TULSA, Okla. - Christopher Bell ran away from the field over the closing laps of Thursday’s John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night at the 35th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at Oklahoma’s Tulsa Expo Raceway.
It marked the seventh win since 2014 for the Norman, Oklahoma native, who will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing on the NASCAR Cup Series this year. Bell is now locked into his eighth Saturday night Championship A-Feature in as many years, and will be looking for his fourth career Chili Bowl victory.
“Chad (Boat) has got this thing tuned up and it’s driving really good but man, those yellows were killing me at the beginning of the race,” said Bell. “I just wanted to get some green flag laps in. I knew this thing was good where I could stick the bottom nice and run up if I needed to.”
Bell’s run to the lead began from the fourth starting spot. Steve Buckwalter led the first five laps before Spencer Bayston moved to the point on lap 6. Bell used the outside to drive from third to first only to have the pass called back when a caution flew on lap 8.
On the restart, Bayston, Brady Bacon and Bell again battled for the lead, with Bell moving to second on the restart. Bell again had the lead in hand, only to see it negated by another caution flag on lap 9.
Back under green, Bell slid to the lead on lap 11 in turns one and two.
Asked about having to make the pass for the lead so many times, Bell said, “It’s was frustrating. You’re only going to get so many shots at the lead with those guys. Spencer (Bayston) and Brady (Bacon) and really talented drivers so I knew when they got put back in front of me, they were going to take my line away and I was going to have to find something else. Didn’t want that to happen, but luckily my car was good enough I could kind of go where they didn’t.”
While Bell held off Bayston through the next restart on lap 13, Buddy Kofoid move to second. The final restart saw Bell in traffic on lap 24 with just under 1.5-seconds on the field.
Slowed little through the closing laps, Bell captured the win by 0.973-seconds. Kofoid took second, locking him into Saturday’s A-Feature along with Bell. Bacon followed in third, with in fourth and Joe B. Miller in fifth.
Logan Seavey, Tim Buckwalter, Trey Gropp, Andre Deal and Matt Sherell rounded out the top 10.
Braselton, Georgia’s Matt Linder raced his way to the first B-Feature on the night, but failed to finish, recording a 14th place finish.
The 35th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals continues on Friday with Driven2SaveLives Qualifying Night. For more information, visit ChiliBowl.com.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, OK
John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night – January 14, 2021
1. Christopher Bell
2. Michael Kofoid
3. Brady Bacon
4. Spencer Bayston
5. Joe B. Miller
6. Logan Seavey
7. Tim Buckwalter
8. Trey Gropp
9. Andrew Deal
10. Matt Sherrell
11. Kaylee Bryson
12. Frankie Guerrini
13. Carson Garrett
14. Andrew Felker
15. Chance Crum
16. Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
17. Noah Gass
18. Kyle Bellm
19. Don Droud, Jr.
20. Brody Roa
21. Steve Buckwalter
22. Cody Ledger
23. Zeb Wise
24. Austin Prock
