"Holy smokes": Kaylee Bryson on racing alongside Kyle Larson and other NASCAR stars

Kyle Larson started second during Tuesday night's preliminary feature at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma and led the majority of the laps. However, Buddy Kofoid overtook him in the final few circuits to win the race. Behind them was Kaylee Bryson in third place.

Ecstatic to be competing alongside Kyle Larson and other NASCAR stars, Bryson told Matt Weaver after the race:

"It feels pretty good. I am out here racing with the best of the best. It's humbling me. I think these guys are teaching me something. I'm racing hard every lap and I can't ask for anything more."

She won Heat #7 for her team, Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, and became one of only three women ever to advance to Saturday's B main. If she finishes seventh or above, Kaylee Rae Bryson could become the first woman ever to feature in Saturday's A main.

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Kyle Larson full of praise for Buddy Kofoid

Buddy Kofoid's charge on the defending champion stopped Kyle Larson from picking up five consecutive Tuesday night preliminary victories. It was Kofoid's first-ever Chili Bowl preliminary night victory. Beating the NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time defending champion of the Chili Bowl must have made it all the more special.

"It's huge. It was one of the most fun races I've ever had and probably one of the toughest races I've been a part of. It's special to come into this building and have success but also know you're locked in on Saturday."

Post-race, Kyle Larson was full of praise for his opponent:

"I've watched Buddy since he was like four. I've always known that he's really good. He always had the Steve Kinser look-a-like car. So yeah, I've always known that he was good. I remember like watching him at Lakeport when he was running Box Stocks and coming home and telling my dad that this kid is going to be extremely good. It's weird because I had to convince my dad and now my dad is the biggest Buddy Kofoid advocate that there is!"

Not only that, but Larson also called Kofoid a mixture of Christopher Bell and himself:

"It's cool to get to race with a fellow Outlaw Kart kid from California and see how good he is in all types of cars that he runs. I would say watching him he's like a mixture of (Christopher) Bell and I. I would say at times he's way more aggressive than I am but he can be smooth like Bell."

Larson had dropped down to third following a slip-up but a final-lap charge saw him finish runner-up and secure a spot in Saturday's A main.