TULSA, Okla. - NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson battled through a myriad of cautions to pick up his sixth career preliminary night victory in Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifying Night at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at Oklahoma’s Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Locking into his ninth championship A-Feature since 2010, the race to that ticket became a question of fuel.
“I think me and Jonathan (Beason) both were running out of fuel there at the end,” explained Larson. “Mine was stumbling a lot the last five laps, so I was thankful we didn’t have another caution because I don’t know if I could have made it.”
Larson charged to the early lead, using the high line around Tulsa Expo Raceway. After the early action was broken up when Derek Hagar’s car slowed in turn three, Larson powered away again on the restart.
Larson led the field by over three seconds before the caution flew again for a spin by Jeremy Webb in turn three. The field would be slowed two more times as the race reached lap 10, with Larson continuing to pace the event.
As the leaders raced in slower traffic on lap 21, Beason was able to challenged Larson for the lead, but Larson used the lap traffic to his advantage to hold the top spot. The caution flew again with six laps to go when Jake Bubak flipped his car while fighting for the third position.
Back under green, Larson picked up right where he left off, and went on to score the win by a 2.822 second advantage. Beason finished in second, with Michael Faccinto in third, Dillon Welch in fourth and Larry Wight in fifth.
Also on the night, NASCAR Cup Series 2020 Rookie of the Year contender Christopher Bell charged from seventh in the closing laps to score the VIROC victory.
Mired mid-pack early on, cautions around the race’s mid-point provided the springboard for Bell to begin making moves.
Rico Abreu came home in second, with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. in third, Kyle Larson in fourth and C.J. Leary in fifth.
The 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals continues on Wednesday with Hard Rock Casino Hotel of Tulsa Qualifying Night. For more information, visit ChiliBowl.com.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, OK
Warren CAT Qualifying Night – January 14, 2020
1. 01-Kyle Larson*
2. 8J-Jonathan Beason*
3. 08-Michael Faccinto
4. 81X-Dillon Welch
5. 99-Larry Wight
6. 11S-T.J. Smith
7. 07W-Mitchel Moles
8. 9JR-Derek Hagar
9. 97W-Kaidon Brown
10. 55X-Alex Bowman
11. 5R-Roger Crockett
12. 47M-Frankie Guerrini
13. 73B-Tyler Edwards
14. 47-Alex Bright
15. 17C-Jeremy Webb
16. 19A-Hunter Schuerenberg
17. 2W-Wyatt Burks
18. 84M-Alex DeCamp
19. 27B-Jake Bubak
20. 55D-Nick Drake
21. 51H-Mike Hess
22. 29-Tyler Thompson
23. 71-Zeb Wise
24. 71G-Damion Gardner
*Advances to Saturday’s A-Feature
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, OK
VIROC 2020 – January 14, 2020
1. 84X-Christopher Bell
2. 97-Rico Abreu
3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
4. 01-Kyle Larson
5. 55V-C.J. Leary
6. 7C-Tyler Courtney
7. 4A-Justin Grant
8. 19-Tanner Thorson
9. 21-Daryn Pittman
10. 5D-Zach Daum
11. 19B-Spencer Bayston
12. 39-Logan Seavey
13. 87-Aaron Reutzel
14. 1R-Brad Sweet
15. 1-Sammy Swindell
16. 14-Jesse Colwell
17. 71G-Damion Gardner
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/1/867938/larson-wins-tuesday-chili-bowl-qualifier-bell-tops-viroc