Kuhn Dogs Chili Bowl Foes in Thursday's Warren
CAT Qualifier
 Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 10, 2008) – A
two-time National Midget Driver of the
Year, Brad Kuhn perhaps ranks amongst the
most underrated Midget chauffeurs in the
country.
But the Avon, IN, racer wasted little time making his
presence known at Tulsa Expo Raceway's 22nd
Annual Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals in the
QuikTrip Center, solidly establishing
himself as one of the favorites to win
this year's event by wiring the field in
Thursday night's 25-lap Warren CAT
Qualifying feature event.
Starting from the pole position, Kuhn outgunned Shane Cottle
for the lead at the outset and paced the
field throughout in a race that featured
just one quick caution period to score his
first Chili Bowl preliminary feature win
aboard Dr. Kenneth Love's Stanton Mopar-powered
Hoosier/Simpson/Barnes Oil Systems No. 71x
Spike chassis.
"I know the right people are here tonight, it's the
right time to shine," Kuhn commented
at the post-race press conference.
Jon Stanbrough made a late move to snare runner-up honors,
with Cottle giving Hoosier State racers a
sweep of the podium by finishing third.
Sixteen-year-old California native
Cole Whitt made a lap 20 pass of defending
Chili Bowl champion Tony Stewart to snare
the fourth and final lock-in position to
Saturday night's 50-lap Chili Bowl
championship main event.
Stewart rounded out the top five and will start from the
front row of one of Saturday night's
"B" Main events as he tries to
become the first back-to-back winner in
Chili Bowl history.
Kuhn dazzled the capacity crowd early on, treading about the
top side of the track to climb from fourth
in the final laps to win the night's ninth
and final heat race.
A quick charge from sixth to second
in his qualifier assured him the pole
position for the feature event.
Kuhn took off at the outset of the main event, with fellow
front row starter Cottle giving chase as
fourth-starter Stewart battled past
Stanbrough for third on the second lap.
With Cottle staying within several
car-lengths of the leader, Stanbrough
reclaimed third from Stewart by the time
lapped traffic came into play on the tenth
round.
Kuhn made just one bobble along the way when he got loose in
turn two on the 16th lap,
allowing Cottle to close to his tail tank.
But when the race's only caution
appeared one lap later for a turn three
tangle involving Chad DeSelle and Matt
Sherrell, Kuhn once again had open track.
"I was trying to run 25 laps with no mistakes,"
Kuhn explained after one mistake cost him
a win in last year's preliminary action.
"I did mess up one time in the
middle of the race and I thought Shane was
gonna get me, it was one mistake but it
didn't cost me."
Kuhn once again opened up a several car-length advantage on
the restart, as Cottle was left to fend
off Stanbrough for second with the lapped
car of Shane Stewart in the mix as well.
Finding the top side to his liking,
Stewart made his way past Cottle and tried
to reel in the leader in an effort to
unlap himself.
Meanwhile, Stanbrough battled past Cottle for second on the
23rd lap and tried to mount a
charge on Kuhn.
That charged was derailed by the
lapped car and Stanbrough settled for
second aboard the Loyet Motorsports
Esslinger Ford-powered Loyet Landscape
Maintenance No. 05s Spike.
"He should have got out of the way, his race was
over," Stanbrough commented.
"I love coming here and I'm
really excited to be in the show, but I'm
gonna have to go back to the pits and
control myself because I really want to go
punch him in the mouth."
"I don't know if I could have had anything for
Brad," the winner of 30 Sprint Car
features in 2008 continued.
"I don’t know how many times
I've finished second in a Midget and I'm
dying to get a win and I think we might
have had an opportunity tonight."
Cottle, a preliminary feature winner at last year's Chili
Bowl, settled for third aboard Daryl
Saucier's Chevy-powered DSR Fuel Systems
No. 1st Beast.
A runner-up finisher in his Chili Bowl debut in 2000, Cottle
explained that, "I guess it (Tulsa
Expo Raceway) kinda suits my driving
style, back in 2000 it was kinda neat to
be a rookie here and finish second and
ever since then I've liked it here."
Running eighth at the lap 17 caution, Whitt took to the top
side and needed just one lap to dispose of
Garrett Hansen, Nathan High and Sammy
Swindell to climb to fifth.
Whitt reeled in Stewart two laps
later and took the fourth position for
keeps aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports
Esslinger-powered Red Bull No. 71 Bullet.
With the lapped car in play, Whitt didn't even realize he had
reached the fourth position.
"I was so far back on that
yellow, and coming through the field I
didn't know that we had lapped traffic.
I thought they were pointing me to
the infield just for running top five then
Keith (Kunz) came over and said, 'Hey,
we're locked in!'
He points up at the leader board
and we're in fourth, so this is the first
Chili Bowl that we've been locked in on
Saturday so I'm excited."
Tony Stewart rounded out the top five, with Hansen in sixth.
Bobby Michnowicz claimed seventh,
with four-time Chili Bowl winner Sammy
Swindell, SMRS Midget champion Gary Taylor
and AMRA Midget champion Nathan High
completing the top ten.
Teamed with Stanbrough, Brad Loyet turned in the feature's
top passing performance by climbing from
18th to eleventh.
A pair of Chili Bowl rookies made the feature cut, with
Dennis Rodriguez in 18th and
George White the race's first of two
casualties, credited with 24th.
Transferring from Tuesday night's Pre-Qualifying event,
Austin Brown raced his way into Thursday
night's feature and posted a 14th-place
finish.
Chris Rahe, Tony Stewart, Cottle, Michnowicz, Brady Bacon,
Scott Pierovich, Billy Pauch, Jr., Jerry
Higbie, Jr., and Kuhn topped heat race
action for Thursday night's 72-car field.
Loyet, Michelle Decker, Frank Polimeda and Jonathan Beason
claimed Last Chance Race wins, with
Stanbrough, Cottle, High and Hansen
winning the Qualifying Races.
Rahe and Loyet took "B" Main honors.
Garry Lee Maier tipped over in heat race action, with Cruz
Pedregon and Tadd Holliman getting upside
down in the Last Chance races.
Qualifying race action featured seven flips, with Pierovich,
Pauch, Decker, Justin Allgaier, Sherrell,
Joe Cleveland and Kenny Brown all turning
over.
There were no injures.
Friday night's O'Reilly Auto Parts Qualifying event, the
third and final qualifying night at the 22nd
Chili Bowl Nationals, fires off with the
first heat race set to go green at 5:45
p.m.
Thursday Night's Warren CAT Qualifying Event Results from the
22nd Annual Dodge Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals
Heat Races (Top 40 in passing points to four A Qualifiers;
Balance to four Last Chance races)
Heat 1: 1. #3C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, CA; 2. #191 Ryan Durst,
Lincoln, NE; 3. #22S Shane Stewart, Bixby,
OK; 4. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 5.
#91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, OK; 6. #42
Mike Leslie, Litchfield Park, AZ; 7. #19N
Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, OK; 8. #7W Brandon
Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI
Heat 2: 1. #20 Tony Stewart,
Columbus, IN; 2. #7 Critter Malone,
Speedway, IN; 3. #05S Jon Stanbrough,
Avon, IN; 4. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, IL;
5. #09 Russ Harper, Indianapolis, IN; 6.
#23J Jimmy Light, Indianapolis, IN; 7. #D1
Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD; 8. #132
Thomas Meseraull, Fresno, CA
Heat 3: 1. #1ST Shane Cottle,
Kokomo, IN; 2. #5* Gary Taylor, Sapulpa,
OK; 3. #10W Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 4.
#17T Justin Grant, Ione, CA; 5. #3T Tony
Beaber, Gibsonburg, OH; 6. #2A Tommy
Bryant, Montgomery, TX; 7. #1T Tony Roney,
Herculaneum, MO; 8. #18 Floyd Alvis, San
Carlos, CA
Heat 4: 1. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Torrance, CA; 2. #12JR Nathan
High, Goodyear, AZ; 3. #86 Justin Allgaier,
Springfield, IL; 4. #37J Joe Walker,
Harrisonville, MO; 5. #57K Nick Lundgreen,
Brownsburg, IN; 6. #6Z Jessica Zemken,
Sprakers, NY; 7. #97A Alan Ballard,
Bakersfield, CA; 8. #6X Jody Rosenboom,
Rock Rapids, IA
Heat 5: 1. #99 Brady Bacon,
Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #95 Chad DeSelle, Sun
Prairie, WI; 3. #7A Austin Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 4. #07 Gary Wright, Hooks,
TX; 5. #78J Nick Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ;
6. #44F Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 7.
#13AU Stewart Friesen, Niagara on the
Lake, ONT; 8. #57B Johnny Heydenreich,
Indianapolis, IN
Heat 6: 1. #35P Scott
Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 2. #17B Kenny Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 3. #1D Dennis Rodriguez,
Camarillo, CA; 4. #51S Danny Sheridan,
Santa Maria, CA; 5. #1 Sammy Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 6. #31L Lee Grosz,
Harwood, ND; 7. #23 Tadd Holliman, Beaver
Lake, NE; 8. #0 Johnny Murdock, Kaufman,
TX
Heat 7: 1. #49 Billy Pauch,
Jr., Frenchtown, NJ; 2. #67K Matt Sherrell,
Tulsa, OK; 3. #37 Matt Mitchell, Yorba
Linda, CA; 4. #37B Tyler Brown, Norco, CA;
5. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, MO;
6. #8K Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 7. #7T
Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 8. #73S Garry Lee
Maier, Cimarron, KS
Heat 8: 1. #39J Jerry Higbie
Jr., Slate Hill, NY; 2. #75X David Gough,
Machesney Park, IL; 3. #70 Garrett Hansen,
Manhattan Beach, CA; 4. #93C Chett Gehrke,
Broken Arrow, OK; 5. #71 Cole Whitt,
Alpine, CA; 6. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken
Arrow, OK; 7. #71C Cruz Pedregon,
Brownsburg, IN; 8. #68 Jonathan Hendrick,
Fortville, IN
Heat 9: 1. #71X Brad Kuhn,
Avon, IN; 2. #10 George White, Fort Worth,
TX; 3. #17 Chris Windom, Canton, IL; 4.
#11C Joe Cleveland, Delphos, KS; 5. #05
Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO; 6. #7MX
Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 7. #75H Bart
Hartman, Zanesville, OH; 8. #87D Brent
Rees, Arvada, CO
Last Chance Races (Top 2 in each transfer to back of
corresponding A Qualifier)
Last Chance 1:
1. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills,
MO; 2. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, OK;
3. #132 Thomas Meseraull, Fresno, CA; 4.
#6Z Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, NY; 5. #31L
Lee Grosz, Harwood, ND; 6. #1T Tony Roney,
Herculaneum, MO; 7. #0 Johnny Murdock,
Kaufman, TX; DNS - #7T Eric Todd, Falcon,
MO
Last Chance 2:
1. #7MX Michelle Decker, Guthrie,
OK; 2. #42 Mike Leslie, Litchfield Park,
AZ; 3. #78J Nick Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ;
4. #8X Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 5. #71C
Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #97A
Alan Ballard, Bakersfield, CA; 7. #73S
Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, KS; 8. #18
Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA
Last Chance 3: 1. #44F Frank
Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 2. #09 Russ
Harper, Indianapolis, IN; 3. #13AU Stewart
Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ONT; 4. #2A
Tommy Bryant, Montgomery, TX; 5. #D1
Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD; 6. #75H
Bart Hartman, Zanesville, OH; 7. #68
Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, IN; 8. #6X
Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, IA
Last Chance 4: 1. #36
Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #23J
Jimmy Light, Indianapolis, IN; 3. #57B
Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN; 4.
#7W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI; 5.
#57K Nick Lundgreen, Brownsburg, IN; 6.
#19N Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, OK; 7. #87D
Brent Rees, Arvada, CO; 8. #23 Tadd
Holliman, Beaver Lake, NE
A Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main;
Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #05S Jon
Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 2. #71X Brad Kuhn,
Avon, IN; 3. #37 Matt Mitchell, Yorba
Linda, CA; 4. #7A Austin Brown, Millstadt,
IL; 5. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO;
6. #22S Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK; 7. #37J
Joe Walker, Harrisonville, MO; 8. #191
Ryan Durst, Lincoln, NE; 9. #17T Justin
Grant, Ione, CA; 10. #5C Joey Montgomery,
Fredericktown, MO; 11. #91K Kevin Bayer,
Broken Arrow, OK; 12. #35P Scott Pierovich,
Alamo, CA
A Qualifier 2: 1. #1ST Shane
Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 2. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Torrance, CA; 3. #5* Gary
Taylor, Sapulpa, OK; 4. #10 George White,
Fort Worth, TX; 5. #7 Critter Malone,
Speedway, IN; 6. #07 Gary Wright, Hooks,
TX; 7. #93 Chett Gehrke, Broken Arrow, OK;
8. #10W Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 9.
#7MX Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 10. #42
Mike Leslie, Litchfield Park, AZ; 11. #3T
Tony Beaber, Gibsonburg, OH; 12. #49 Billy
Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ
A Qualifier 3: 1. #12JR
Nathan High, Goodyear, AZ; 2. #71 Cole
Whitt, Alpine, CA; 3. #1 Sammy Swindell,
Germantown, IN; 4. #1D Dennis Rodriguez,
Camarillo, CA; 5. #3C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, CA; 6. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, OK; 7. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix,
AZ; 8. #09 Russ Harper, Indianapolis, IN;
9. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA;
10. #44F Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 11.
#67K Matt Sherrell, Tulsa, OK; 12. #86
Justin Allgaier, Springfield, IL
A Qualifier 4: 1. #70
Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA; 2.
#20 Tony Stewart, Columbus, IN; 3. #94
Chad DeSelle, Sun Prairie, WI; 4. #17
Chris Windom, Canton, IL; 5. #39J Jerry
Higbie Jr., Slate Hill, NY; 6. #36
Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 7. #75X
David Gough, Machesney Park, IL; 8. #51
Mike Hess, Riverton, IL; 9. #37B Tyler
Brown, Norco, CA; 10. #23J Jimmy Light,
Indianapolis, IN; 11. #17B Kenny Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 12. #11C Joe Cleveland,
Delphos, KS
B Mains (Top 4 advance to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #3C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, CA; 2. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, OK; 3. #22S Shane Stewart, Bixby,
OK; 4. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow,
OK; 5. #35P Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 6.
#7 Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 7. #44F
Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, NJ; 8. #37B
Tyler Brown, Norco, CA; 9. #09 Russ
Harper, Indianapolis, IN; 10. #7MX
Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 11. #51 Mike
Hess, Riverton, IL; 12. #42 Mike Leslie,
Litchfield Park, AZ; 13. #37J Joe Walker,
Harrisonville, MO; 14. #93C Chett Gehrke,
Broken Arrow, OK; 15. #86 Justin Allgaier,
Springfield, IL; 16. #23J Jimmy Light,
Indianapolis, IN
B Main 2: 1. #05 Brad Loyet,
Sunset Hills, MO; 2. #75X David Gough,
Machesney Park, IL; 3. #191 Ryan Durst,
Lincoln, NE; 4. #67K Matt Sherrell, Tulsa,
OK; 5. #17T Justin Grant, Ione, CA; 6.
#51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA; 7.
#39J Jerry Higbie Jr., Slate Hill, NY; 8.
#49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ; 9.
#3T Tony Beaber, Gibsonburg, OH; 10. #91K
Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, OK; 11. #10W
Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 12. #47X J.J.
Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 13. #17B Kenny Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 14. #07 Gary Wright, Hooks,
TX; 15. #5C Joey Montgomery,
Fredericktown, MO DNS - #11C Joe
Cleveland, Delphos, KS
A Main (25 laps - Top 4 advance to Saturday Night’s Main
Event)
1. #71K Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 2.
#05S Jon Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 3. #1ST
Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 4. #71 Cole
Whitt, Alpine, CA; 5. #20 Tony Stewart,
Columbus, IN; 6. #70 Garrett Hansen,
Manhattan Beach, CA; 7. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Torrance, CA; 8. #1 Sammy
Swindell, Germantown, TN; 9. #5* Gary
Taylor, Sapulpa, OK; 10. #12JR Nathan
High, Goodyear, AZ; 11. #05 Brad Loyet,
Sunset Hills, MO; 12. #17 Chris Windom,
Canton, IL; 13. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, OK; 14. #7A Austin Brown,
Millstadt, IL; 15. #3C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, CA; 16. #37 Matt Mitchell,
Yorba Linda, CA; 17. #67K Matt Sherrell,
Tulsa, OK; 18. #1D Dennis Rodriguez,
Camarillo, CA; 19. #36 Jonathan Beason,
Broken Arrow, OK; 20. Chad DeSelle, Sun
Prairie, WI; 21. #22S Shane Stewart,
Bixby, OK; 22. #191 Ryan Durst, Lincoln,
NE; 23. #75X David Gough, Machesney Park,
IL; 24. #10 George White, Fort Worth, TX
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