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As the NASCAR off-season nears its conclusion, Christopher Bell demonstrated his skill with a commanding performance at the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals. Meanwhile, fellow dirt racing competitor Tanner Thorson, who also participated in the event, shared his thoughts about starting races, something that he doesn't like.
Thorson is a well-known figure in dirt track racing. He is a former Chili Bowl champion, where he beat his rival Christopher Bell in 2022. Moreover, he is also a former USAC National Midget Champion (2016), cementing his presence as one of the most prominent dirt midget drivers.
Thorson, who triumphed in Thursday night's A-Main event by dethroning three-time Chili Bowl champion Christopher Bell, who settled for P3, revealed his preference for not starting races from the pole position. Instead, he enjoys starting slightly behind. In an interview with Matt Weaver, the 28-year-old Nevada native reflected on his Chili Bowl experience.
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"Yeah, I think we're better. Still just fighting about feel that I want to feel that I used to feel in here. And I can't get it, I don't know. So hopefully we can get it a little bit better here."
On being asked how important track position is to him, Thorson responded:
"I think it's important, especially right now, the track is very tricky. It's very technical and I think, you know, starting on the front row, I'm not a big guy to start on the front row, I really actually hate it more than anything. So, we'll see what we can do here. Hopefully we don't get caught up being a slip and duck or a slip and duck and go from there."
Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs racing driver Bell demonstrated his skill at the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals, beginning with a commanding performance in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions. Starting from pole position, Bell maintained his lead throughout the race, ultimately securing a dominant victory at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Bell will return for Cup Series action on February 2 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time for the highly anticipated pre-season Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Catch the #20 JGR Toyota live on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM.
“That felt pretty normal”: Christopher Bell reacts following big win on Chili Bowl comeback
Christopher Bell faced off against Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson in a head-to-head battle in the Chili Bowl Nationals, reminiscent of their NASCAR rivalry. After securing victory in the A-Main event on Monday night, Bell reflected on the win and expressed that he was "fairly happy" with his performance.
"That felt pretty normal. I had been making a lot of changes to the car and I felt good. I don't know what else to say. I felt really good. It drove like I needed it to. Track was awesome. You could run low, run high. So, yeah, I was fairly happy there."
Meanwhile, former Cup Series champion and two-time Chili Bowl champion Kyle Larson finished the race in P7. The pair also battled earlier this year in the Tulsa shootout, where both Cup Series icons secured victories in different events.
