TULSA, Okla. (January 13, 2025) The 39th annual Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink kicked off with a thrilling finish as Kyle Larson edged out Shane Golobic to secure his eighth career preliminary night victory during Monday's 2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night.
"It was a great race, but I need to improve significantly. It took a lot of effort to get back to the front, so we'll work harder and aim for better results on Saturday," Larson commented on his performance.
Starting the feature in fourth, Larson dropped to seventh on the first lap as Shane Golobic took the lead, followed by Tanner Carrick and Briggs Danner. Quickly moving into contention, Danner attacked the cushion, attempting to overtake Golobic on Lap 7. However, a hard hit into the cushion sent the Alex Bowman Racing No. 55i flipping violently in the fourth turn. Briggs was unharmed.
Next in line for the lead, Cannon McIntosh took charge on Lap 9 and maintained the lead until Lap 23 when Golobic slipped ahead by 0.056 seconds. As they exchanged slide jobs, a caution brought the field to a halt, setting up a five-lap dash to the finish.
With Larson climbing back to third, the chase was on, as the FloRacing.com No. 1k overtook McIntosh for second on the restart. A final caution set the stage for a green, white, checkered showdown, with Larson surging ahead for the lead as they approached the white flag.
Fending off Shane Golobic's final challenge, Larson claimed victory by 0.278 seconds. Golobic, finishing second, will join Larson in Saturday's show. Cannon McIntosh rounded out Monday's podium.
Brent Crews finished fourth, overcoming a flip in his Heat Race that placed the No. 71m in the third starting position for the first C-Feature. Charging from 13th to first in the opening Ferguson Supply B-Feature, Crews capped off the night with a run from 17th to fourth. Ashton Torgerson completed the top five.
Monday's 2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night featured 66 drivers competing. The night included the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions, where Christopher Bell secured his third career win.
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