Reading Larson’s takeaways also inspired Christopher Bell to force some changes into the coveted Golden Driller tourney. Looking forward to joining the mix with the new implementations, he wrote on X,

“I love it. The @cbnationals is special to both of us! Non qualifiers night is 100% needed, and get back to locking in 3 on 4 preliminary nights”

Looking at the reactions of some of the competition’s most successful drivers, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson, the Chili Bowl Nationals organizers could show some urgency. Following his victory at this year’s Chili Bowl, Logan Seavey had also shown some concerns, mainly about the pole shuffle and the updated qualifying system.

Christopher Bell had nodded his head to Larson’s alarm over the deficient winning prize in the Chili Bowl in 2022. However, unlike Larson, he has yet to return to the Tulsa Expo Raceway this year. It seems like an improved experience might lure him back. Fans are surely awaiting to see the exciting rivalry between the two Cup Series drivers once again at Tulsa.

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Larson vs Bell: A rivalry made on the dirt track

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With Oklahoma being Christopher Bell’s home state, the 29-year-old has always looked forward to the Chili Bowl Nationals, barring the last few years. A three-time consecutive champion from 2017 to 2019, one of his most vigorous opponents was his former teammate and Cup Series colleague Kyle Larson. During Bell’s glorious period, he beat the HMS driver numerous times on dirt, which created an imaginary divide.

Having raced together for team owner Keith Kunz, Christopher Bell often displayed better results than Larson in the open-wheel midget cars. However, the dynamic changed in 2020 when Larson didn’t fall short of the Golden Driller. Speaking about the intense competition between the two, Larson said,

“He kicked my a** for a few years straight, like every race. I don’t know if I ever beat him. He made me work really hard to get better as a driver, especially on the dirt track stuff.”

Having beaten Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell has established his name in the dirt track and off of it in NASCAR. At the same time, Kyle Larson returned to the best of his abilities after a controversial return to NASCAR with Hendrick Motorsports.

Fast forward to the 2023 season, and the pair was seen facing off against each other in the championship race. Representing Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, two of the biggest organizations in NASCAR, they sure have come a long way from the Tulsa Expo Raceway.

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