TULSA, Okla. — Four Chili Bowl Nationals winners are among the 363 drivers entered in the 38th running of the prestigious event that begins Jan. 8 at Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the SageNet Center.
Defending race winner Logan Seavey leads the group and he will defend his title aboard Kevin Swindell’s familiar No. 39 entry which he wheeled to an attention-grabbing victory in last year’s event. Seavey went on to win the USAC national midget title, driving for Abacus Racing.
Tanner Thorson, who won the Chili Bowl in 2022 with Reinbold Underwood, will wheel his own No. 88 midget, while five-time Chili Bowl winner Sammy Swindell guides his familiar No. 1 entry.
Finally, Tim McCreadie, who won the Chili Bowl in 2006, will drive for Hayward Motorsports.
Recent winners Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu and Christopher Bell are not entered in this year’s event.
• Two-time USAC national midget champion Buddy Kofoid will continue to chase his first Chili Bowl Nationals victory by returning to the stacked Keith Kunz Motorsports operation, which will field 13 cars in Tulsa.
The other KKM drivers for the Chili Bowl are Gavan Boschele, Taylor Reimer, Ryan Timms, Brent Crews, Emerson Axsom, Jade Avedisian, Mariah Ede, Kale Drake, Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller, Tom Harris and Tanner Carrick.
• In addition to entries for Sammy Swindell and Seavey, Kaylee Bryson will guide a third Swindell Motorsports with Bertrand Motorsports entry. Bryson was the first female driver to make the Chili Bowl main event in 2022 and has qualified for the feature in consecutive years.
• Abacus Racing, which claimed the 2023 USAC midget championship with Logan Seavey at the controls, will field a trio of Chili Bowl entries with World of Outlaws veteran David Gravel, two-time All Star sprint car champion Tyler Courtney and New Zealand midget master Michael Pickens at the controls.
• NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe returns to his dirt-track roots behind the wheel of one of two Chase Briscoe Racing entries. Dirt late model and modified standout Kyle Strickler will wheel the second Briscoe entry.
• While he will not compete in the Chili Bowl, Cup Series driver Alex Bowman will field a three-car midget team with veteran drivers C.J. Leary, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Jake Swanson in the seats.
Ashton Torgerson was involved in the wreck, and fans watched his car flip several times. The 16-year-old Oregon native was ejected from the car. Medical personnel rushed over to him, and he was taken to a hospital.
"Ashton is awake and alert at the hospital. He has feeling in hands and feet and has passed his tests so far," the company said in a tweet. "He’s now going into scans. We will continue to keep you posted." Petersen Media, who does PR for Torgerson Racing, offered an update on Torgerson.
Ashton is sore and has been resting. The CT came back with some blood in the brain, so they continue to monitor. Dr's are amazed that he is doing so well. The support from everyone has been amazing.
All persons and bags are subject to search by Expo Square security Small bags and purses are allowed Small seat cushions (without backs) can be brought it along with blankets. Cushions and Blankets cannot be taped to the grandstands Expo Staff will remove them.
Expo Square does not allow the following into the Grandstands:
Trade Show: A long standing tradition at the Chili Bowl, the Trade Show, which is open to the public each day (Tuesday through Saturday), is free of charge. All variety of racing products, apparel and more is available with well over 100 vendors. The Trade Show still has space available. Anyone looking to be a part of the Trade Show can contact the Chili Bowl office at 918-838-3777. The Trade Show covers approximately 20,000 square feet.
Chili Bowl Online: All official news regarding the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl National presented by General Tire can be found at http://www.chilibowl.com. Updates throughout the Chili Bowl can be found via Facebook and Twitter.
Event Coverage: The Chili Bowl will be show online on http://www.floracing.com until Saturday night. At time of opening ceremonies on Saturday, the final features will be shown live on the MAVTV Motorsports Network and online with MAVTV Plus.
For a complete listing of channels, and to request MAVTV, log onto http://www.mavtv.com.
What You Need to Know about the 32nd Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is an indoor midget car racing event. It takes place at the Tulsa Expo Center in January, just two weeks after Christmas. It has been described as the "biggest Midget race of the year".
The 1987 inaugural "Super Bowl of Midget Racing" event consisted of just fifty-two midgets competing in the 2-day event. This year there are three hundred and thirty-seven (137) drivers per-registered to participate.
Christopher Bell
The 2018 Entry List Includes Past Winners:
Christopher Bell (2017)
Rico Abreu (2016 & 2015)
Sammy Swindell (2009)
Damion Gardner (2008)
Tracy Hines (2005)
Cory Kruseman (2004)
Other Recognizable Names:
A.J. Fike
Chase Briscoe
J.J. Yeley
Justin Allgaier
Kasey Kahne
Kyle Larson
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Christopher Bell will be rolling into Tulsa Expo Center on a high note – a Tulsa ShootOut Win!
Got to ✔️ another one of my childhood dreams tonight. What a special year! 🏁 https://t.co/s5znDiKTyR
2014 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Winner Bryan Clauson was involved in a midget car crash at Belleville High-Banks Speedway on August 6, 2017 in Belleville, Kansas. He died the following night.
2018 Event Information
What: 32nd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl presented by General Tire
Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – quarter - mile clay oval inside the River Spirit Expo Center at Tulsa's Expo Square
When: January 9-13, 2018
Tuesday, January 9 – Warren CAT Qualifying Night plus 9th annual VIROC Wednesday, January 10 – Hard Rock Casino Qualifying Night Thursday, January 11 – John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night Friday, January 12 – Vacuworx Global Qualifying Night Saturday, January 13 – Lucas Oil Championship Feature Events
Bell Becomes Second Native Oklahoma to Win in Race’s 31 Year History
Starting from the outside of the front row, Bell stayed near the front of the field for much of the fifty-five laps to capture the prestigious Golden Driller trophy.
“You know, I’ve been in this position before,” Bell said. “I think this is the third time I’ve started on the front row and I would run into trouble because I was pushing too hard.
Pole sitter Justin Grant led the first 25 laps in the Clauson-Marshal No. 39BC (in memory of 2014 Chili Bowl champion, the late Bryan Clauson). But from that point on, it was Bell’s race.
“I’m speechless right now,” Bell told ChiliBowl.com. “I’ve been coming to this building for so long trying to win one of these things, and I thought I was really close to one at the Shootout a couple weeks ago, but we had a lot of bad luck but I’ll trade all that bad luck in for this Driller right here. This means the world to me.”
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Lucas Oil/General Tire Championship Night
Event Count: 365 (New Record)
Although there were six NASCAR drivers entered in the record 365-driver overall Chili Bowl field, only two made the championship race: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished 16th, and K&N Pro Series driver Chase Briscoe, who finished 22nd (DNF).
Other NASCAR drivers Kyle Larson, J.J. Yeley and Justin Allgaier fell short in their efforts to reach the main event.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Claims a New Event High Driver Count
Can Rico Abreau become the Winner for the Third Year In a Row?
The final day of qualifying for the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire was one filled with emotion as California's Justin Grant found Victory Lane for the first time in Preliminary Night competition; and did it in a Clauson-Marshall mount one year after Bryan Clauson took his final checkered flag atop the clay of the Tulsa Expo Raceway.
"No, I can't even try," said Grant of putting the win into words. "But I'm not going to say I'm carrying on (Bryan Clauson's) legacy at all. That would be not even a chance. He was incredible. He was such a big deal. I guess we didn't really appreciate how big of a deal he was until we lost him. It's incredible to see how many people are behind him and behind that. It is a lot pressure."
Making three first time winners in four nights of racing, Grant was the class of the field with all 25 laps of the Vacuworx Night feature credited to his torrid pace.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire Tulsa Expo Raceway - Tulsa, Okla. Saturday, January 14, 2017 Lucas Oil/General Tire Championship Night
Event Count: 365 (New Record)
A-Feature:
A Feature: Lineup
55 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Justin Grant-39BC
2-Christopher Bell-71W
3-Tyler Courtney-7BC
4-Travis Berryhill-31
5-Jake Swanson-68W
6-Danny Stratton-47
7-Larry Wight-99W
8-Daryn Pittman-21
9-Ronnie Gardner-68
10-C.J. Leary-25C
11-Zach Daum-5D
12-Colby Copeland-51X
B-Features: Top 6 advance to the A-Feature
B Feature 1: Lineup
20 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Shane Golobic-17W
2-Gary Taylor-05T
3-Michael Faccinto-35F
4-Jonathan Beason-8J
5-Tracy Hines-24
6-Ryan Robinson-71
7-D.J. Netto-3C
8-Tom Harris-4H
9-Jerry Coons Jr-5
10-Donny Schatz-15
11-Tim McCreadie-47X
12-Matt Sherrell-35
13-Gage Walker-7XX
14-Brent Beauchamp-2A
B Feature 2: Lineup
20 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Ricky Stenhouse Jr-17BC
2-Alex Bright-77
3-Andrew Deal-15D
4-Tyler Thomas-91T
5-Damion Gardner-71G
6-Chase Briscoe-5CB
7-Jason Johnson-41
8-Sammy Swindell-1
9-Dave Darland-11AG
10-Steven Shebester-82M
11-Justin Peck-5X
12-Casey Shuman-32
13-Cody Lampe-2J
14-Joey Saldana-17
C-Features: Top 6 advance to the corresponding B-Feature
C Feature 1: Lineup
15 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Ryan Smith-55X
2-Parker Price-Miller-9P
3-Jac Haudenschild-73X
4-Aaron Reutzel-5H
5-Robby Josett-2
6-Paul McMahan-4P
7-Chad Boat-84X
8-R.J. Johnson-51J
9-Tanner Berryhill-17B
10-Brenden Bright-92
11-Chris Cochran-14K
12-Kevin Thomas Jr-66
13-Justin Allgaier-7A
14-Trey Marcham-32T
C Feature 2: Lineup
15 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Cory Kruseman-21K
2-Michael Pickens-25MP
3-Cory Elliott-11E
4-Dylan Westbrook-47W
5-Tanner Thorson-67
6-Brad Loyet-5
7-Bricen James-45X
8-David Gravel-5E
9-Alex Schutte-17R
10-Spencer Bayston-97K
11-Coleman Gulick-14C
12-Danny Sheridan-51S
13-Anton Hernandez-25H
14-Ryan Greth-4R
D-Features: Top 6 advance to the corresponding C-Feature
D Feature 1: Lineup
15 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Thomas Meseraull-1R
2-Colten Cottle-5C
3-Nick Knepper-37
4-Mike Hess-3H
5-Hunter Schuerenberg-51F
6-A.J. Fike-69
7-Ace McCarthy-28A
8-Kyle Larson-71K
9-Davey Ray-2T
10-Kevin Bayer-91K
11-J.J. Yeley-1ST
12-Tony Bruce Jr-18
13-Grady Chandler-00C
14-Andrew Felker-11A
D Feature 2: Lineup
15 laps
Start-Driver-Car
1-Holly Shelton-67K
2-Wesley Smith-44X
3-Sam Hafertepe Jr-15H
4-Danny Faria Jr-11D
5-Steve Buckwalter-05B
6-Nick Wean-78
7-Josh Most-92M
8-Daniel Adler-50
9-Brody Roa-51R
10-Matt Westfall-14W
11-Brady Bacon-76M
12-Blake Hahn-52
13-Tucker Klaasmeyer-27
14-Blake Edwards-17E
E-Features: Top 4 advance to the corresponding D-Feature
Allgaier To Race in 31st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals
When you grow up racing open-wheel cars on dirt tracks, you tend to always have a passion for it. JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier is the proof of that, as he will compete in the 31st annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. this week. His night to qualify for the A Main will be Thursday, Jan. 12.
The Chili Bowl is the biggest of the indoor midget-car races run during the winter, and Allgaier is returning for the second straight season. This year, he’ll be driving his own No. 7 Boss chassis sponsored by K1 Speed in the five-day festival of speed. K1 Speed is also a JR Motorsports partner with Dirty Mo Radio’s JRM Up Front podcast the past two seasons.
Allgaier started out at age five in quarter-midgets on the dirt in his native Illinois, and by the time he was twelve, he had five championships to his name. Jumping up the open-wheel ladder to full-size midgets, the then-14-year-old Allgaier was the youngest driver to ever qualify for the A Main at the Chili Bowl in 2001.
It’s in his blood, so to speak, even after coming off the best NASCAR Xfinity Series season of his career. Allgaier finished third in the season point standings, five off the champion, and notched personal-best numbers in top-five and top-10 finishes in his No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet Camaro.
After sitting out the Chili Bowl from 2010 to 2014, Allgaier is pumped to be back for the second straight season.
“The car looks good, it has some K1 Speed colors on it this year, and we can’t wait to get to Tulsa,” he said prior to heading out west. “We actually got to make a practice run in DuQuoin, Ill. last month in the Jr. Knepper’s car. We started outside front row, tied for the highest point total of the night, the heats and the transfer features and so on. Ran second the majority of the race, led some laps and ultimately came home fourth. I just didn’t keep up with the adjustments in the car enough. It was a good start.”
Allgaier noted that the indoor dirt track in DuQuoin is not the same as the one he’ll race on this week. “The tracks are completely different,” he said. “The one at DuQuoin is a little shorter than the one at the Tulsa Expo. It was a good preview for Chili Bowl, though.”
Making the final A Main on Saturday night can be unbelievably difficult, Allgaier said. It boils down to one thing, in his opinion.
“Luck,” he stated. “I know that sounds crazy, but luck of the draw, how things go in your heat race… It all comes down to, what is luck? It’s when preparation meets opportunity. The preparation side of it, those guys have done a better job of being prepared than anybody else, and then when opportunity is there, you have to be able to make the most of it.
“I’ve had good luck at Tulsa and I’ve had bad luck. The year I finished third (2007), I had no brakes. The brakes went out on lap one. The track was super slick and you had to run around the bottom on the inside berm, and typically you would use a lot of brake. I had none. I feel like that kept us from having a shot at winning the race. You have to take the holes as they appear.”
Here’s the process for getting to the A Main on Saturday.
Today, Monday, is practice day, and all cars will take part in it. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, a full program is run, starting with hot laps and continuing on with heat races and transfer races. How you finish in the heats determines which of the transfer features you’ll be in. Allgaier called it the “alphabet soup of features,” and it typically starts with a letter. In 2016, that meant there was a D Main, a C Main and a B Main, with cars transferring up the ladder to the A Main. This year, 358 cars are entered, meaning about 90 cars per night will race.
“How you do on your night determines how you start on Saturday night,” Allgaier said. “The first three each night in the feature are automatically locked into the A Main, the next four go to the B Main, and so on. You could make the A Main on your night, and technically still be in a C or D Main on Saturday if you don’t finish the feature. It’s a really tricky weekend for sure.”
For reference, in 2016 the Saturday night program began with an N Main, followed by an M Main, an L Main, and so on down the line. Two B Mains determine the final qualifiers for the 24-car A Main for all the money.
Born in 1957 in Belgium, it was after a trip at the age of seven that my love for NASCAR caught hold of me! It was the 1964 World 600 in Charlotte. Since NASCAR it's my life! A large collection of objects and papers make up my personal little NASCAR museum.
Passionate about the history and statistics of NASCAR, I have contributed to numerous magazines and websites mainly in French language (Europe and Canada). One of my greatest pride is my full-time collaboration at racing-reference.info from 2003 to 2021.
Today I continue to write for fun and it's with joy that I join nascarracemom.com as contributor. .
