They say one should never forget one’s roots, but for Christopher Bell, his ex-team seems to be in deep trouble. Christopher Bell’s roots in indoor racing run deep, and his early career was closely tied to Keith Kunz Motorsports, one of the most dominant midget racing outfits in the US. He joined KKM’s USAC and Chili Bowl program in 2013, replacing his now rival Kyle Larson, and quickly established himself as a rising star in open-wheel dirt competition. But in a series of unfortunate events, Bell’s former team is left scrambling with the 2026 Chili Bowl underway.

The 40th running of the Chili nationals hadn’t even moved beyond practice day before uncertainty crept in.

Buddy Kofoid has stepped away from the Keith Kunz No. 71W car, which is sidelined this week due to a medical issue, leaving one of the event’s top entries unexpectedly vacant.

Since making his Chili Bowl debut in 2020, the 24-year-old has been a constant threat in Tulsa. He even came agonizingly close to claiming the Golden Driller in 2024.

However, while he is still trying to catch up to Christopher Bell’s dirt racing resume, it is impossible to ignore the NASCAR driver’s standout achievements with the team.

Driving the iconic No. 71W for the Oklahoma-based team, the 31-year-old driver claimed the Chili Bowl Nationals championship three years in a row from 2017 to 2019, becoming one of the few drivers to achieve such a feat and cementing his legend in Tulsa’s famed indoor dirt race.

And while the Oklahoma native drove for the team in 2022 and 2025, 2026 is a different ball game altogether.

Bell has entered as an owner-driver in his own car, the No. 21 CB, under the Christopher Bell Racing banner. And while he isn’t driving for his traditional super team, Keith Kunz is now left scrambling for another driver.

Keith Kunz confirmed that potential substitutes were explored, but with the event already underway, the timing made a replacement impossible.

As a result, the car will remain parked when competition officially begins Monday in Tulsa, with the Race of Champions opening the event. But amid the rivalry with Kyle Larson and aiming to capture his fourth Golden Driller, Bell is more than determined to put his foot down.

Bell gets real about Chili Bowl’s unforgiving nature

With the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals around the corner, Christopher Bell is gearing up for another all-or-nothing run at one of dirt racing’s most unforgiving stages.

The NASCAR Cup driver is not tiptoeing around the challenge either, as he understands that the same track that built his legacy can just as easily derail it.

Speaking to FloRacing, the 31-year-old acknowledged both the prestige and the chaos that define the Chili Bowl.

“You get a lot of top drivers from different disciplines and people that don’t compete against each other all the time,” he said. “The Chili Bowl is hard to win because so many things have to go right, and you have to be lucky, but I’m going to go and say you can’t be unlucky.”

That reality is amplified by the demanding format. Drivers must navigate a grueling ladder of heats, qualifiers, and multiple main events just to earn a spot in Saturday night’s A-Main, where even a minor mistake earlier in the week can turn the path to the front into an uphill battle.

Add in a stacked field featuring stars from midget racing, sprint cars, and NASCAR, and predictability goes out the window. The Tulsa Expo Center’s tight, indoor dirt surface only adds to the challenge, with track conditions evolving nightly and forcing constant adjustments.

While Bell has proven he can master those variables, winning three straight Chili Bowls from 2017 to 2019, the Golden Driller has remained just out of reach in recent years.

Still, after returning to dirt competition following Joe Gibbs Racing’s policy change and reasserting his form, the Oklahoma native enters 2026 confident, motivated, and fully prepared to chase another Chili Bowl triumph.