Monday, January 12 kicked off the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa with the first preliminary program (2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night) and the always-stacked Invitational Race of Champions — and the headliners delivered.
Race of Champions: Bell goes wire-to-wire
Christopher Bell started the week by winning the Race of Champions, controlling the pace from the front and keeping challengers in check through traffic and restarts. Shane Golobic, Logan Seavey, Ryan Timms, and Spencer Bayston followed him to the line to round out the top five.
Monday Prelim A-Main: Larson storms from P4 to the win
When it came time for the 30-lap preliminary feature, Kyle Larson went to work immediately. Starting fourth, he picked off cars early, took command by Lap 10, and then managed the race from the front as the track tightened up and the pressure ramped. Briggs Danner made it a fight late, but Larson stayed clean and closed out the opening-night win.
Monday A-Main Top 10
- Kyle Larson
- Briggs Danner
- Cannon McIntosh
- Shane Golobic
- Jerry Coons Jr.
- Justin Peck
- Kameron Key
- Tanner Carrick
- Jakeb Boxell
- Nick Hoffman
Performance highlights: biggest movers, most points, and who capitalized
Biggest movers (A-Main positional gains)
If you’re looking for the “made it happen from the back” storylines, Monday had them.
- Trey Zorn was the biggest mover in the A-Main, gaining six positions (19th to 13th) with a calm, methodical run that avoided trouble and took advantage of openings as the race matured.
- Nick Hoffman advanced four spots (14th to 10th), steadily improving as the race went on.
- Trey Marcham gained four (16th to 12th) with a solid, mistake-free feature.
- Ryder McCutcheon gained four (23rd to 19th), surviving the chaos that swallowed others.
Most points earned (high-point runs)
Because Chili Bowl point totals reward both finishing and passing, some of Monday’s biggest “point nights” came from drivers who charged hard in heats and qualifiers:
- Cannon McIntosh posted one of the strongest total nights, highlighted by a heat-race drive from 6th to 1st and then backing it up with a podium in the A.
- Kameron Key also produced a massive point swing with a heat run from 6th to 1st, then stayed in the mix in the feature to cap a high-value night.
- Jake Andreotti delivered one of the more impressive heat charges, moving from 8th to 2nd, then continued grinding through the night to make and improve in the A.
- Briggs Danner paired a heat charge from 7th to 2nd with a feature runner-up — exactly the kind of “clean and fast” night that sets up a strong week.
Quietly strong: the guys who did everything right
Not every standout performance is flashy. Monday also rewarded drivers who simply executed:
- Justin Peck stayed composed through the program and finished 6th in the A-Main — the type of result that keeps you positioned well as the week gets nastier.
- Jerry Coons Jr. ran up front all night and finished 5th, continuing to prove that experience and decision-making still matter when the track turns slick.
Crashes, flips, and near-misses: Monday got wild
It wouldn’t be Chili Bowl without some bent hardware, and Monday delivered plenty of moments that changed nights instantly.
- The program saw multiple flips and several hard crashes, especially in the transfer races where desperation is always highest.
- A handful of drivers had their nights ended early with front-end damage after getting collected in stacked-up turn-one moments on restarts.
- Even the winner had to survive it: Larson was involved in a mid-race incident/near-disaster in the A-Main but avoided major damage — and once he escaped, he went right back on the attack and never looked back.
What Monday told us about the week ahead
Opening night didn’t decide the Golden Driller — but it absolutely set the tone. Larson looked every bit like a threat to win the whole thing, Danner proved he can run with anyone in traffic and under pressure, and McIntosh showed the kind of speed-plus-racecraft combo that racks up points fast.
And the wrecks? That’s your reminder: at Tulsa, speed is necessary — but survival is mandatory.
