12/6/2011
Chili Bowl Nationals
It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like… The Chili Bowl!
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (December 6, 2011) – The first dose of winter has settled upon the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The initial round of sub-freezing temperatures has arrived with a few random flurries here and there to serve as further evidence just in case those blustery north winds hadn’t given enough cause to take notice.
And, that can mean just one thing; the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals can’t be far off.
The 26th edition of the prestigious event at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds’ QuikTrip Center is but just a few short weeks away, with top drivers from throughout the world kicking up the clay on the ¼-mile Tulsa Expo Raceway clay oval before a packed house each night from January 10-14 after a Monday practice session on January 9.
True, Chili Bowlers are occasionally greeted to the Sooner State with weather conditions ideal for getting in a round of golf during the day before taking in the most thrilling race action of the year at night. And, there have been enough at the other end of the weather spectrum, that can’t be denied either.
Warm or frigid cold, rain, ice or shine, it matters not. The Midget racing action is always red-hot atop the ¼-mile clay oval at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.
After overcoming the odds to become the first back-to-back winner in event history last January, 22-year-old Kevin Swindell will gun for an unprecedented three-peat this time around. Even if the Memphis-area native can prevail over a field of 250-ish entries for a third consecutive time, he’ll still be two Golden Drillers shy of his father Sammy Swindell, who has topped the Chili Bowl an unmatched five times.
Back-to-back had seemed unlikely. His father hadn’t been able to on five previous tries. Nor had Tony Stewart, newly-crowned NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, after Chili Bowl triumphs in 2002 and 2007. Nor had the likes of 14 other past Chili Bowl champions including Damion Gardner, Tim McCreadie, Tracy Hines, Cory Kruseman, Dan Boorse, Jay Drake, Billy Boat, Donnie Beechler, Andy Hillenburg, Dave Blaney, Lealand McSpadden, Johnny Heydenreich, Scott Hatton and Vich Vogler.
Going for three in a row and getting the job done would be borderline Herculean.
After all, the approximately 250 entries for the event are filled with champion upon champion from all varieties of racing. With so much talent packed into one place, teams prepping the best of the best equipment for a run at the coveted Golden Driller and the surplus of tight racing action on the well-manicured track, the slightest of miscues over the course of the week can essentially turn a contender into a pretender in the mere blink of an eye.
But, make no mistake; Kevin Swindell will be there to try for the three-peat. The question is, can anybody stop him in the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals 50-lap championship finale on Saturday night, January 14? And, if so, who will it be?
Entry Notes: With the pre-entry deadline of December 15 still over a week away, the Chili Bowl office has already been flooded with entries from throughout the nation as well as Australia, New Zealand and Finland.
It is anticipated that the preliminary entry list will be unveiled early next week or perhaps at the end of this week.
Driver entry is just $150 if filed by December 15. Entries filed after the pre-entry deadline are $200.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Quick Facts:
What: 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds
When:
January 10-14, 2011
Tuesday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night plus Vacuworx Chili Bowl Race of Champions
Wednesday – River Spirit Casino Qualifying Night
Thursday – Suburban Chevrolet Qualifying Night
Friday – Vacuworx International Qualifying Night
Saturday – Lucas Oil Championship Feature Events
The five nights of racing action will be preceded by a practice session on Monday, January 9.
Past Winners: Kevin Swindell (2010 and 2011), Sammy Swindell (2009, 1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989), Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007 and 2002), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy Hines (2005), Cory Kruseman (2004 and 2000), Dan Boorse (2003 and 1999), Jay Drake (2001), Billy Boat (1997), Donnie Beechler (1995), Andy Hillenburg (1994), Dave Blaney (1993), Lealand McSpadden (1991), Jon Heydenreich (1990), Scott Hatton (1988), Rich Vogler (1987).
Trade Show: Always a popular attraction at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the Trade Show, which is open to the public each day (Tuesday through Saturday) free of charge. All variety of racing products, apparel and more is available with well over 100 different vendors. The Trade Show covers approximately 20,000 square feet.
Tickets: A limited number of reserved seats for Tuesday night's Warren CAT Qualifying Event and the Third Annual Vacuworx International Chili Bowl Race of Champions are available for $43 per person and may be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at the gate if still available. Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as well.
Chili Bowl on the Net: All official news pertaining to the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, including official entry lists, race results and recaps, is available first at www.chilibowl.com. Also, all five nights of the Chili Bowl Nationals will be broadcast live (audio) on www.racinboys.com.
Additional information regarding the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is available at http://www.chilibowl.com/ or by calling 918-838-3777.
Submitted By: Admin Account
