"Kyle Larson's gonna have the upper hand for a bit”: JGR ace makes candid admission about HMS rival amid former's huge “head start”

JGR ace Christopher Bell admitted that Kyle Larson boasts an upper hand in sprint car racing over him. Unlike Bell, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is a regular sprint car racer and might need a few touch-ups to gain momentum.

Bell began his racing career with sprint cars in the early 2000s and rose to fame in the following years, becoming a full-time NASCAR driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, it's been two years since the #20 Toyota driver ran in a sprint car. The reason is Joe Gibbs' skepticism to let his drivers race in a discipline other than NASCAR.

However, that changed after Chase Briscoe came on board. Now that JGR has two drivers -Briscoe and Bell -with a history in sprint car racing, Mr. Gibbs changed his mindset, opening the doors for his drivers. By simply completing a process to get the approval, the JGR drivers can now make their presence felt in other disciplines as well.

With that, the question about Bell's rivalry with Kyle Larson arose. Both drivers are Chili Bowl Nationals champions. While the HMS driver has two titles, the JGR driver boasts three championships. However, due to Larson's two-year "head start," Bell admitted the former would have an upper hand.

"He’s gonna have the upper hand for a little bit. He’s got a two-year head start on me, so I’m gonna have to get my dirt shoes underneath me again and get back up to speed. But I hope, at some point, I can get back up to speed. That’s gonna be the tough part is just being out of the car for so long. Hopefully, it’s like riding a bike. I guess we’re about to find out," Bell said (via NASCAR).

It's worth mentioning that Christopher Bell likely won't run in the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals while Kyle Larson will. But they will be seen locking horns at the Tulsa Shootout in Oklahoma, along with Kyle Busch.

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A comparison between Tulsa rivals Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson

In 2009, Bell marked his debut in Tulsa Shootout by competing in the Winged A-Class division. Nearly a decade later in 2017, the JGR driver claimed his only win thus far Tulsa Shootout Winged Outlaw. Moreover, the Oklahoma native boasts two runner-up finishes in the Winged A-Class division in his title-winning season and 2022.

Unlike Bell, Kyle Larson is gearing up for his third Chili Bowl Nationals title. The Californian will return to the Tulsa Shootout aiming for a second win, as his most recent Tulsa triumph came in the 2010 Open Outlaw Kart race. Larson's son Owen will mark his presence in the Restricted A-Class and Junior Sprints.

During the Race Industry Week in this off-season, Larson shed light on his High Limit Racing plans in Australia and the Tulsa Shootout. However, he wasn't clear about his participation in the 2025 Chili Bowl, raising speculations about his entry.

But the latest development has confirmed Larson, Bell, and Busch as the NASCAR Cup Series drivers set to participate in the Chili Bowl Nationals.