The 2025 Chili Bowl wrapped up, and as expected, it had all the drama, chaos, and thrilling finish we’ve come to love. In the end, Kyle Larson walked away with his third Golden Driller, making it clear he’s still the guy to beat in dirt racing.

But let’s talk about Christopher Bell for a minute. After a two-year hiatus from the event, following Joe Gibbs’s waiver of his “no non-NASCAR races” rule, Bell’s Chili Bowl campaign came to an end with a 10th-place finish. You could tell he was disappointed, and honestly, who could blame him? It’s not the storybook ending fans (and Bell himself) were hoping for, especially after all the hype leading up to his return to dirt racing.

Christopher Bell opens up about the race

For a while, it looked like Bell was on track for a solid finish. With just two laps left in the A-feature, he was in second place. Tanner Thorson had the lead, and only the top two were advancing to the A-main. But then, out of nowhere, Ryan Bernal made a last-ditch charge and passed Bell, stealing that final lock-in spot. Check out the crazy moment:

So, with that, Christopher Bell had to make his way through the B-main. But starting from 12th place in the final event, Bell had a tough task ahead of him. Despite winning the B-main, 12th in a stacked 24-car field of seasoned dirt racers is a lot to overcome. Bell did what he could, but the best he could manage was 10th place.

It was a tough pill to swallow for a driver gunning for his fourth Chili Bowl title. After the race, Bell was candid about his performance: “I mean…I don’t know…I just wasn’t good enough tonight. And I wasn’t good enough on Thursday night. So that’s the bottom line. So it was tough for me to pass but I just wasn’t that good. And I felt like if you were good you would have been able to pass. Just didn’t have it. Didn’t have it.”

And if you remember, Bell himself was semi-convinced before that a charge from 12 to first was possible. At the end of the day, he just felt he did not have what it took. “I mean still even with that all being said. I won the B feature which was good. Put in a fine position. But if you can’t come from 12 to win in 40 laps. You were just not good enough. I just didn’t have it,” he added.

Still. Bell isn’t going home empty-handed from Tulsa!

Coach Gibbs won’t be disappointed

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He made his dirt racing comeback at the Tulsa Shootout earlier this year, where the much-anticipated rivalry between Bell and Larson finally played out. Larson made headlines for pulling off a “hail melon” move on Bell during a non-winning outlaw race. But in the end, it was Bell who snagged the Golden Driller.

And at the Chili Bowl itself, Bell did manage to pick up a win in the Race of Champions. A prestigious event that features past winners and dirt racing stars. While it doesn’t impact the Chili Bowl standings, it’s still a big deal, and winning it for the third time was a nice feather in Bell’s cap.

Overjoyed, Bell had said, “I mean still even with that all being said. I won the B feature which was good. Put in a fine position. But if you can’t come from 12 to win in 40 laps. You were just not good enough. I just didn’t have it.”

Even after a tough Chili Bowl run, Bell couldn’t help but smile. There’s no doubt that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him at Tulsa. He’s still got a long career ahead, and plenty more Chili Bowls to chase after that elusive fourth title.

What do you think of Christopher Bell’s return to dirt racing? Let us know in the comments!