By T.J. Buffenbarger
TULSA, OK (January 15, 2026) – Christopher Bell took advantage of a restart with three laps to go to complete his charge from eighth starting position to win the feature event during Hasty Bake Qualifying Night at the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink.
Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl champion, added his ninth preliminary feature win to his resume by passing Ryan Bernal to back up his victory during the O’Reilly Auto Parts Race of Champions on Monday night.
“That was a ton of fun,” said Bell in victory lane. “I had to work for that one. In the middle part of the race thereI really started struggling and just didn’t really have the pace that I needed. The guys were driving away from me and whenever we got those rash of yellows, I’m like, I’ve got to do something different. So, I was getting off pretty good on the bottom of three and four. So, I just kind of committed to myself down there, and, you know, made sure that I got low enough to on the berm, enough to hit it and, you know, I was able to make up some positions.”
C.J. Leary and Ashton Torgerson started on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Leary led until being overtaken by Bernal in slower traffic. Bernal continued to hammer the top size of the race track and had a sizeable lead until a pair of caution flags over the final six laps turned out to be Bernal’s undoing.
The final restart with three laps to go Bell moved to second position with a big slide job on Leary before passing Bernal for the lead. Bell held on for the victory while Leary was able to get by Bernal for second.
Bernal, Spencer Bayston, and Kyle Cummins rounded out the top five.
Afterwards Bell was happy with this race car, but felt there might be more performance to be had from his first entry as a Chili Bowl car owner.
“I feel really good about the speed in the race car. I think the race car is super fast. We have been working on it and changing the car a little bit, and I still think that we have a little bit of getting the car a little bit more drivable, especially whenever the track gets treacherous like that. The car is super, super fast. Colt and Brian Kemenah did such a great job of assembling a super light, fast car. We have a ton of pace. We just got to get it driving a little bit better.”
Leary’s second place finish locked him into Saturday’s finale, joining his Alex Bowman Racing teammate Briggs Danner who also finished in second position on his preliminary night. Afterwards Leary was excited for his car owner and friend to have two cars securely in the A-Main on Saturday.
“I’m stoked to have two cars in the pole shuffle and A-Main on Saturday,” said Leary. “I know it’s been a goal of Alex’s. He puts a lot of heart and soul into this, and I’m just happy and thankful to be the guy driving it. We’re really good friends, but he, he puts a lot of faith in me.”
For the home state victory, Bell was ecstatic over another victory in front of his home state crowd.
“That right there is why I love this place. Man, you’re never out of it until the checker flag falls. Last year, I was on the other side of it, where I was up front, and then got and got knocked back. This place is just…it’s amazing. It always produces good races. That’s why every single one of you guys are here. You guys are what makes this place the fans. So, thank you everybody. We’re going to have a hell of a show on Saturday.”
40th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink
Hasty Bake Qualifying Night
Tulsa Expo Raceway
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Toyota Qualifier #1 (10 Laps)
1. 21CB-Christopher Bell[2]
2. 55X-CJ Leary[6]
3. 15D-Andrew Deal[4]
4. 8B-Jeffrey Abbey[3]
5. 91S-Xavier Doney[1]
6. 14T-Caden Sarale[5]
7. 41J-Parker Jones[9]
8. 7-Shannon McQueen[7]
9. 7S-Donnie Gentry[8]
10. 73-Cole Wakim[10]
Toyota Qualifier #2 (10 Laps)
1. 67A-Ashton Torgerson[4]
2. 5-Karter Sarff[3]
3. 88-Tanner Thorson[5]
4. 67-Jacob Denney[6]
5. 12H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]
6. 97P-Ryker Pace[7]
7. 7R-Chance Crum[9]
8. 27X-Kalib Henry[2]
9. 91-Jeff Stasa[8]
10. 23T-Ashton Thompson[10]
Toyota Qualifier #3 (10 Laps)
1. 1S-Spencer Bayston[4]
2. 89-Chris Windom[5]
3. 81F-Frank Flud[3]
4. 47-Danny Stratton[1]
5. 14F-Brant Woods[7]
6. 11-Jacob Hughes[2]
7. 1M-Dodge Carlbert[8]
8. 21S-Tim Creech II[10]
9. 99K-Robert Carson[9]
10. 57A-Matthew Rechek[6]
Toyota Qualifier #4 (10 Laps)
1. 39G-Kyle Cummins[3]
2. 87W-Ryan Bernal[5]
3. 19-Joel Myers Jr[7]
4. 20Q-Brecken Reese[4]
5. 55T-Trevor Cline[9]
6. 21H-Brady Bacon[6]
7. 5P-Cameron La Rose[1]
8. 55F-Johnny Kent[2]
9. 10J-Sam Henderson[10]
10. 51F-Braden Chiaramonte[8]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 81F-Frank Flud[1]
2. 89-Chris Windom[6]
3. 97P-Ryker Pace[4]
4. 23T-Ashton Thompson[2]
5. 71B-Braxton Cummings[5]
6. 2D-Matt Sherrell[8]
7. 77J-John Klabunde[3]
8. 57K-Kevin Studley[10]
9. 06-Mike Sullivan[7]
10. 25GS-Eric Guyot[9]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 21H-Brady Bacon[4]
2. 7-Shannon McQueen[1]
3. 1M-Dodge Carlbert[2]
4. 19-Joel Myers Jr[6]
5. 23S-Kyle Simon[5]
6. 28J-Joe Perry[3]
7. 9K-Jake Johnson[8]
8. 28B-Brandon Mattox[7]
9. 23D-Devon Dobie[9]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 39G-Kyle Cummins[1]
2. 20Q-Brecken Reese[4]
3. 55X-CJ Leary[9]
4. 55F-Johnny Kent[8]
5. 22M-Abby Hohlbein[2]
6. 111-Trevor Serbus[5]
7. 8L-Cooper Miller[7]
8. 07-Tim Kent[6]
9. 53-Sean Robbins[3]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 14T-Caden Sarale[4]
2. 87W-Ryan Bernal[6]
3. 67-Jacob Denney[9]
4. 21S-Tim Creech II[2]
5. 7S-Donnie Gentry[8]
6. 20W-Cody Weisensel[5]
7. 80H-Josh Hanna[3]
8. 35S-Chris Hartman[1]
9. 1H-Henry Chambers[7]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 21CB-Christopher Bell[1]
2. 12H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[3]
3. 67A-Ashton Torgerson[8]
4. 51F-Braden Chiaramonte[5]
5. 55T-Trevor Cline[6]
6. 98B-Joe Boyles[2]
7. 85J-Logan Julien[7]
8. 31T-Tommy Colburn[4]
DNS: 4F-Chad Frewaldt
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 1S-Spencer Bayston[3]
2. 5P-Cameron La Rose[2]
3. 5-Karter Sarff[6]
4. 41J-Parker Jones[5]
5. 7R-Chance Crum[7]
6. 33R-Cameron Hagin[4]
7. C71-Carter Jensrud[8]
8. 17E-Cody Beard[9]
9. 11P-Jon Padilla[1]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #7 (8 Laps)
1. 27X-Kalib Henry[1]
2. 8B-Jeffrey Abbey[4]
3. 91-Jeff Stasa[3]
4. 91S-Xavier Doney[8]
5. 73-Cole Wakim[6]
6. 20S-Shon Deskins[2]
7. 30-Matt Johnson[5]
8. 10-Caleb Padgett[9]
9. 1V-Alex Vande Voort[7]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #8 (8 Laps)
1. 11-Jacob Hughes[1]
2. 47-Danny Stratton[3]
3. 14F-Brant Woods[4]
4. 10J-Sam Henderson[2]
5. 41W-Brad Wyatt[5]
6. 40B-Josh Bilicki[8]
7. 51X-Joe Walker[7]
8. 5G-PJ Gargiulo[9]
9. 81C-Colten Cottle[6]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #9 (8 Laps)
1. 88-Tanner Thorson[4]
2. 15D-Andrew Deal[6]
3. 57A-Matthew Rechek[9]
4. 67R-Ryan Roulette[1]
5. 99K-Robert Carson[7]
6. 88P-Tony Penick[3]
7. 21R-Brady Ransom[5]
8. 3U-Kevin Newton[8]
9. 44-Danny Sams III[2]
Smileys Racing Products D-Main #1 (10 Laps)
1. 28B-Brandon Mattox[3]
2. 5G-PJ Gargiulo[2]
3. 31T-Tommy Colburn[6]
4. 17E-Cody Beard[1]
5. 06-Mike Sullivan[5]
6. 21R-Brady Ransom[10]
7. 53-Sean Robbins[7]
8. 1V-Alex Vande Voort[8]
9. 80H-Josh Hanna[4]
10. 11P-Jon Padilla[9]
DNS: 81C-Colten Cottle
Smileys Racing Products D-Main #2 (10 Laps)
1. 77J-John Klabunde[3]
2. 3U-Kevin Newton[4]
3. 30-Matt Johnson[2]
4. 10-Caleb Padgett[1]
5. 35S-Chris Hartman[5]
6. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[6]
DNS: 07-Tim Kent
DNS: 23D-Devon Dobie
DNS: 1H-Henry Chambers
DNS: 25GS-Eric Guyot
DNS: 44-Danny Sams III
Creek Co Speedway C-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 2D-Matt Sherrell[1]
2. 23S-Kyle Simon[3]
3. C71-Carter Jensrud[6]
4. 20W-Cody Weisensel[5]
5. 28B-Brandon Mattox[11]
6. 85J-Logan Julien[10]
7. 5G-PJ Gargiulo[12]
8. 67R-Ryan Roulette[2]
9. 20S-Shon Deskins[9]
10. 22M-Abby Hohlbein[4]
11. 57K-Kevin Studley[7]
12. 88P-Tony Penick[8]
Creek Co Speedway C-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 8L-Cooper Miller[9]
2. 41W-Brad Wyatt[3]
3. 40B-Josh Bilicki[1]
4. 71B-Braxton Cummings[2]
5. 111-Trevor Serbus[4]
6. 33R-Cameron Hagin[6]
7. 51X-Joe Walker[10]
8. 77J-John Klabunde[11]
9. 98B-Joe Boyles[8]
10. 9K-Jake Johnson[5]
11. 3U-Kevin Newton[12]
12. 28J-Joe Perry[7]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #1 (15 Laps)
1. 2D-Matt Sherrell[13]
2. 41J-Parker Jones[5]
3. 27X-Kalib Henry[7]
4. 23S-Kyle Simon[14]
5. 91-Jeff Stasa[10]
6. 73-Cole Wakim[12]
7. 20W-Cody Weisensel[16]
8. 97P-Ryker Pace[4]
9. 21S-Tim Creech II[9]
10. 10J-Sam Henderson[11]
11. 7-Shannon McQueen[8]
12. 91S-Xavier Doney[3]
13. 1M-Dodge Carlbert[6]
14. 14T-Caden Sarale[1]
15. 47-Danny Stratton[2]
16. C71-Carter Jensrud[15]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #2 (15 Laps)
1. 55T-Trevor Cline[2]
2. 14F-Brant Woods[1]
3. 41W-Brad Wyatt[14]
4. 11-Jacob Hughes[4]
5. 7R-Chance Crum[5]
6. 8L-Cooper Miller[11]
7. 5P-Cameron La Rose[7]
8. 55F-Johnny Kent[8]
9. 71B-Braxton Cummings[15]
10. 40B-Josh Bilicki[13]
11. 57A-Matthew Rechek[6]
12. 23T-Ashton Thompson[12]
13. 99K-Robert Carson[10]
14. 12H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[3]
15. 7S-Donnie Gentry[9]
DNS: 51F-Braden Chiaramonte
ST Motorsports A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 21CB-Christopher Bell[8]
2. 55X-CJ Leary[1]
3. 87W-Ryan Bernal[5]
4. 1S-Spencer Bayston[3]
5. 39G-Kyle Cummins[7]
6. 88-Tanner Thorson[6]
7. 89-Chris Windom[4]
8. 5-Karter Sarff[11]
9. 67-Jacob Denney[9]
10. 67A-Ashton Torgerson[2]
11. 2D-Matt Sherrell[17]
12. 81F-Frank Flud[13]
13. 21H-Brady Bacon[14]
14. 55T-Trevor Cline[16]
15. 19-Joel Myers Jr[10]
16. 20Q-Brecken Reese[12]
17. 41J-Parker Jones[19]
18. 27X-Kalib Henry[21]
19. 8B-Jeffrey Abbey[15]
20. 23S-Kyle Simon[23]
21. 41W-Brad Wyatt[20]
22. 14F-Brant Woods[18]
23. 11-Jacob Hughes[22]
DNS: 15D-Andrew Deal