Chili Bowl Entry Count Climbs to 223, Three More Past Winners File Ent

[rebelracewriter]

Chili Bowl Entry Count Climbs to 223

 

Three More Past Winners File Entries!

 

 

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (December 12, 2008) – The cast of competitors being assembled for the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire just keeps getting tougher with each passing day.

 

 

 

In just the past couple of days, names such as Gardner, Drake, Hatton, Cottle, Kaeding, Crawley, Altig, Pedregon and more have been added to the list of drivers entered for the event that takes place at the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway on January 13-17, 2009.

 

 

 

And with the December 15 pre-entry deadline on the other side of the weekend, the official pre-entry count has climbed to 223 as of the close of business on Friday, December 12.

 

 

 

Past Chili Bowl winners Damion Gardner, Scott Hatton and Jay Drake are among the latest entries, running the total of past Chili Bowl champions entered to seven as they join four-time winner Sammy Swindell, two-time winner Cory Kruseman and single-time winners Tim McCreadie and Tracy Hines.

 

 

 

Defending champion Gardner will join forces with Daryl Saucier in his bid to become the first back-to-back winner in Chili Bowl history. Gardner will be teamed with Kokomo shoe Shane Cottle, a third-place finisher in last year's Chili Bowl.

 

 

 

Coming off his 18th consecutive year among the top ten in Badger Midget points, Hatton returns to the Chili Bowl after a two-year hiatus.

 

 

 

Drake shakes off a two-year retirement to fill the sixth and final seat of the Keith Kunz Motorsports stable of entries.

 

 

 

Other drivers with past Chili Bowl championship main event starts to enter over the past two days include Johnny Rodriguez, Bud Kaeding, Brandon Waelti and Bubba Altig.

 

 

 

Other notables include Cruz Pedregon, who captured his second career NHRA Funny Car championship in 2008, and Tim Crawley, the three-time ASCS National champion that tallied 19 overall feature wins on the year.

 

 

 

Stephanie Chappell also makes a return to Chili Bowl competition, bumping the number of female racers to eight thus far.

 

 

 

The number of rookie contenders has expanded to 43.

 

 

 

The 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire kicks off Tuesday night, January 13, with the first of four qualifying nights. Tuesday's card will also include the Chili Bowl Race of Champions, featuring past event winners and other top Chili Bowl contenders squaring off in a special feature race.

 

 

 

The top three finishers from the Qualifying Night features will automatically lock into the Saturday night, January 17, Chili Bowl championship feature, with the balance of Saturday's championship feature events lined up according to Qualifying Night finishes.

 

 

 

Originally a two-day event that attracted 52 entries in 1987, the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire has evolved into a five-night extravaganza of indoor, dirt track midget racing, and ranks among the world’s most prestigious auto racing events with the 2008 edition of the event attracting a record number of 274 competitors.

 

 

 

A limited number of reserved seats remain for Tuesday night's Qualifying event and Race of Champions for just $26 apiece. Tickets may be obtained by calling the ticket office at 918-838-3777.

 

 

 

Only pit passes remain for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as those tickets were depleted in May.

[F5RACING]

ANY WORD AS TO IF SPEED WILL TELEVISE OR IF IT WILL BEON PPV AGAIN.

[NickHolt]

[Editor Note: Here's the latest from the Chili Bowl folks..... and I do see there will be some sort of TV]

 

by Lonnie Wheatley

 

Tulsa, OK (January 8, 2009) – The talent pool runs deep at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. And with a record total of 293 entries already submitted for next week's 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire, how could it not?

 

The best of the Bowl season takes place next Tuesday through Saturday at the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway as racing teams from 30 different states as well as Canada battle it out for Chili Bowl bragging rights atop the ¼-mile clay oval in front of a packed house.

 

Champions from all variety of motorsports, including Sprint Cars, Midgets, Late Models, Modifieds and even Drag Racing are also represented among the current crop of entries.

 

With the announcement that Temecula, California's Mike Spencer will fill the seat of the Bernie Stuebgen No. 71s entry, teaming with fellow Stuebgen entries for four-time ASCS National champion Gary Wright and Nebraska shoe Don Droud, Jr., no fewer than 27 series and track champions for 2008 will be among next week's Chili Bowl field. Spencer captured the 2008 USAC/CRA Sprint Car championship.

 

The 2008 track and series champions represented among this year's Chili Bowl field includes the following:

 

0 - Glenn Styres (SOS Sprint Cars)

1az – Jeff Perry (AMRA Midgets)

4m – Jimmy Light (Lawrenceburg Speedway Non-Wing Sprint Cars)

5 – Dave Darland (Sprint Bandits TNT)

5m – Wayne Modjeski (MSA Sprint Cars)

05s – Jon Stanbrough (King of Indiana Sprint Series)

05L – Danny Lasoski (Knoxville Raceway Sprint Cars)

6r – Jody Rosenboom (Huset's Speedway Sprint Cars)

6x – Dylan Peterson (Rapid Speedway-Heartland Racing Association Sprint Cars)

7x – Michelle Decker (State Fair Speedway Champ Sprint Cars)

11 – Jerry Coons, Jr. (USAC Sprint Cars and USAC Silver Crown)

11a - Andrew Felker (ASCS2 Non-Wing Micro Sprints)

14T – Tony Rossi (RMMRA Midgets)

17p – Cruz Pedregon (NHRA Funny Cars)

24 – Nick Foster, Jr. (BCRA Midgets)

27d – Danny Jennings (State Fair Speedway Super Sprint Cars)

55c – Caleb Armstrong (USAC Kenyon Midgets)

36 – Jonathan Beason (SMRS Midgets)

40 – Nic Faas (USAC Western States Midgets)

71 – Cole Whitt (USAC Midgets – National)

71s – Mike Spencer (USAC/CRA Sprint Cars)

71T – Tim Pyle (NOMA Midgets)

82 – Mike Hess (Badger Midgets)

86 – Justin Allgaier (ARCA/Remax Stock Car Series)

87c – Tim Crawley (Mid-South Sprint Cars)

97J – Jerry Higbie, Jr. (Orange County Fair Speedway 358 Modifieds)

99k – Kevin Kierce (VRA Sprint Cars)

 

At least another 50 drivers have captured track or series championships in past years, a list that includes but is not limited to Sammy Swindell (WoO), J.J. Yeley (USAC), Garry Lee Maier (ASCS & NCRA), Shane Cottle (Kokomo), Paul White (USAC Silver Crown), Thomas Meseraull (BCRA Midgets), Wayne Johnson (ASCS), Damion Gardner (USAC/CRA), Bobby East (USAC Midgets), Gary Taylor (ASCS Rocky Mountain / SMRS), Brad Loyet (POWRi Midgets), Jesse Hockett (Sprint Bandits TNT), Joe Boyles (SMRS Midgets), Kevin Ramey (ASCS Sooner & Devil's Bowl), Greg Wilson (All Star Sprint Cars), Chad Kemenah (All Star Sprint Cars), Bud Kaeding (USAC Silver Crown), Brock Lemley (Skagit), Chris Sheil (RMMRA Midgets), Terry McCarl (Knoxville), Tim McCreadie (WoO Late Model), Rick England (SMRS), Rick Hendrix (USAC Western States), Scott Hatton (Badger), Brad Kuhn (Badger), Mike Goodman (OCRS), Justin Grant (BCRA), Floyd Alvis (BCRA), Levi Jones (USAC Sprint Car), Tracy Hines (USAC), Kevin Olson (USAC Midget), Glenn Carson (BCRA), Donnie Lehmann (Midgets), Jeff Bland, Jr. (Bloomington), Jason Leffler (USAC Midget), Aaron Kirk (SSMA), Cory Kruseman (USAC/CRA – SCRA), Jay Drake (USAC Sprint Car), Keith Rauch (ASCS Rocky Mountain, RMMRA), Gary Wright (ASCS), Josh Wise (USAC Midget), Shane Carson (NCRA), Jerry Bell (ASCS Gulf South), Johnny Rodriguez (USAC Western States Midget).

 

Additional Lucas Oil Chili Bowl presented by General Tire Information:

 

What: 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire

Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds

When: January 13-17, 2009

Tuesday – Qualifying Night plus Chili Bowl Race of Champions

Wednesday - Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night

Thursday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night

Friday – Qualifying Night

Saturday – Championship Feature Events

 

Past Winners: Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007 and 2002), Sammy Swindell (1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989), Cory Kruseman (2004 and 2000), Dan Boorse (2003 and 1999), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy Hines (2005), 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 Qualifying Event and Chili Bowl Race of Champions are available for $26 per person and may be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at the gate. Four-night tickets for Wednesday through Saturday of the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire were depleted by the end of May. Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as well.

 

Chili Bowl on TV: Portions of the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire will be broadcast on SPEED TV on a tape-delayed basis.

 

Chili Bowl on the Net: All official news pertaining to the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire, 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 presented by General Tire is available at http://www.chilibowl.com/ or by calling 918-838-3777.