RPW Exclusive: Christopher Bell Wins Third Consecutive Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

Column By: DYLAN FRIEBEL / RPW – TULSA, OK – The 2019 Chili Bowl has come to an end and it was once again Oklahoma native Christopher Bell taking home the elusive Golden Driller but it was not easy for him this year. He and Kyle Larson put another show for ages, as the racing world has come to expect at the Chili Bowl.

As the field went to go roll out for the A-main, we had already been treated to Tyler Courtney pulling into the hot pits twice in his B-Main to still transfer into the A. It took a few tries for the field to get going as the nerves were showing. It was Bell and Seavey on the front row. Larson was in row two. It was clear that once it got started Larson wanted the Driller and it was his, you had to pry it away from him.

He took the lead early on and by midway through the race, Bell had gotten into second and there were to be no blown motors this year, they were going to duke it out. Some mid-race cautions bunched everyone back up. Larson won the restart battle.

With two laps to go, Larson had a about a half second lead. Larson missed his mark entering four coming to the white and Bell pounced right to his back bumper. Bell jumped below Larson in one and two and moved him out of the way. Larson tried to go back at him in turn three and four but it was to no avail as Christopher Bell picked up his third straight Golden Driller.

To cap off the thrill of winning a Chili Bowl you normally do donuts, Bell did that and more as he topped off the Chili Bowl 2019 Flip Count at 75. As he got out of the car his now fiance came up and hugged him and said “You did it!” Even after his third straight the thrill was still there.

“Thank you Tulsa you guys have been awesome.” Bell said. “I did not think I was going to get this one. I was struggling in the middle of the race and Kyle was just so good.”

For Kyle Larson as he commented last year, the biggest race he wants to win is the Chili Bowl over any NASCAR Race, well he will have to wait for another year, as he drove 54 perfect laps but just did not drive the most important one perfect.

“It started coming to the white.” Larson said. “I missed the bottom and he got a run. I saw the big screen and he was close. I had no idea what he was going to do, I figured he was going to slide the bottom and I tried to stop him and missed the mark. I drove 53 and a half perfect laps and couldn’t just close it out. It sucks to lose this one but I am happy to be racing for a win here after my luck my last few years. I just gave it away but come back next year and try again.”

Larson vs: Bell round two did not disappoint this year. With Christopher Bell winning his Third Straight Golden Driller, he’s now among the greatest to grace the 1/4 mi of clay known as the Chili Bowl. Not many can say they are on that level every January in Tulsa, OK.