Kyle Larson won the first night of qualification races for the Chili Bowl at River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, OK, on Tuesday after taking the lead from pole-sitter Zach Daum on lap eight in a family-owned car. 

Larson automatically advances to the A-Main on Saturday night with the victory, where he will start sixth.

Larson clearly had the best car from the opening laps, challenging Daum as soon as the green flag waved, but he showed patience during those first circuits around the track. A caution on lap five gave him the opportunity to ride the cushion and make the pass for the lead.

"I knew if I could get some momentum built up I could get by Daum on the top, and I was just hoping he didn't move up," Larson said. "But he left me a lane and I was able to get the lead. After that, I just ran a decent pace, but I knew I could run harder."

Once Larson got the lead, he was uncontested for the remainder of the race. But there was plenty that still needed to be decided. The top three in each qualification night advance directly to Saturday’s A. Everyone else goes through the alphabet soup that determines the ultimate lineup.

Daum came under assault from Brad Sweet. As the two navigated traffic, they came upon the flipped over car of Travis Rilat five laps from the end of the race. Daum was forced to brake hard — stalling his engine and sending him to 16th.

Sweet and Tyler Courtney, who finished in third, kept Larson in sight, but the margin at the checkers was more than one second.

The first driver on the outside looking in was Tom Harris, who was also the Hard Charger after starting 13th. Logan Seavey finished fifth.

The run of the night may have come from 16-year-old Giovanni Scelzi, who was competing in his first Chili Bowl. While his sixth-place finish will not automatically advance him to the big show, it puts him in a strong position to qualify in Saturday’s program.

Other notables in night one were Brad Loyet in eighth place, Justin Allgaier in 13th, and Kyle Hirst in 19th.

Top 10 Finishers
1. Kyle Larson
2. Brad Sweet
3. Tyler Courtney
4. Tom Harris
5. Logan Seavey
6. Giovanni Scelzi
7. Jake Neuman
8. Brad Loyet
9. Scott Evans
10. Justin Peck