CHILI BOWL: Bell takes charge on qualifying night

Chris Bell put on a clinic but Jerry Coons Jr. and Shane Cottle put on a show Thursday night during the third round of preliminaries for Saturday night's 30th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl.

Starting on the pole in his Keith Kunz-prepared Toyota-powered Bullet, Bell led all 30 laps and cruised to the checkered flag to earn an automatic berth in what has become the biggest midget race of the season.

"I grew up here so this race is really special to me, I think it's the best race in the world and I want to win it," said Bell, who was snapped up by Toyota last year and will run a full season of NASCAR trucks in 2016. "My car is really good but so are my teammates, we all have equal equipment, so it's going to be a dogfight."

FROM LEFT: Shane Cottle (3rd), Bell, Jerry Coons, Jr.(2nd)

Defending champ Rico Abreu is part of the Kunz armada that also included Tanner Thorson, Shane Stewart and Kyle Larson. But behind Bell it was a war between some short track veterans.

Multi-USAC champ Tracy Hines and NASCAR regulars Jason Algier and Ricky Stenhouse put on a thrilling duel with Danny Stratton for the third-place transfer spot until Hines and Cottle came charging to the front.
Starting 10th, the 40-year-old Coons picked up a spot a lap until snatching second on lap 20 while Cottle found the low groove and rocketed from 14th to take third from C.J. Leary on the last lap.

"Not bad for an old guy," said Coons, a multi-USAC champion from Tucson who has now qualified for an amazing 13 A Main in a row at the dirt race that drew 334 entries this year.

Cottle, a burly sprint-car gasser from Kokomo, Ind., tried running the cushion but quickly moved to the bottom. "I wasn't going anywhere but I really got hooked up on the bottom and that was fun," he said.