One of the best race car drivers on the planet will compete this week in the world’s biggest midget car racing event — though that wasn’t the initial plan.
Kyle Larson announced Tuesday he will race in the 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals. The two-time Chili Bowl champion (2020 and 2021) and driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series will compete on Thursday’s preliminary night at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma in an effort to qualify for Saturday’s championship feature.
According to FloRacing, Larson called famed midget car owner Keith Kunz early Tuesday morning. After congratulating Kunz on driver Tanner Carrick’s Monday night preliminary A-Main feature victory, Larson asked if another ride was available for the week.
A positive response and a travel arrangement scramble later, Larson is set to wheel the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 98K sponsored by DH Horton, FloRacing and HendrickCars.com.
Kyle Larson pictured during the 2022 Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa on Jan. 15, 2022. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
If all goes well Thursday, Larson could be in for a busy Saturday. Via FloRacing:
“If he locks-in to his 11th Chili Bowl Championship A-Main – via a top-two finish on Thursday – Larson plans to do the dirt double. He’ll race first that afternoon at Vado Speedway Park for the Wild West Shootout in Kevin Rumley’s Dirt Late Model, and then fly straight to Tulsa to drive the KKM No. 98K in the 55-lap main event with his third Golden Driller on the line.”
Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, won his first Chili Bowl title in 2020 after 13 attempts. He went back-to-back with another victory in 2021, and in 2022, he finished sixth in the championship feature. He did not enter last year’s Chili Bowl.
All 2024 Chili Bowl racing action, including Larson’s run Thursday night, can be seen live on FloRacing, the streaming home of all NASCAR Roots racing.
A busy and productive year is ahead for 17-year-old T.J. DeCaire.
Not only is the Land O’Lakes, Florida, native a member of NASCAR’s 2024 Drive for Diversity class, but he also has a full zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour season lined up with Highlands Motorsports, which has won the last two Pro Late Model championships with drivers Luke Fenhaus and Caden Kvapil.
DeCaire spent the 2023 season trying to learn as much as possible about being efficient in full-bodied stock cars. Now that he is partnered with a strong Pro Late Model operation, DeCaire is ready to keep building upon the momentum from last year.
“I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity,” said DeCaire, who will also compete in select Late Model events for Rev Racing this season as part of the Drive for Diversity program. “Lorin Ranier is the one who really put this whole thing together and I’m really grateful for him and everyone that’s been a part of this deal so far.”
Racing has been a part of DeCaire’s life even before he was born. His great grandfather, grandfather and brother all turned at least one competitive lap on a track, which laid the groundwork for DeCaire to follow in their footsteps.
After getting his start in go karts, DeCaire took on a much heavier schedule in 2022 by competing in Legends cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also broke into Pro Late Model competition that year, earning his first victory at Hickory Motor Speedway.
T.J. DeCaire will drive the same car Caden Kvapil piloted to a zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour title in 2023. (Photo: Susan Wong/NASCAR)
DeCaire continued to shine in Pro Late Models during the 2023 season by tacking on another win at Dillon Motor Speedway while also making his CARS Pro Late Model Tour debut. In four appearances, DeCaire finished inside the top-five three times, with his best run being a third at Dillon.
The initial transition from Legends into full-bodied stock cars was slightly peculiar for DeCaire as he adjusted to the heavier equipment. Despite this, DeCaire admitted the past two seasons have taught him many valuable lessons, particularly when it comes to conserving equipment for the end of a race.
Pairing up with Highlands Motorsports is something DeCaire believes will only lead to more on-track success. DeCaire knows there was a high standard set by Kvapil during his championship run, but he is determined to keep Highlands Motorsports at the top of the CARS Pro Late Model Tour standings for another year.
“There’s just a great group of guys [at Highlands Motorsports],” DeCaire said. “I’ve obviously got big shoes to fill with Caden doing such a great job last year. Hopefully we can go for the championship and emerge victorious just like he did.”
The first race for DeCaire in the Highlands Motorsports No. 96 will be the CARS Pro Late Model Tour season-opener at Southern National Motorsports Park on March 2.
23XI Racing announced Tuesday that the United States Air Force will be a primary sponsor for the No. 23 Toyota team and driver Bubba Wallace for multiple races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series.
The partnership marks a reunion for the military branch and Wallace, who carried USAF sponsorship for eight Cup Series races from 2018-20 while racing for team owner Richard Petty. The sponsorship also produced a tandem skydive for Wallace on the eve of the Daytona 500 four years ago, when the driver leapt from a C-17 Globemaster with the USAF Wings of Blue parachute team into the speedway grounds.
“It’s really special to once again be partnered with the men and women who make up the United States Air Force,” Wallace said in a release provided by the team. “My previous experience with the folks from the Air Force was awesome, and I had the chance to meet a lot of great Airmen who do some amazing things each and every day. I’m looking forward to welcoming them to 23XI and showing them what we’re all about as we work together to try and accomplish the impossible.”
The U.S. Air Force has been a regular sponsor in at least one Cup Series race each season since 2000 and was teamed with Legacy Motor Club’s No. 43 team and driver Erik Jones for five events last year. 23XI Racing did not indicate which Cup Series events would include USAF sponsorship but that “several races” were scheduled for branding this season.
The organization indicated that the sponsorship deal would include paint scheme and fire suit designs to be revealed at a later date. 23XI Racing also said it planned to hold at-track events for Airmen across the country this season.
“The Air Force and 23XI recognize that teamwork is the most critical component in achieving success,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI team president. “We look forward to moving forward together to achieve our collective goals both on the track and in the broader community.”
Chase Briscoe on Monday night didn’t lock himself into Saturday’s Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature, but he put himself in a great position to make the big race at the end of the week.
Briscoe, the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series, came from 12th to finish fourth in Monday’s preliminary night main event that kicked off the 38th Chili Bowl Nationals midget car racing extravaganza at Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma.
It was far from an easy night for Briscoe, who started sixth and finished fourth in his heat race before starting seventh and finishing fourth in his qualifier. Utilizing the Chili Bowl’s unique passing points system, Briscoe earned enough to lock himself into Monday’s preliminary night feature in the 12th starting position.
Driving his own No. 5 midget car, Briscoe wasted little time gaining positions at the start of the 30-lap feature, slicing his way up to fifth by the time a caution flag waved with 19 laps left. He gained another position under caution due to a penalty issued to Shane Golobic.
When racing resumed, Briscoe moved up another position to third, leaving him one spot shy of a transfer directly into Saturday’s championship feature.
That was as close as Briscoe got to the front Monday. He spent the rest of the race battling with Golobic and Michael Pickens for second through fourth. He ultimately settled for fourth when the checkered flag waved for race winner Tanner Carrick.
“Kind of sickening there,” Briscoe told FloRacing with a smile. “I felt like if that caution would have come out with four to go, I felt like I was for sure going to get by Shane for second and maybe could have caught Tanner off guard running the bottom.
“I needed to run four perfect laps on the bottom, and I messed every single one of them up I could. Didn’t do a very good job there at the end.”
With his fourth-place finish, Briscoe locked himself into one of two B Mains on Saturday. Should he finish seventh or better in that race, Briscoe will advance to the 55-lap championship feature that headlines the Chili Bowl Nationals.
“Really proud of our Mahindra Tractors guys,” Briscoe added. “We don’t race very often; we literally run like four races a year. So to come here and outrun a lot of those guys and be as competitive as we were is a true testament.”
Briscoe’s night also included the annual Race of Champions, a 25-lap invite-only event that features champion drivers from across the dirt racing world.
After Briscoe qualified fourth, fast qualifier and defending Chili Bowl champion Logan Seavey drew a four for the invert, making Briscoe the polesitter for the event. He led the first dozen laps before Seavey passed him and drove away to the victory. Briscoe faded to fifth at the finish.
“We needed a little bit more,” Briscoe said. “But I definitely feel like we’re really close. This is the best I’ve ever been in this building. So hopefully we can get that extra little bit and be in the mix on Saturday night.”
Crew chief Matt Swiderski will move atop the pit box of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing team with driver Daniel Suárez for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the team announced Monday.
Swiderski departs from Kaulig Racing, where he served as crew chief for the No. 16 Chevrolet full-time for each of the past two seasons. Replacing him at Kaulig Racing will be Travis Mack, who was the crew chief of Suárez’s No. 99 Chevrolet since 2021. Mack will serve a dual role at Kaulig, becoming the program’s technical director of Cup Series teams.
Swiderski brings a wealth of knowledge to the Trackhouse program having worked with numerous personalities across the Xfinity Series and Cup Series since 2017, working with drivers like AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric as well as Cup champions Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Per the team’s press release, Swiderski previously served as crew chief for the No. 12 Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Team and crew chief for the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series team where he also held vehicle performance and engineering management roles since 2005. He also served as an engineer in the Dynamics Group at SpaceX.
“Matt is a proven winner with a dynamic engineering background, and we are confident he will pair well with Daniel,” Justin Marks, Trackhouse founder and owner, said in a press release.
With Swiderski atop the box, Allmendinger scored two Cup victories — one in 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and another at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course in 2023. Swiderski’s No. 16 team ended 2023 with one win, four top fives and seven top-10 finishes with 64 laps led and an average finish of 19.6.
Mack, an alumnus of JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, was Trackhouse Racing’s inaugural crew chief, heading the No. 99 team since the program’s inception ahead of the 2021 season. He and Suárez collected their first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in the 2022 event at Sonoma Raceway, where Suárez became the first Mexican-born driver to win a Cup race and only the fifth international driver to claim victory at the sport’s highest level.
Before joining Trackhouse, Mack crew chiefed the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet for 15 races with driver Kasey Kahne in 2018. The second half of that season was spent atop the No. 1 team’s pit box at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, where he found a home with driver Michael Annett through the 2020 season, leading Annett to his lone victory in the season-opening race at Daytona in 2019.
Though Mack and Suárez advanced to the playoffs and finished the 2022 standings 10th in points with a win, six top fives and 13 top 10s, the No. 99 team didn’t see the same success in 2023. Suárez netted three top fives and 10 top 10s in 2023 with an average finish that dipped from 16.5 in 2022 to 19.0 in 2023.
Mack will now oversee both Cup teams at the shop in Welcome, North Carolina. AJ Allmendinger will drive the No. 16 Chevrolet in the 2024 Daytona 500, but the program’s plans beyond the season opener have not yet been announced. Trent Owens will return to crew chief the No. 31 Chevrolet in 2024 as Daniel Hemric, the 2019 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, slots into the seat to replace Justin Haley.
Spencer Boyd announced Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that he and co-owner Chris Miller have formed Freedom Racing Enterprises (FRE), a new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team slated to begin full-season action in 2024.
The organization will utilize the No. 76 on its Chevrolet Silverado, with Boyd scheduled to drive behind the wheel. The full-time Truck endeavor will be one of familiarity for the 28-year-old Missouri native, who has 108 career starts in the circuit and additionally possesses a 2019 Truck win at Talladega Superspeedway, his first national series victory.
Jeff Hammond, a FOX Sports analyst and former crew chief for Darrell Waltrip, will serve as general manager, while Greg Ely and Rick Bourgeois will serve as crew chief and car chief, respectively.
“This is a wildly proud moment for me,” Boyd said in a press release. “If you asked a wide-eyed 20-year-old me at Martinsville Speedway if I was going to start my own NASCAR team in the next decade, I might have laughed it off. I have been blessed to be able to race cars for a living and remain part of the NASCAR family for as long as I have. I wouldn’t be here without a small group of very important people to my career, so I definitely want to thank them for believing in me through thick and thin. They know who they are and hope they are sharing in this feeling of pride.”
Pride additionally serves as a foundation for the team’s name, with Boyd’s love of country, in combination with Miller’s company and Boyd’s sponsor, Freedom Warranty, making up the framework.
FRE’s full sponsorship lineup for 2024 will be announced at a later date.
Dirt midget car organizations have made their final preparations for the discipline’s most prestigious event. The 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals are here.
Ever since 1987, many of the best dirt racing competitors have descended upon the Tulsa Expo Center in Oklahoma with the goal of taking home a famous Golden Driller trophy. The Chili Bowl regularly attracts several hundred drivers, resulting in a grueling week of qualifiers and heats that help narrow the field down to 24 for the 55-lap main event.
NASCAR drivers have enjoyed plenty of success in Tulsa during the Chili Bowl’s three decades of history. Christopher Bell holds three Chili Bowl victories on his resume, with Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney being among the others who have hoisted the Golden Driller at least once.
The 2023 edition of the event will see four active NASCAR drivers mix it up with elite midget racing competitors like Tanner Thorson, Sammy Swindell and defending winner Logan Seavey for an opportunity to join an elite list of Chili Bowl winners.
Below is a guide on the NASCAR drivers competing in the Chili Bowl.
NASCAR drivers at the Chili Bowl in 2024
Chase Briscoe is seeking to advance into the Chili Bowl A-Main for the second time in his career. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)
Chase Briscoe (No. 5 Chase Briscoe Racing)
Before embarking on his fourth full-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign with Stewart-Haas Racing, Chase Briscoe will once again return to his dirt track roots driving his own No. 5 dirt midget alongside teammates Karter Sarff and Kyle Strickler.
The 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion has previously attempted the Chili Bowl eight times during his career but only advanced to the A-Main once, in 2017.
Briscoe’s bid for a Golden Driller that night ended after 15 laps due to a flip, so he is looking to improve upon that performance with a solid week in Tulsa.
Jesse Love pictured before the ARCA Daytona 200 for the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18, 2023. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Jesse Love (No. 84 CB Industries)
An incredible 2023 season for Jesse Love saw him claim 10 victories and a championship in the ARCA Menards Series, which he parlayed into a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride with Richard Childress Racing for the upcoming year.
Boasting a solid dirt racing background that includes multiple USAC titles, Love has only made two Chili Bowl appearances and failed to make the A-Main in each one.
With plenty of momentum on his side, Love seeks to make the big show for the first time and kickstart 2024 on a positive note.
J.J. Yeley has successfully qualified for the Chili Bowl A-Main eight times, scoring a best finish of second back in 2007. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
J.J. Yeley (No. 15 Petty Performance Racing)
A mainstay in NASCAR’s top divisions since the mid-2000s, J.J. Yeley has long been familiar with the rigorous nature of Chili Bowl week, as he made his first trip to the Tulsa Expo Center back in 1994 and has attempted every event since 2001.
The closest Yeley came to bringing home a Golden Driller was back in 2007, when he finished runner-up to his then-Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.
Yeley last made a Chili Bowl A-Main in 2015 but will look to break that dry spell in his 28th appearance.
Josh Bilicki returns to the Tulsa Expo Center looking to improve upon his performance from his maiden Chili Bowl appearance last year. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
Josh Bilicki (No. 7D RAMCO Speed Group)
With his only prior dirt experience being the NASCAR Cup Series’ visit to Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021, Josh Bilicki entered his maiden Chili Bowl last year determined to fulfill a lifelong dream and gain as much knowledge as possible in a dirt midget car.
Bilicki committed himself to dirt racing following his first Chili Bowl attempt by running several more events that included the BC39 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Now with more track time on his side, Bilicki is returning to the Tulsa Expo Center with the RAMCO Speed Group in pursuit of a starting spot inside the A-Main.
The annual, week-long midget car racing extravaganza, which typically draws more than 350 entries from across the country and the world to compete inside Tulsa’s SageNet Center on a temporary quarter-mile dirt oval, is one of the most challenging motorsports events on the planet.
Briscoe’s Chili Bowl tradition is important to him for a variety of reasons, the biggest being that it’s an opportunity to reconnect with friends from his early years in racing.
“It’s just kind of my way of getting the season going,” said Briscoe, who is entering his fourth year as the driver of the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. “For me, the biggest reason is I get to go back and see a lot of my buddies that I grew up racing with that I don’t get to see hardly anytime the rest of the year.
“It just such a great event. It’s honestly probably my favorite week of the year for a lot of reasons. I love watching racing. I love hanging out with buddies that I don’t get to really see anymore. Just seeing a lot of the people, and I get to go race the guys that helped me on my car, the guys who helped me when I was racing sprint cars. It’s just a fun time to go hang out with my dad and check off a lot of boxes.”
Chase Briscoe in action during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
The size and scale of the Chili Bowl are a couple of the factors that make it among the world’s most difficult motorsports events.
Because of the massive entry list, which includes the best dirt racing has to offer in addition to interlopers from other forms of motorsports, the format is unique. Beginning Monday and running through Friday, five qualifying nights are held with the massive field split between the five days. Each night, preliminary events and a feature race is held. The top two finishers from each feature race lock into Saturday’s Chili Bowl finale.
Saturday also features what’s known as the alphabet soup, with all the drivers who failed to qualify for the main event Monday through Friday forced to work their way through preliminary events. The lower the letter of the alphabet with which a driver’s race starts, the longer his or her the road is to qualify for the championship feature.
In all, 24 drivers will qualify for Saturday night’s Chili Bowl championship feature, with two provisionals set aside for the defending winner and the victor of Monday night’s annual Race of Champions. That means more than 300 drivers will leave Tulsa disappointed.
Briscoe has been one of those disappointed drivers in all but one of his Chili Bowl attempts. To make it even more agonizing, he’s been only a few positions short of qualifying for the championship feature in four of the last five years.
While Briscoe admits the Chili Bowl heartbreak has been a bitter pill to swallow, the experience also gives him reason to be optimistic.
“When I made it [in 2017], I got upside down within the first 10 laps of the race, so I didn’t really get to experience it,” Briscoe said. “I think there were three years in a row [2019-21] I missed the race by one spot. Nobody had even done that two years in a row. Every year you come back, you have to wait a whole year after missing it by one spot.
“Being the 25th best guy in the building out of 400 is definitely a frustrating thing. Last year it was the same thing. I was in the final transfer with two to go, and I lost a spot, and I ended up losing a couple more. It was kind of that same thing, I’m always right on that bubble spot.
“It’s definitely frustrating, but it does keep you coming back and wanting more.”
Chase Briscoe in action during the Chili Bowl Nationals on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
This year, Briscoe is back in Tulsa with a full squadron of cars and drivers. Not only will he field a car for himself, but he’ll also field cars for drivers Kyle Strickler and Karter Sarff.
Strickler is a veteran dirt late model and modified driver who will make his first appearance at the Chili Bowl. Sarff, the reigning champion of the midwestern POWRi National Midget League, is back in Tulsa for his fifth Chili Bowl attempt.
Briscoe is hoping his three-car effort will yield big results by the time Saturday’s championship feature arrives. With a little hard work and some luck, Briscoe believes his team could put multiple cars in the 55-lap finale.
“With how my last five years have gone, I’d love to make the race myself,” said Briscoe, who will begin his 2024 Chili Bowl journey during Monday’s preliminary night. “As I’ve done this car ownership thing the last couple of years, I’ve truthfully gotten way more enjoyment out of watching my car on the race track than myself.
“I just love trying to go and give back to kids I feel are deserving of opportunities that haven’t really gotten a good car and had the top-tier equipment. I’ve been blessed to do that for a couple drivers. I really enjoy watching them. I’d love to be able to be racing with them on Saturday in the A-Main, for sure.
“Hopefully we can just lock one in. If we can lock one in, that’s a hard thing to do.”
The 2024 edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink has arrived.
Considered the Super Bowl of midget racing, the Chili Bowl annually attracts more than 300 competitors from across the United States and the world to compete at Tulsa Expo Raceway, a temporary circuit constructed inside the SageNet Center at Tulsa’s Expo Square in Oklahoma.
This year marks the 38th running of the event, which began in 1987 and has continued to grow in prestige each year since.
Through the years, a number of NASCAR stars have ventured to Tulsa to take part in the Chili Bowl. Several of them have won the event and taken home the prestigious Golden Driller trophy.
They include 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, a two-time Chili Bowl winner, and Christopher Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl victor. Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has also won the Chili Bowl twice. Dave Blaney, a veteran of more than 450 NASCAR Cup Series races, won the Chili Bowl in 1993.
This year, three drivers who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series last year are entered. They include Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe, plus J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki.
ARCA Menards Series champion Jesse Love, who is moving to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this year with Richard Childress Racing, is also entered.
Below is everything to know about the 2024 Chili Bowl, including the TV schedule, the entry list and the list of winners over the event’s 37-year history.
Chase Briscoe in action during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
What TV channel is the Chili Bowl on in 2024?
The 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals from the Tulsa Expo Center will be shown live in its entirety on FloRacing, the streaming home for all NASCAR Roots action. The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.
FloRacing’s coverage begins Monday, Jan. 8 and includes all five qualifying nights as well as the championship finale on Saturday, Jan. 13.
Below is the breakdown of the TV and live streaming schedule for the 2023 Chili Bowl.
Date
Event
TV Channel
Live Stream
Racing Start Time
Monday, Jan. 8
Cummins, Inc. Qualifying Night plus the ROC; Race of Champions
A NASCAR Cup Series race winner and the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion are among the more than 350 drivers entered in the 2024 edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals.
As of Jan. 3, the still-growing entry list for the 2023 Chili Bowl had reached 360 drivers. The all-time record for Chili Bowl entries was set in 2022 when 394 competitors filed entries for the popular midget car racing event.
Chase Briscoe is the lone NASCAR Cup Series winner entered in the 2024 edition of the Chili Bowl. He’s joined by Jesse Love, the ARCA champion who has joined Richard Childress Racing for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign.
Also entered is veteran NASCAR and dirt competitor J.J. Yeley, as is Josh Bilicki, who is returning to the Chili Bowl for his second attempt in as many seasons.
The entry list features drivers from 32 states and five countries (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands). Logan Seavey, the defending race winner, is among those entered.
Fans watch a feature race during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
A-Main results
Logan Seavey added his name to the record books last year with his first victory in the Chili Bowl. He did so by holding off 2022 event winner Tanner Thorson, who chased him to the finish in second. Both men are entered again this year.
Legendary sprint car driver Sammy Swindell, a three-time World of Outlaws champion, holds the record with five Chili Bowl A-Main victories (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009). He is once again entered in 2024.
Swindell’s son Kevin ranks second in Chili Bowl A-Main victories with four (all in a row from 2010-14), though injuries sustained in a 2015 crash ended his driving career.
Below is the complete list of Chili Bowl winners from 1987-2023.
Year
Chili Bowl A-Main winner
1987
Rich Vogler
1988
Scott Hatton
1989
Sammy Swindell
1990
Johnny Heydenreich
1991
Lealand McSpadden
1992
Sammy Swindell
1993
Dave Blaney
1994
Andy Hillenburg
1995
Donnie Beechler
1996
Sammy Swindell
1997
Billy Boat
1998
Sammy Swindell
1999
Dan Boorse
2000
Cory Kruseman
2001
Jay Drake
2002
Tony Stewart
2003
Dan Boorse
2004
Cory Kruseman
2005
Tracy Hines
2006
Tim McCreadie
2007
Tony Stewart
2008
Damion Gardner
2009
Sammy Swindell
2010
Kevin Swindell
2011
Kevin Swindell
2012
Kevin Swindell
2013
Kevin Swindell
2014
Bryan Clauson
2015
Rico Abreu
2016
Rico Abreu
2017
Christopher Bell
2018
Christopher Bell
2019
Christopher Bell
2020
Kyle Larson
2021
Kyle Larson
2022
Tanner Thorson
2023
Logan Seavey
NASCAR drivers at the 2024 Chili Bowl
NASCAR competitors have a long history of competing at the Chili Bowl, and that tradition will continue in 2024.
Chase Briscoe prepares his helmet during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
Chase Briscoe is returning to the Chili Bowl as he continues to pursue his goal of making the championship A-Main on Saturday for the second time in his career. He previously made the championship A-Main in 2017, when he finished 22nd.
Last year, he finished 10th in one of two B-Main features, three positions short of advancing to the championship A-Main.
Jesse Love watches a race during the 2022 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 15, 2022. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
Jesse Love is returning to the Chili Bowl after skipping the 2023 edition of the event to take part in the annual ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie for Richard Childress Racing has competed at the Chili Bowl twice, with his best performance coming in 2021 when he finished 13th in one of two B-Main features.
J.J. Yeley enters his car before his feature race during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
J.J. Yeley, a veteran dirt racer with extensive Chili Bowl experience, is also entered and will be attempting to make his first championship A-Main since 2015. His best finish is second, which came in 2007 when he finished runner-up to three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart.
Josh Bilicki, who competed in all three NASCAR national divisions in 2023, is also entered to compete in his second Chili Bowl.
Josh Bilicki pictured during the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo: Nick Oxford/NASCAR)
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, who have won five of the last seven Chili Bowl championships, are not entered in 2024.
The same dirt used for the inaugural Chili Bowl in 1987 forms the track each year.
“The Chili Bowl’s key ingredient is the clay which once covered the adjacent fairgrounds,” the event’s website reads. “Without sun or wind to harm it, the indoor garden (roughly a quarter-mile circle) is heavily saturated so that the boldest dirt track artists of our time can truly shine.”
Located outside the Tulsa Expo Center is the famous golden driller statue, a massive figure depicting an oil worker. That is why the driver who wins the Chili Bowl A-Main on championship Saturday will receive a Golden Driller trophy, one of the most sought after trophies in all of motorsports.
Format
Below is the 2024 Chili Bowl format as outlined on ChiliBowl.com.
Qualifying Nights (Monday-Friday)
Heat Races
Drivers draw for heat racing starting position at 2 p.m. at chalkboard each day
The driver who draws lowest number will start on the pole of Heat 1, second lowest number on the pole of Heat 2, etc.
Number of heats decided by number of cars – 7-10 cars per heat race (8 Laps)
Advancement from heat race to features is based upon passing points earned in heat race and qualifying races. Passing points are based upon car starting position when the yellow light goes out prior to the initial start of the heat or qualifying race.
C Mains/Qualifying Races/B Mains/A Main
The 40 drivers earning the most passing points advance to Four “A” Qualifying Races; drivers in passing points positions 41-68 will go to two C Main races. The two C Main races will have 16 cars 12 laps in length.
The top four cars in each C Main race will advance to the back of the B Main races, going 15 laps. (Top four from first C Main to back of first B Main, top four from second C Main to back of second B main)
The lineup of each “A” Qualifying race will include an inversion of six cars. The top 24 cars in passing points will make the inversion. (The top point driver will start on row 3 of the first qualifying race, the No. 2 driver on row 3 of the second qualifying race, etc.)
The four qualifying races will have 10 cars each with the top 16 in combined passing points from the heats and Qualifying races advancing to the A Main.
The balance of the cars (24) from the “A” qualifying races will advance to two 16 car B Mains. The top four in each B Main will advance to the A Main, going 30 laps.
There will be 24 drivers in each Preliminary Night A Feature
The top two drivers in the Preliminary A qualify for Saturday’s A Main.
Saturday Night Features
A Feature
The lineup for the top 10 cars in the A feature will be determined through the Chili Bowl Pole Dash.
The five A feature winners will draw 1-5, followed by the five drivers who finished second drawing 6-10 to seed the Pole Dash.
Pole Dash Procedure
Each of the races will have four cars and be four laps.
Preliminary Night Winners will draw for positions 1st – 5th, Runner up will draw 6th – 10th
First Race will be drivers who draw 7th – 10th, lined up in that order. Top 2 will advance.
Second Race, front row will be drivers who draw 5th & 6th, with the two drivers moving on from the first race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Third Race front row will be drivers who draw 3rd & 4th, with the two drivers moving on from the second race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Fourth Race front row will be drivers who draw 1st & 2nd, with the two drivers moving on from the third race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).
Winner of the fourth race will earn the pole in Saturday’s A-Feature.
(Note: All positions in races other than Saturday’s A-Main will line up upon the originoal draw of the winners prior to the pole dash. Example: If the Friday winner draws number 1, the Wednesday winner draws number 2, Tuesday winner draws number 3, Thursday winner draws number 4, and the Monday winner draws number 5, all positions in all races will be based on Friday first, Wednesday second, Tuesday third, Thursday fourth, and Monday fifth.)
Seven drivers will advance from each B main to the A for a total of 24 cars with Provisionals set aside for the defending Chili Bowl Champion and previous year’s Race of Champions Winner should they not transfer.
B Mains (20 Laps)
There will be two B mains, with 20 drivers in each B main.
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature in position 3-8 will qualify for the B mains
Five drivers will advance from each C main to the B mains (1st C to 1st B, 2nd C to 2nd B)
C Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two C Mains, with 20 drivers in each C
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 9-14 will qualify for the C mains
Five drivers will advance from each D main to the C Mains
D Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two D mains, with 20 drivers in each D
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 15-20 will qualify for the D mains
Five drivers will advance from each E main to the D mains
E Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two E mains, with 20 drivers in each E
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night A features 21-24 and B features 5th will qualify for the E mains
Five drivers will advance from each F main to the E mains
F Mains (15 Laps)
There will be two F mains, with 20 drivers in each F
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 6-8 will qualify for the F mains
Five drivers will advance from each G main to the F mains
G Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two G mains, with 16 drivers in each G
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 9-10 will qualify for the G mains
Five drivers will advance from each H main to the G mains
H Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two H mains, with 16 drivers in each H
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 11-12 will qualify for the H mains
Six drivers will advance from each I main to the H mains
I Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two I mains, with 16 drivers in each I
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 13-14 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each J main to the I mains
J Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two J mains, with 16 drivers in each J
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 15-16 will qualify for the I mains
Six drivers will advance from each K main to the I mains
K Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two K mains, with 16 drivers in each K
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C features in positions 5-6 will qualify for the K mains
Six drivers will advance from each L main to the L mains
L Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two L Mains, with 16 drivers in each L
Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C feature in position 7-8 will qualify for the L Mains
Six drivers will advance from each M main to the L mains
M Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two M Mains, with 16 drivers in each M
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 9-10 will qualify for the M Mains
Six drivers will advance from each N main to the M mains
N Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two N Mains, with 16 drivers in each N
Drivers finishing in C feature positions 11-12 will qualify for the N Mains
Six drivers will advance from each O main to the N mains
O Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two O Mains, with 16 drivers in each O
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 3-4 will qualify for the O Mains.
Six drivers will advance from each P Main to the O Mains
P&Q Mains (10 Laps)
There will be two P Mains and possibly two Q Mains, with the number of drivers TBA in each.
Drivers finishing in D feature positions 4 on back will qualify for these race, and lineup position will be determined by finish on qualifying night and number of cars.
BOSTON (Jan 5, 2024) — Today, DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) and National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (“NASCAR”), announced that they have agreed to terms on a written designation agreement,paving the way for the digital sports entertainment and gaming company to operate in the state of North Carolina, pending licensure and regulatory approvals.
“DraftKings and NASCAR have collaborated closely with each other over the years, sharing a like-minded commitment to enhancing the fan experience,” said Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America. “We look forward to the next chapter in our journey together and offering our leading mobile sportsbook to fans in the state of North Carolina.”
DraftKings has also been named the exclusive daily fantasy sports partner of NASCAR in the United States and Canada, and has become an Authorized Gaming Operator of NASCAR and will receive additional sponsorship benefitswithin the NASCAR ecosystem nationally.
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Once live, North Carolina would mark the 27th state DraftKings Sportsbookoperates in, following the company’s announced plans to enter Vermont on Jan. 11. DraftKings is committed to creating inclusive and responsible pathways for people to build, create, imagine, and innovate through the DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. program. Responsible gaming is a key pillar of the S.E.R.V.E.S. program and DraftKings’ collective mission is to protect the vulnerable with groundbreaking technology, training, resources and the support of evidence-based research. More information about DraftKings is available at www.draftkings.com and fans can download the DraftKings mobile apps via iOS and Android.
