Christopher Bell announced his return to dirt racing in November, and just over a month later, he won the Tulsa Shootout Qualifier 5 in the Non-Wing Outlaw division. His journey from seventh to first in Friday’s event was nothing short of remarkable.
According to Bell, his victory was enough to make up for the points he had lost early on in the session. Reflecting on the same through an interview with FloRacing, the NASCAR Cup Series regular said,
"I feel like we left a lot on the table, I left a lot on the table. Coming here, the Outlaw Non-Wing (qualifying) race...restarted fifth, and left some points on the table. The Winged Outlaw was a little bit of the same deal. So I don't know... just been missing a little bit but it felt really good in that Qualifier to finally make up for and get some points put on the front row," Bell said (00:12 onwards).
Bell finished merely 0.029 seconds ahead of fellow racer and runner-up Brody Mclaughlin. Here is a video showing his photo finish in the 10-lap segment:
Besides Christopher Bell, NASCAR drivers and former Cup Series champions Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson are also running this year’s events under Winged Outlaw and several other divisions.
Even Busch’s 9-year-old son Brexton took part in the Restricted A Class and recently bagged the pole for the Junior Sprint A-Mains.
“I'm looking forward to getting my feet wet”- Christopher Bell reflects on upcoming dirt ventures
Christopher Bell’s non-NASCAR schedule for 2025 has been made known by Newsweek through one of its recent stories. His first appearance in a 410 winged sprint car since 2022 will be on February 5, 2025, at Volusia Speedway Park, Florida. If everything turns out well, Bell might also run another race at the same track the next day.
His next race is on March 13. Bell will rev his engine at the inaugural race of the 2025 season of Kubota High Limit Racing. The event will take place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 30-year-old driver will race the No. 69K car under the banner of Kreitz Racing.
“Watching the 69K run over the years has been super impressive. Don and the Kreitz team are top notch and I'm excited to see what it's like to drive,” Christopher Bell said in an interview (as quoted by FloRacing).
Speaking of what he expects from his dirt comeback, Bell said,
“I've been out of Sprint Car racing for a while, so I'm looking forward to getting my feet wet and see how comfortable I am in my return.”
The official NASCAR Cup Series season begins with the 67th running of the annual Daytona 500 scheduled for February 16. Needless to say, Bell must also prepare for his NASCAR duties.
Fans can watch the crown jewel race live on FOX Sports or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio from 2:30 PM ET onwards.