Almost a year ago, Christopher Bell bested Kyle Larson. The clash between the two skilled racers happens not just on NASCAR tracks, but also on dirt tracks. And the latest one that grabbed fans’ attention was at the 2025 Tulsa Shootout. Bell won the non-wing outlaw feature, beating Larson in a nail-biting finish to the 55-lap feature race. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is rolling up his sleeves for a comeback.

Kyle Larson is ready for his rival

“Christopher and I have had a bunch of good battles, good close finishes in that building. More often than not, he has come out ahead of me. But it seems as though in the midget, we’ve been able to get the better of him. So hopefully, keep that going,” Kyle Larson said in an interview with FloRacing.

The 2026 Tulsa Shootout is already building up the hype, as drivers are targeting Golden Driller trophies. From December 30 through January 3, hundreds of drivers from across the United States and several foreign countries will converge on Tulsa. Among them, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell will stand out in terms of their long-standing rivalry. Memories of his loss against Bell are still fresh in Larson’s mind, so he is meticulously preparing.

“That was a super fun race,” Kyle Larson continued, describing his clash with Christopher Bell in 2025. “Steven Snyder Jr. actually smoked by all of us and was flying like well on his way to win.” He continued, “Then he was able to get the second on that last restart and chase Christopher, but he was running a line where it’s gonna be difficult to pass him, at least in the short amount of laps. I think if I’d had a couple more, it could have sized up a little bit better of a run. But I was able to try to hit the bottom of the last corner, and you know, try to beat him to the straightaway. But he got a good run off the cushion.”

In the 2025 race, Kyle Larson stormed to second in the final handful of circuits. On the final lap, he used the outer cushion to his advantage in Turns 1 and 2 and rocketed to Bell’s rear bumper down the backstretch. Bell sent his car high into Turn 3 with Larson around the bottom. However, Bell maintained the advantage with an enormous run off Turn 4 to win. Yet Larson has clearly evaluated his rival’s race strategies. So, in the upcoming Tulsa Shootout, Bell may have a tougher challenge in defending his trophy.

Meanwhile, a Cup Series team is gearing up for its novel sprint racing efforts.

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A fresh venture

For the past two years, Spire Motorsports has been developing. From recruiting racing phenom Carson Hocevar to purchasing Kyle Busch Motorsports’ property, the team is on a path to stardom. But before the Cup Series team starts the 2026 NASCAR schedule, it will embark on a sprint racing journey. Spire will campaign a 410 winged sprint car entry full-time for the 66-race Kubota High Limit Racing series, co-owned by Kyle Larson and his brother. It will have standout open-wheel pilot Giovanni “Gio” Scelzi and crew chief Eric Prutzman. Spire’s fresh group is also going to the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals.

“Going on the road with High Limit is like a dream come true, and to do this with people I have deep respect and appreciation for makes it even better,” said Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “We’ve worked with and for Kyle (Larson), Brad (Sweet), Kendra (Jacobs), and JP (Josh Peterman) for years, and I have an immense amount of gratitude to them for not only building a great series but for making a series that offers long-term growth to all of us in a sport we all love.”

He added, “We are not a NASCAR team that is going dirt racing. We are dirt racers who happen to have a NASCAR team. This is in our blood, and we can’t wait to get to Vegas in March.”

The sprint racing world will get a unique twist in 2026. Let’s wait and see what unfolds as Kyle Larson gears up for a fresh bout of rivalry.