Delighted Christopher Bell shares ‘4-word’ gratitude for Joe Gibbs amid special Tulsa Shootout campaign

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell expressed his gratitude towards Joe Gibbs following his Tulsa Shootout victory. Bell emerged victorious in a historic photo-finish with his fellow NASCAR star Kyle Larson.

Two years after imposing a ban on extracurricular racing in 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing lifted the restrictions on its drivers, allowing them to compete in non-NASCAR events.

That gave the 30-year-old Bell an opportunity to return to the Tulsa Shootout, one of the biggest dirt races in the country, and he grabbed it with both hands.

On Sunday, the hometown-hero, who's a three-time winner of the Chili Bowl, clinched victory in one of the closest finishes at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma. Bell nicked his Cup Series driver Larson by a hair-thin margin of 0.188 seconds. In the post-race interview with FloRacing, Bell jubilantly said:

"I've got four words: 'Thank you Joe Gibbs!'"

The race featured an intense battle with pole-sitter Blake Hahn, who had initially set the pace. Bell eventually took the lead on Lap 35 but faced stiff competition from Steven Snyder, who charged through the field by Lap 45.

Snyder’s misfortune, though, proved pivotal. After cutting a tire and hitting the wall, Bell reclaimed the lead just before a caution reset the field.

That set the stage for Larson to challenge Bell in a dramatic finish. Eventually, Bell emerged victorious, with Larson finishing second and Emerson Axsom, Ricky Thornton Jr. and K.J. Snow rounding out the top five.

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Christopher Bell reflects on wild photo finish in Tulsa

In the post-race interview with FloRacing, Christopher Bell expressed his exhilaration on winning the event in such a close fashion. He said:

"Oh my gosh, man I live for moments like that! Man, driving these race cars, especially here at Tulsa, there is nothing else like it. And maybe maybe after today, Kyle will actually like Micros and want to come back."

Christopher Bell also sympathized with Steven Snyder, who had been running strong before his crash:

"I feel bad for Steven. He was driving really, really well and had such a super-fast car there. But I don’t know. That was a hell of a race."

Notably, Christopher Bell, an Oklahoma native, was driving a car co-owned with his family-in-law. His team comprised his family members and some of his closest friends.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star's stocks have continued to rise over the last few seasons. A KBM talent and a former Truck Series champion, Bell has been one of the most consistent drivers on the grid in the last three campaigns.

He ended the 2024 season in fifth position and was a part of the Championship 4 field in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.