(Image Credit: David Campbell)
CHRISTOPHER BELL WINS NON-WING OUTLAW CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
Bryan Hulbert – TULSA, Okla. (January 4, 2025) In what will go down as possibly the wildest 55 lap event ever contested atop Tulsa Expo Raceway clay, the final race of the 40th annual Smiley’s Racing Products Tulsa Shootout powered by NOS Energy Drink came down to a slide job throwing, literal wall riding showdown between Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, with Bell fending off the charge of Larson by 0.188-seconds at the checkered flag.
“I’ve got four words. Thank you Joe Gibbs” echoed through the SageNet Center as Bell stood in Victory Lane. Met with cheers of approval, Bell continued, “I live for moments like that. Driving these racecars, especially here in Tulsa, there is nothing else like it, and maybe after today, Kyle [Larson] will actually like Micros and want to come back.”
Chasing Blake Hahn at the start, Bell was left to contend with Aiden Purdue, who snagged second on the opening lap. Rounding the hub for the first few laps, the field began migrating up the track just after the tenth revolution.
Still working the bottom, restarts would see Purdue shoot the top on one and Bell the other as Hahn began altering his line top in one and two, bottom in three and four. Trading lines through a few mid-race restarts, Purdue fell to third on Lap 16 with Bell in hot pursuit. Having to reset approach as the pair pulled even more than once, Bell would finally take over on Lap 36.
Getting some distance as 10th starting Emerson Axsom rolled to second, the pair were about to be left in the dust as Steven Snyder, Jr. came roaring to the front of the field from the 21st starting spot on Lap 44, but as the saying goes “it’s not over, ‘til it’s over” and that would come to fruition two laps later when Snyder slammed the cushion entering the first and second turns. Trying valiantly to hold on, it was not to be as the right rear tire flattened.
Staying green until Lap 50, Bell led on the restart with Axsom with Larson in tow.
Runner-up next time around after Axsom bounced hard off the cushion, Larson went from running to the wall, to running on the wall. Using the nearly two-foot tall cushion as a launch pad at both ends of the Tulsa Expo Raceway, Larson nearly put all four tires on the stacked clay and set his sights on Bell.
To the final lap and only a few car lengths separating them to the backstretch, Larson switched tactics entering the final two turns. Following Bell’s line to the bottom, the No. 83k stayed on the hub as Bell slid to the cushion. Pulling even for the lead off the final turn, Bell would not be denied. Larson, in second, was followed by Emerson Axsom. Fourth went to Ricky Thornton, Jr., with K.J. Snow moving 18th to fifth.
A record-setting year for the Smiley’s Racing Products Tulsa Shootout powered by NOS Energy Drink, 1,855 entries were received for the 2025 event, with 1,798 confirmed among 762 drivers from 43 states and five countries driving 1,105 cars. A total of 389 races were contested, with 3,682 green flag laps completed.
Kyle Larson was the only repeat winner on the night, with wins in A-Class and Outlaw. First-time winners included Brent Crews in Stock Non-Wing, Haidyn Hansen in Restricted, and Brexton Busch in Junior Sprints.
Hyper Racing Outlaw Non-Wing consisted of 411 drivers.
The Smiley’s Racing Products Tulsa Shootout takes place at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, located inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Okla. Fans can also follow the Smiley’s Racing Products Tulsa Shootout at https://www.facebook.com/TulsaShootout and on Twitter (@TulsaShootout).
40th Smiley’s Racing Products Tulsa Shootout
Tulsa Expo Raceway (Tulsa, Okla.)
Saturday, January 4, 2025
A-Feature
Hyper Race 389 | A Main (55 Laps): 1. 21X-Christopher Bell[2]; 2. 83K-Kyle Larson[14]; 3. 10J-Emerson Axsom[10]; 4. 20R-Ricky Thornton Jr[7]; 5. 24X-KJ Snow[18]; 6. 52-Blake Hahn[1]; 7. 14R-Jake Nail[8]; 8. 71S-Clinton Boyles[5]; 9. 37-Aiden Purdue[3]; 10. 72J-Sam Johnson[11]; 11. 95B-James Roselli[22]; 12. 15N-Neal Allison[20]; 13. 16-Chase Porter[12]; 14. 11K-Kaylee Bryson[4]; 15. (DNF) 44X-Jeffery Pahule[13]; 16. (DNF) 21S-Steven Snyder Jr[21]; 17. (DNF) 11L-Landon Henry[15]; 18. (DNF) 51F-Gary Taylor[19]; 19. (DNF) 12K-Dylan Kadous[16]; 20. (DNF) 21-Cash Lovenburg[6]; 21. (DNF) 8S-Corbin Rueschenberg[23]; 22. (DNF) 74C-Sheldon Creed[17]; 23. (DNF) 66-Broedy Graham[9]; 24. (DNF) 2R-Brandon Rose[24]
Bryan Hulbert | Tulsa Shootout | Photo: David Campbell
