Bearden Breakdown: Chili Bowl Nationals

(Photo: Aaron Bearden/Motorsports Beat)

By Aaron Bearden

TULSA, Okla. — Post-race review and analysis from the Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway.

Who Won? 

Christopher Bell. The two-time defending champion pulled off a comeback for the ages, closing up a large late gap and using an overtake on the final lap to deny Kyle Larson his first Chili Bowl win and claim his third Golden Driller.

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Jubilant Surprise and Bitter Disappointment

He couldn’t do it… Could he?

That’s what the 10,000+ people in the Tulsa Expo Center thought over the final laps in Saturday’s feature, as Christopher Bell looked to overcome a sizable gap to Kyle Larson in the final handful of laps and secure his third-straight Chili Bowl victory.

At the time everything seemed to be heading in Larson’s favor. One year after mechanical woes forced him out of a potential win, Larson had overtaken Bell and pole sitter Logan Seavey in the first 21 laps and led the entire second half of the race. All of the breaks were going Larson’s way, and a run of bad luck left an unconfident Bell feeling as though his chance for a third Golden Driller was poised to slip away.

“I didn’t feel like it was my race,” he admitted.

The bad breaks began on the opening lap – at least the one that finally counted.

Bell entered the evening second, having fended off Larson in the pole shuffle but fallen short of Logan Seavey. When the green flag dropped, Bell was quickly able to slide down into second. But a caution flew and forced a complete restart, so they lined the field back up and began again.

When they took the green for the second time, Bell managed the move again, but another caution flew. They had to start the race a third time, and Bell slotted into the runner-up position again only for another yellow flag to fly.

The field finally completed a lap on the fourth attempt at a race start – the only time Bell made a mistake. Instead of securing second, he dropped to fourth behind Larson and Justin Grant.

Larson quickly moved up to challenge Seavey for the lead. Bell struggled to get back around Grant.

“That was not as planned,” Bell admitted. “I wasn”t too worried about it until Kyle started pressuring Logan, and I’m still behind Grant. They were kind of scooting away a little bit, so I knew time was not on my side there.

“I was getting pretty nervous, and at the same time frustrated that I had three starts in a row where I got to duck in behind Logan exactly where I wanted, and the start that goes I fall all the way back to fourth before I can get in line.”

The breaks didn’t get any better from there.

Bell finally got around Grant shortly after the field hit Lap 20, and he quickly closed in on Seavey for second. On Lap 28 he found a way by the USAC National Midget champion, and began to set his sights on Larson for the lead.

But once again, an ill-timed caution gave Bell a setback. A spin from Tyler Courtney brought out a caution before the field could complete a lap, and without split scoring the field was reverted to the running order of the previous lap. Bell would have to give the spot back to Seavey and try to pass him again.

That was frustrating for the two-time champ. When it happened again four laps later — David Gravel and Tanner Thorson colliding just after Bell passed Seavey again —  it seemed as though the 24-year-old was destined to lose his in his second championship defense.

“Not having split scoring was extremely heartbreaking tonight, because I would have to work so hard to pass Logan, and then the yellow would come out,” Bell said. “It seemed like if would come out… If it didn’t come out a lap after I passed him, it had to be three-quarters or seven-eighths of a lap, because I had been around him for a while and then they put him back in front of me.

“That sucked. That sucked really bad, and I felt like that was going to ruin my chances at the end of the race.”

Bell’s misfortune allowed Larson to take the upper hand in the latest edition of their pair’s rivalry. He drove off into the lead and commanded the race, keeping Bell and others out of arm’s reach even when they’d mount a charge. The laps remaining ticked down, steadily dropping down into single digits.

Trapped behind his friend and Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate, and with time running out, Bell searched around for a way to make up ground and keep Larson from cruising to the finish. He fended off a challenge on the inside lane from Grant, and in doing so decided to take a shot at the inside lane himself in an attempt to make time.

It took him a few laps to get the line right. But the move ultimately paid off. He started to close in on Larson, steadily marching toward the tail of his McDonald’s-sponsored machine.

But there was one issue working against Bell – the lap count. There were less than five laps to go when Bell closed within reach of the Californian, and with two to go he still needed to close up another second on-track to contend for the win.

Bell needed something he hadn’t gotten once in the opening 50 laps – a good break.

Luckily for him, Larson provided it moments later.

In the final set of turns before the white flag, Larson made a rare mistake. He misjudged the turns and rolled through them sloppily. That allowed Bell to close up to his tail heading to the while flag. The pair headed into Turns 1 and 2 for the final time of the race nose-to-tail.

Then Larson did the something unexpected.

He made a second mistake.

“Coming to the white I missed the bottom of (Turns) 3 and 4, and lost some time there,” Larson said. “I was hoping when I glanced at the big screen (Bell) wouldn’t be on my bumper and he was, so I had a decision to make over what to do.

“For a second I thought he might slide me, and then I realized he was too low on the straightaway to probably do that. So I tried to stick the bottom, and just missed it.”

The gap Larson left was small, but it was enough. Bell wedged his way into position, beat Larson out of Turn 2 and stormed into the lead.

Larson made one last desperation heave in Turn 3, barreling into Bell’s left side and sending both drivers sideways. But Bell was quicker to the power and beat Larson to the line.

In a night that seemed to be Larson’s from the drop of the green flag, Bell pulled off a shocking comeback to secure his third-straight Chili Bowl win. The contrast in emotions was noticeable – Bell flipping his car doing donuts with glee and lifting his hands to the sky, all while Larson looked sullenly at the ground, trying to make sense of a crown jewel event he’d let slip away.

Both drivers were asked about the contact on the final lap. Larson was disappointed with himself for the desperation heave heading into Turn 3, but otherwise both drivers were okay with the way they’d been raced.

“For me, if he wouldn’t have missed his mark, and if he would have stuck the bottom, then A, I wouldn’t have got there,” Bell said. “But I’m not just going to run into the back of him. Whenever he ran in there, missed his mark and slid up, I took advantage of it.”

Asked about Larson’s last-ditch bump, Bell took no offense. “I would have been disappointed if he’d taken me out,” he said. “But I know that he’s not going to do that.”

Larson was upset after the race, but only with himself. He had no qualms with the way Bell had raced him en-route to his third Chili Bowl victory.

“I didn’t think was Chris did was wrong at all,” he said. “I knew I missed the bottom, so then I’m trying to squeeze him down. I know that there’s contact coming.

“If anything I’m more upset with what I did into (Turn) 3, running into the side of him. I always try to pride myself and not racing like that, and that’s twice I’ve done that in the last lap. Just a little desperation out of myself, and I’ve got to not do that again.”

In the end both drivers left the Tulsa Expo Center with a new addition to their rivalry and legacy.

Bell was the triumphant victor, placing his name among the legends of the Chili Bowl with a third-straight win. He’ll return next year for a chance to tie Kevin Swindell’s record four victories in a row – a prestigious mark, but not one he’s concerned about.

“I don’t think the number really matters to me. It’s just more-so about winning races,” Bell said. “That’s all I want to do, man. I just want to race. It doesn’t matter if I’m running rental go karts or at the Chili Bowl, I want to win so bad.

“Four-in-a-row would be outstanding. But ultimately more than four-in-a-row, I just want to win.”

Larson finds himself on the opposite end of the spectrum. His talent and prowess is undeniable after a second-straight year of contention for a Golden Driller. But he’s still yet to add a win in the race he seems to love most.

The Chili Bowl is becoming to Larson what the Daytona 500 was to Dale Earnhardt, Indianapolis 500 remains to Michael Andretti and the Snowball Derby has turned to for Bubba Pollard – the ultimate challenge and struggle for one of a discipline’s top stars.

It’s a trend that’s been seen throughout sports. John Elway couldn’t win the Super Bowl. Novak Djokovic always came up short at the French Open. John Stockton and Karl Malone could never bring an NBA title to the Utah Jazz.

The history of sports is littered with athletes and teams that have struggled to bring home their game’s top prize despite excelling everywhere else. For now, it appears Larson is set to face similar adversity in Tulsa.

Whether he’ll ever manage to bring home the Golden Driller as a Chili Bowl champion remains to be seen. But one thing is certain – each year he draws close adds to his motivation him to get the job done.

“This is as close as I’ve ever been,” Larson said. “It’s definitely harder to swallow when it’s your mistakes that cost you a win. I’ll be more motivated next year than I’ve ever been.”

I can’t wait to see that building explode the year @KyleLarsonRacin finally conquers the @cbnationals. Thank you to all the fans that showed up and create this amazing event! 👏🏼🏁

— Christopher Bell (@CBellRacing) January 20, 2019

A good run for Grant

The disappointment of a close call with Chili Bowl glory shone through on Justin Grant’s face in the immediate aftermath of his third-place run in Saturday’s A-Main. But hidden beneath the pain of a near-miss was the pride of an impressive weekend.

Grant entered this year’s Chili Bowl in search of a fresh start. His tenure with power team Clauson-Marshall Racing had drawn to a close at the end of the 2018 season, leading the Californian to the newly-formed RAMS Racing.

Searching for a quick start, the organization elected to make a move that could thrust them directly into contention – mimicking the decisions that make KKM dirt midget racing’s top team.

“(RAMS Racing) went out and bought some cars just like ours from Spike (Chassis),” KKM owner Keith Kunz said. “Pretty much did the whole package. They have a different motor program than we do, but chassis and shops and everything is pretty much the same.”

That move gave the group a chance to contend, but they had no data to work off. So Grant took extra initiative and leaned on the veteran Kunz for inspiration heading into Chili Bowl week.  “Justin came to me and asked me for a little bit of advice,” Kunz said. “I kind of gave him a baseline to start the week with, and he took it from there.”

While acknowledged as a talented driver by those in the pits, the newness of RAMS Racing left Grant as an unknown entering the week. With the team not running until Friday, Grant faded into the background of the week as the KKM arsenal dominated the opening four nights of qualifying races.

But when his prelim night came, Grant excelled. The offseason of hard work paid off, and Grant found himself at the front of the field for the majority of the evening. On a week dominated by KKM, the Californian took Kunz’s advice and manufactured it into the only feature performance strong enough to beat them.

He couldn’t quite pull off the same feat Saturday, but Grant came as close as any in the field. His third-place run was the top performance from a non-KKM competitor, and while he felt his car was too loose to make a serious run at the victory, a smart decision to roll the bottom kept Grant within range of Larson and Bell until the checkered flag flew.

As a competitor with a burning desire to win, the result was heartbreaking. But given the context of the weeks leading up to the race, Grant knew he and the team had much to be proud of.

“A run like tonight’s definitely gratifying after the last couple months of work,” he said. “After making a change with teams, and then kind of jumping into this really with not much there. We kind of built from the ground up in a couple months.”

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Other Notes

• He fell short of contending for the win, but ‘Sunshine’ Tyler Courtney gave the fans in attendance a show throughout a chaotic Chili Bowl run. The veteran drove through the B-Main and overcame three crashes on the night – including one in the feature – to bring home an respectable sixth-place result. The 2011 Rookie of the Year was frustrated with his mid-race incident given how much speed he’s shown, but his team, family and friends showered him with praise for an impressive comeback in the moments after the race.
• The 2019 Chili Bowl was a late one, dragging well into Sunday morning to cap off a week that began on Monday for the first time after numerous stoppages for track preparations. But the move ultimately paid off for the drivers in the feature. Bell claimed the track “probably was one of the best Chili Bowl A-Main tracks we’ve had in a long time as far as having options. For the last several years it’s been all-bottom, and then you move and you have all-top. Tonight the bottom was good for a long time, but whenever it did open you you still had options. The bottom didn’t completely go away.”
• Hidden just behind Grant’s podium was another good story – an impressive fourth-place performance for BC39 winner Brady Bacon and Frank Manafort Racing. “You definitely can’t complain about running fourth at the Chili Bowl among 350 cars,” he said. “Our Toyota was really good tonight. We had a good car when it was heavy and a good car when it was slick and that’s all you can ask for.”
• A trio of young rookies excelled in their Chili Bowl debuts. Former Bryan Clauson mentee Zeb Wise and KKM Giveback Classic winner Jesse Colwell drove to finishes of ninth and 11th, respectively, in the second B-Main. Colwell was praised for his run, having made the most of an opportunity earned with a big win in the KKM Giveback Classic race. Cannon McIntosh was similarly impressive in the first B-Main, slotting in 10th and narrowly missing out on becoming the youngest feature qualifier in Chili Bowl history.
• The granddaughter of Dale Earnhardt Sr., Karsyn Elledge arrived at the Chili Bowl with tempered expectations as she competed in a Tucker-Boat Motorsports entry ahead of a possible USAC run later this year. She ultimately crashed out in a G-Main, but was happy of her efforts after winning a heat and H-Main prior to her elimination. “Honestly, it was more than I could have hoped for,” she said. “I didn’t have high expectations for myself coming here. I haven’t always had the most self-confidence, but we were able to start off with a heat race win that gave me the confidence to say, ok we can do this, we can fight with these guys. Unfortunately, we had a taste of bad luck in the qualifier and in the B when we got caught up in everyone else’s mess. So that put us in deep today, starting in the H. We won that, then we were in the G and flat got taken out, but it is what it is. Overall, I can’t really complain about my Chili Bowl experience. They knew we were here and they knew we were fast – and that’s really all you can ask for.”