22nd Annual Dodge Chili Bowl
Nationals Fires Off Next Week!
 Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 3,
2008) – As has become tradition over the
past couple of decades, the racing world's
attention shifts squarely upon Tulsa, OK,
next week as the 22nd Annual
Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals takes
place January 8-12 atop the ¼-mile Tulsa
Expo Raceway clay oval inside the QuikTrip
Center.
From humble beginnings in 1987 that
attracted just over 50 cars and a slim
crowd, the Chili Bowl Nationals has
evolved into a blockbuster event with
jam-packed grandstands each night and an
indoor pit area bursting at the seams with
top guns from all variety of racing
disciplines.
And, like the fans, the racers come in
increasingly vast numbers with each
passing year it seems, as this year's
entry list has reached 282 entries from 27
states as well as Canada and Australia.
Last year's edition of the Chili
Bowl featured a record number of 267
competitors, a record that will likely
fall by the way side next week.
Few could have imagined way back in 1987
that the Chili Bowl would develop into the
mega-event that it has become, with NASCAR
stars Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne racing
alongside all variety of high-speed
chauffeurs, some handsomely paid and some
just getting by from one race to the next.
From the nation's top open wheelers in the
Sprint Car and Midget ranks to some Late
Model and DIRT Modified aces such as 2006
Chili Bowl winner Tim McCreadie and even
straight-liners like Gary Scelzi and Cruz
Pedregon, you have a true cross section of
the American auto racing scene represented
inside the building formerly known as the
Tulsa Expo Center.
True, the likes of Stewart, Kahne, Yeley,
Leffler and others frequented the Chili
Bowl before making the successful leap to
the purported "big-time".
But they've continued to come back
to Tulsa each January, with Tony Stewart's
two Chili Bowl triumphs coming in 2002 and
2007, well after his IRL championship in
1997 and subsequent shift to NASCAR.
You may ask yourself, why?
Stewart, familiarly known as "Smoke
Johnson" around Tulsa, perhaps put it
best a couple of years ago.
“Where are you going to go in the
country where you have 250 of the best all
in one place for four days running for one
prize?
You win this race you’ve got
bragging rights for a year.
I don’t care what you do for the
rest of the season, you could drop out of
every race for the rest of the year, but
you still got bragging rights that you won
the Chili Bowl.”
Of course, that was three years ago, when
there were "only" 250 entries
and "only" four nights of
racing.
A car count that swelled from 167
to 249 in the span from 2002 to 2005
prompted the addition of a Tuesday night
Pre-Qualifying event last year, when 267
took part.
The reasons are countless why thousands
upon thousands spend much of the year
planning the annual trek to Tulsa.
A key reason is the atmosphere, the
"feel" of the Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals. Bottom line, it's fun. That
keeps Tony Stewart coming back; that keeps
Dave Darland coming back; that keeps Mark
Bush coming back; that keeps Johnny
Murdock coming back.
That keeps the fans coming back.
The Chili Bowl got that "feel"
in the early days.
And while the event has grown in
leaps and bounds, falling under the
nation's microscope (well, the world's for
that matter), the Chili Bowl still
possesses that same, undeniable charm it
obtained in the early years.
It's the big event with the same
comfortable, laid-back, grassroots feel to
it that drew countless fans and racers for
the first time.
And more often than not, vows were
made after the first visit to never miss
another one.
No point chases to worry about, few
worries at all to be sure.
And, when all is said and done and
the final checkered flag falls on Saturday
night's feature, one talented (and lucky)
driver leaves with that coveted Golden
Driller trophy.
And bragging rights for a year.
Additional
Dodge Chili Bowl information:
What: 22nd
Annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
Where: Tulsa
Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside
the QuikTrip Center (formerly known as
Tulsa Exposition Center) at the Tulsa
State Fairgrounds
When:
January 8-12,
2008
Tuesday –
Bass Pro Shops Pre-Qualifying Night
Wednesday -
Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night
Thursday –
Warren CAT Qualifying Night
Friday –
O'Reilly Qualifying Night
Saturday –
Bass Pro Shops Championship Saturday
Feature Events
Past Winners: 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).
Current
Entries: 282
entries from 27 different states as well
as Canada and Australia, topping last
year's record count of 267 competitors.
Past winners
already entered include Tony Stewart,
Sammy Swindell, Cory Kruseman, Tim
McCreadie, Tracy Hines and Johnny
Heydenreich.
Among the
latest entries is Springfield, Nebraska's
Jack Dover aboard the Anderson Motorsports
No. 53.
Jack joins his sister Trish Dover,
driver of the Pierovich No. 6p, in this
year's Chili Bowl field.
They are believed to be just the
second brother-sister duo to compete in
the Chili Bowl, following Oklahoma's Zach
and Stephanie Chappell in 2002.
Currently,
there are 67 Chili Bowl rookies on the
entry list.
At least 30
series or track champions over the course
of the 2007 season have entered the Chili
Bowl Nationals, including:
Eleven midget champions from 2007 that have entered
the Chili Bowl include Jerry Coons, Jr. (USAC
and National Midget Driver of the Year),
David Gough (UMARA), 16-year-old Justin
Grant (BCRA), Nathan High (AMRA), Brad
Kuhn (BMARA), Brad Loyet (POWRi), Andy
Martin (ARDC), Doug McCune (SSMA), Johnny
Rodriguez (USAC Western States), Chris
Sheil (RMMRA) and Gary Taylor (SMRS).
Eight winged Sprint Car champs are ready for the
Chili Bowl, including Lee Grosz (ASCS
Northern Plains), Mike Goodman (OCRS),
Garry Lee Maier (NCRA), Joey Montgomery
(St. Francois County Raceway), Shane
Stewart (All-Star Speedweek and NSCS
Speedweek), Glenn Styres (SOS), George
White (Cowtown Speedway) and Gary Wright (ASCS
National and National Driver of the Year).
Six wingless Sprint Car champs are entered,
including 19-year-old Jeff Bland, Jr.
(Bloomington Speedway and National Rookie
of the Year), Shane Cottle (Kokomo
Speedway), Jesse Hockett (Sprint Bandits
TNT), Levi Jones (USAC), Ryan Kaplan (USAC
Western States) and Jon Stanbrough (KISS
and National Non-Wing Driver of the Year).
Bud Kaeding won the USAC Silver Crown championship.
Other 2007 champions include Stewart Friesen (DIRT
Modifieds at New York's Utica Rome
Speedway), Brent Rees (Rocky Mountain Mini
Sprint Association), Austin Mero (Ventura
Raceway Junior Ford Focus Midgets) and
Andrew Deal (non-wing Micros at Will
Rogers Raceway).
Bass Pro Shops
Kick Off Party:
Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow, OK,
will host a Chili Bowl Kick Off Party on
Monday night, January 7, beginning at 6:00
p.m.
Drivers from the Tony Stewart
Motorsports team, including Tracy Hines,
Levi Jones and Josh Richards, will be on
hand to sign autographs.
Fans can enter for a chance to ride
in the Chili Bowl pace truck, the King of
Bucks trailer will be present and
accounted for and there will be all
variety of games, prizes and giveaways.
The flyer for the Bass Pro Shops
Chili Bowl Kick Off Party is available at www.chilibowl.com/bpscbkop08.zip.
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.
Preferred
Parking: A
limited number of Preferred Parking spaces
are still available for all five nights of
the Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals by
calling the ticket office at 918-838-3777.
Buffet: The
cafeteria at the east end of the QuikTrip
Center will offer an all-you-can-eat
buffet each day.
The buffet is available from 11:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday through
Friday and then 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on
Saturday.
Tickets: Four-night
tickets for Wednesday through Saturday of
the 22nd Annual Dodge Chili
Bowl Nationals were depleted by the
beginning of June.
A limited number of reserved seats
for Tuesday night's Pre-Qualifying event
are available for $21 per person and may
be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at
the gate. Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as
well.
Pay-Per-View: Lucas
Oil presents the Chili Bowl Nationals live
on HBO Pay-Per-View for the first time on
Saturday night, January 12.
The
live broadcast on Saturday, January 12
begins at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT),
with an immediate pay-per-view replay and
additional replays on Sunday. The HBO
Pay-Per-View racing telecast has a
suggested retail price $24.95 and will be
available to more than 61 million
pay-per-view homes
in the United States and Canada and
millions more worldwide. HBO Pay-Per-View
is the leading supplier of event
programming in the pay-per-view industry.
Ordering information is available
at http://www.hbo.com/.
Viewers are encouraged to contact their local cable
operator or satellite provider to order
the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Customers must
have digital cable or satellite service to
order. A
subscription to HBO is not required.
Dodge Chili
Bowl Nationals On the Web:
All the action from Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday along with
Saturday's action prior to the
Pay-per-View telecast will be webcast live
at www.racinboys.com.
Complete information, including
entry lists, updates and official results
is available at www.chilibowl.com.
Additional
information regarding the Dodge Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals is available at www.chilibowl.com
or by calling 918-838-3777.
Photo
courtesy of Phil Rider
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