Kyle Larson loses to NASCAR rival in Chili Bowl showdown

Kyle Larson limped into this year's Chili Bowl Nationals action in Tulsa, finishing just seventh in Monday's Race of Champions.

Larson's Cup Series rival Christopher Bell won the invitational race for the second year in a row and fourth time in total, although it was his first win in a car that he also owns.

The 2025 Cup champion did fight back later in the evening though, winning his Monday preliminary feature after starting fourth in the 30-lap A Main.

Larson was leading the race by the tenth lap and, despite a couple of cautions (including one which came from contact when he was attempting to lap Gaige Weldon), he stayed at the front of the field until the end.

Larson ready for run at fourth title

That win puts Larson directly into Saturday's championship feature race, saying after the race: “My car felt good, and I was making decent decisions in traffic. Then one lapper (Weldon) tried to rip back around me and then lane changed into (Turn) 3 and I tagged him. It kind of calmed the race down.

“It’s good to be back in position for Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Bell won't be back for his own preliminary night until Thursday.

Speaking after the Race of Champions, he said of racing his own equipment: “This makes everything a whole lot more stressful. I was about ready to puke before the race. I was like, ‘Is it right? Is it wrong? What are we doing?’ I think it just makes the triumph so much more rewarding.”

When are NASCAR drivers qualifying at the Chili Bowl?

Live TV and streaming details

All of the action from the 2026 Chili Bowl is set to be shown live on Flo Racing.

As well as watching on FloRacing.com, fans hoping to catch the racing action can also do so on their Smart TVs, mobile phones and tablets, with the FloSports app available on Roku, FireTV, Samsung, LG, Google Play Store, and the Apple Store.

READ MORE: Chili Bowl 2026: Schedule, format and how to watch Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell live