Fans were left with plenty to talk about following Saturday’s finale of the 40th annual Tulsa Shootout on FloRacing. Before the Chili Bowl Nationals take center stage next week inside the SageNet Center, we wanted to look back at what most are talking about after “The Mecca of Micros.”

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THEY MAKE TULSA BETTER

There was a bit of buzz on the internet regarding NASCAR superstars Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell competing in the Tulsa Shootout, long heralded as the biggest Micro Sprint event in the world. Make no mistake, the appearance of Yung Money and C-Bell only elevates the event, the competitors, and their beloved status in grassroots racing. These are two of the most prominent drivers in American Motorsports and they chose to spend their New Year’s racing against 1,798 entries with everything to lose and only Golden Drillers to gain. In the end, they gave us one of the most iconic finishes in Tulsa Shootout history and brought more eyes to the event than it has ever seen.

🏆 @CBellRacing wins the Outlaw Non-Wing Golden Driller in an aboslute classic at the #TulsaShootout presented by @NosEnergyDrink!@TulsaShootout pic.twitter.com/tWIrLrvhJL

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 5, 2025

C-BELL IS SO BACK

The entirety of dirt racing shared Christopher Bell’s sentiment when he shouted out “THANK YOU, JOE GIBBS” in victory lane after winning a wild Non-Wing Outlaw 55-lapper. After spending the last two years away from the Tulsa Shootout, Chili Bowl Nationals, and dirt racing as a whole, JGR’s restrictions were lifted and the Norman, Oklahoma native returned to a place that he considers home: the Tulsa Expo. His long-awaited return lived up to the hype as he out-dueled Kyle Larson in the closing laps of an all-time great finish, winning his fifth-overall Golden Driller by a mere 0.188-seconds - this one being extra special as his first title owning his own car. The emotion he expressed afterwards showed the world just how much he missed this side of the sport, and how close he holds dirt racing to his heart.

VIDEO: "Thank you, Joe Gibbs" were the words from Christopher Bell following his Tulsa Shootout win. 

LARSON DOUBLES UP

Way back in 2013, Kyle Larson released a popular shirt that read “I’ll race anything, anywhere, anytime.” Here we are in the year 2025 and it still couldn’t be any more true. After winning the $100,000 High Limit International debut at Australia’s Perth Motorplex, "Yung Money" stayed up all night for a flight from Perth to Sydney, then made a 24-minute connection at LAX, flew to Tulsa and barely made it in time for the first heat race. It was his first appearance at the Tulsa Shootout since he won a Silver Driller in Outlaw Karts in 2010, and it produced epic results. He became the seventh driver in event history to win two Golden Drillers in one night, topping a thrilling Winged Outlaw finish between himself, TJ Smith, Tommy Kunsman, Emerson Axsom and Daison Pursley, then coming all the way from 12th to win a wild one in A-Class.

VIDEO: Highlights from a wild Winged A-Class feature at the Tulsa Shootout. 

BREXTON’S BIGGEST WIN YET

The Jr. Sprint division doesn’t know how to disappoint at the Tulsa Shootout. This year, it was none other than 9-year-old Brexton Busch, the son of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, who took home the Golden Driller back to Mooresville, NC. It’s the biggest win yet for Brexton, who appears to be putting together what should become a promising career as he looks to piece together his own legacy.

Proud parents @KyleBusch & @SamanthaBusch after @brextonbusch's Driller victory at the #TulsaShootout presented by @NosEnergyDrink pic.twitter.com/zN5jN3jcY2

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 5, 2025

HANSEN HUSTLES TO HISTORY BOOKS

At 14-years-old, North Platte, Nebraska’s Haidyn Hansen wrote her way into the Tulsa Shootout history books on Saturday night. Dominating the Restricted A-Main from the third-starting spot, Hansen became the fourth female in event history to score a Golden Driller from the micro sprint divisions. She joins a trio of girls to do it before her including California’s Dahnelynn McKay (2012-13), Oklahoma’s Kaylee Bryson (2015) and California’s Jade Avedisian (2020).

VIDEO: Haidyn Hansen reacts after winning the Tulsa Shootout Restricted A-Class feature. 

CREWS CLAIMS HIS FIRST

The NASCAR connections in victory lane didn’t end with names like Larson, Bell, and Busch. It also extended down to Stock Non-Wing champion Brent Crews. A client of Kevin Harvick’s KHI Management Group, the 16-year-old native of Denver, NC has been on the radar of NASCAR owners for a few years now and last night, picked up the biggest win of his dirt racing career. Crews has been coming to the Tulsa Shootout since he was 11-years-old and contending for multiple wins.

VIDEO On-board with Brent Crews for his Stock Non-Wing Tulsa Shootout victory.

SNYDER MAKES A STATEMENT

Unfortunately for Steven Snyder Jr., his heartbreak led to the fortune of thousands and thousands of race fans in creating the Bell vs. Larson finish in Outlaw Non-Wing. Don’t be fooled, though, this 18-year-old kid from Rising Sun, MD was the class of the field in the 55-lapper. Coming from way back in the 21st starting position, Snyder’s Hyper Racing No. 21S was in a different zip code than anyone else. Restarting in seventh on Lap 36, he flew by the likes of Bell, Larson, Axsom, RTJ, Snow, Boyles, Hahn and Purdue to take the lead on Lap 44. There is no doubt he was on his way to his first Golden Driller had things not gone south when he slowed and eventually pulled in on Lap 48, ending a heroic bid that should put his name even further on the map.

YOUNG GUNS SHINE ON BIG STAGE

While Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Brent Crews took home the Stock/Outlaw titles, plenty of more young guns made a name for themselves with their performances on Saturday night. Drivers like Steven Snyder Jr., Emerson Axsom, and Daison Pursley have proven to lead the next generation, but there are even younger stars coming behind them.

Parker Perry of North Vernon, IN made the most noise of this group, landing on the outside pole of A-Class and leading several laps before finishing second behind Larson. In that same race, California’s Jett Yantis went to work with a hard-charging effort all the way from 21st to third to join the podium. Other occurrences such as Garrett Benson claiming a Winged Outlaw top-10 and Braden Chiaramonte qualifying for three A-Mains come to mind. Also noteworthy is top-10 finishes by Jake Nail, Aiden Purdue, Sam Johnson, Cole Schroeder, Wout Hoffmans, Gaige Weldon, Shawn Mahaffey and Kole Kirkman.

PLAYING BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL

For more than a half-decade now, Clinton Boyles has played an integral part in FloRacing’s broadcast of the Tulsa Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals. This week, the Greenwood, MO native got the chance to play both sides of the ball in a sense, splitting time calling races in the booth and running races on the track for car owners Bernie and Betsy Stuebgen in the Indy Race Parts No. 71. After a sensational start to the week by winning all four Heat Races, Boyles locked-in for two A-Mains with both giving him a shot at a Golden Driller toward the front. One of the most dramatic moments of the week came in a heated battle for the A-Class win when Boyles and Pursley came together on Lap 12, sending Pursley flipping and knocking Boyles out of the race, which led to a brief altercation at the top of the ramp. His weekend ended with another run at the front in the Outlaw Non-Wing finale, ultimately finishing eighth.

CRACKING DOWN ON COMPETITORS

Over recent years, the Tulsa Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals have quietly undergone a few staffing changes - it’s felt quiet because they’ve all been the right moves, and turned out effective. Matt Ward moving to Director of Operations and Zach Chappell taking his spot as Competition Director first come to mind, but the 2025 Tulsa Shootout also saw the addition of Cody Cordell as Technical Director - bringing decades of experience in the Micro, Midget, and Sprint ranks as a competitor, crew member, and official. This week’s Tulsa Shootout saw six competitors disqualified mid-week from tire samples and on Saturday night, multiple engine builders were tasked with tearing down the power plants of competitors to fully ensure they’re stock and legal. It was a move appreciated by many and created a mob-like scene in awe when fans gathered around to watch the process happen in front of the whole building.