2019 Chili Bowl Nationals wrap-up

The championship of the 2019 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire was settled with a thrilling last lap pass for the lead by Christopher Bell on his Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) teammate Kyle Larson.

Larson had grabbed the race lead from pole position starter and fellow KKM driver Logan Seavey on lap 20, but was unable to hold off Bell, who took the checkered flag just a car length ahead of Larson.

California’s Justin Grant finished third, with the “Macho Man,” Brady Bacon fourth, Zach Daum fifth and Tyler “Sunshine” Courtney sixth and the Hard Charger Award after he passed sixteen cars during the feature.  

The top ten ‘A’ main finishers were rounded out by Brad Sweet, CJ Leary, Seavey, and Tanner Thorson.  Favorites Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Shane Golobic did not finish the event.

350 cars and drivers took part in the event during the six nights and officials recorded 75 flips during the six nights with all the drivers able to walk away.  Bell who joined Kevin Swindell as the only three-time consecutive winners of the prized Golden Driller, closed out the event with the final recorded flip as he turned over his Toyota-powered Spike while he spun his victory donuts.

Crowd favorite and five-time event champion Sammy Swindell’s 2019 Chili Bowl run ended when he failed to advance out of his “C’ feature, while “The People’s Champ,” Dave Darland was disqualified from the ‘B’ feature when he ignored directions from track officials.

2005 Chili Bowl champion Tracy Hines failed to finish his ‘B’ feature and retired NASCAR star Kasey Kahne who plans a big slate of open-wheel races during 2019 was disappointed when his machine did not finish his ‘E’ feature.  

Surprising many midwestern fans with their strong performances were California racers Robert Dalby who advanced from the ‘C’ feature and Colby Copeland who advanced form the ‘B’ feature. Copeland finished fourteenth and Dalby 20^th.

The 34^th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire will be held January 13^th through the 18^th 2019. Hope to see you there next year!

Chili Bowl 2019 – night three

The start of Wednesday’s 25-lap A-main preliminary night feature at the 33^rd annual Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire featured two-time winner Rico Abreu on the outside of the front row alongside young Cole Bodine. 

Abreu in his #97 Safelite Auto Glass-sponsored Keith Kunz Motorsports Toyota powered machine fell to third at the drop of the green flag behind Blake Hahn as Bodine, who is not related to the NASCAR Bodine family shot into the lead in NOS Energy Drink Clauson-Marshall Racing entry.

On lap two, Abreu shot past Hahn, grandson of Chili Bowl founder Emmett Hahn, to secure second place and moved to the cushion and chased down leader Bodine and took the lead on the seventh lap on the low side through turn four. From there Rico cruised the top, as former winner Tim McCreadie, World of Outlaws sprint car star David Gravel and Bodine battled for second place.

At the checkered flag it was Rico Abreu followed by Gravel and Bodine with Californian Jake Swanson finishing fourth after starting the race in seventeenth position. Swanson was not the race’s biggest mover however, that honor went to Ryan Smith who improved eighteen positions from his 23^rd starting spot.

The the heartbreak of the night award went to Pauls Valley Oklahoma’s Steven Shebester, who was leading the second B feature when the engine in Ray Williams’ gorgeous City Vending machine expired three laps from the finish.

Chili Bowl 2019 – night two

Night two of the 2019 33^rd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire in Tulsa Oklahoma were spiced up with the 20-car 20-lap Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions. 

Tanner Thorson in Clyde Lamar’s Arai-sponsored #3C midget went wire-to-wire from his outside front row starting position to win over Keith Kunz Motorsports’ (KKM) Kyle Larson and his KKM teammate Christopher Bell who had started fifteenth. Ryan Bernal in Kevin Swindell’s #39 finished fourth and JJ Yeley fifth.

The night’s 25-lap A feature was captured by Kyle Larson in the KKM McDonald’s sponsored machine. Larson powered past early leader Zach Daum on the high side down the back stretch on lap five went to the cushion and motored away as Daum fought off the challenge of Sam Hafertepe Junior. 

Following a caution flag period with  25 laps completed for Larry Wright’s blown engine, Daum held off the charge of Jonathon Beason up from his tenth place starting position in his Hard Eight Racing entry as Larson drove away to a one-second advantage at the drop of the checkered flag.

2018 United States Auto Club (USAC) Light up the World Beverages Western States Midget champion Michael Faccinto used the low groove around the Tulsa Expo Raceway to finish in fourth place with Hafertepe Jr. fifth.

2018 USAC National sprint car champion Tyler “Sunshine” Courtney wound up with a disappointing sixth-place finish after he ran fourth for much of the race. Announcer and racer Dillon Welch placed seventh with NASCAR rising star and former USAC midget rookie of the year Alex Bowman finished ninth.

Author’s note: Kudos to Southwest Airlines and Avis Rent A Car for their excellent customer service provided during the author’s eventful trip from the West Coast to Tulsa.

 

A $50,000 bonus offered for

the 2018 Chili Bowl Nationals

 

 

 

Winning the Golden Driller at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire is one of the hardest prizes to earn in any form of motorsports. With an entry list that exceeds 300 cars, just to make the 24-car Saturday night A-Feature is an accomplishment in and of itself. It would be even tougher to win the Chill Bowl from the back, but in 2018 drivers will have 50,000 reasons to try.

For the 32nd edition of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals any driver who wins their preliminary night while using a seat from the Joie of Seating, they are in the running to take the Joie of Seating $50,000 Challenge. Following the “BC Forever” Pole Dash, the race pole sitter will be offered the choice to drop to the tail to start the A main event.

If the pole sitter doesn't take it, then next eligible preliminary night winner with a Joie of Seating seat will be offered the choice, and so forth until the list of eligible preliminary night winners is exhausted, so potentially four drivers could be offered the chance to say yes to the $50,000 Challenge.

Randy LaJoie, a two time NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, began manufacturing seats in 1996 in order to produce what he felt was a safer, and much more custom fitted seat.  "On this deal, I am promoting my company because I want these drivers to be as safe as possible, but at the same time I want to add something fun, and give a driver a chance to make a little extra money. With the track crew they have, a guy can come through the field so it should be exciting to watch."

More details will be released by LaJoie as the Chili Bowl Nationals scheduled for January 9 through the 13th 2018 draws closer.

Information and graphics provided by the Chili Bowl Nationals