#67a - Gary "Bubba" Altig (Mechanicsburg, IL)

2nd Chili Bowl Appearance

Chili Bowl Main Event Starts: 1

Chili Bowl Main Event Finishes:  14th (2007)

2007 Chili Bowl Results:

Tuesday: 1st in Heat 5; 1st in A Main

Friday: 1st in Heat 6; 1st in Qualifier 3; 4th in A Main

Saturday: 14th in A Main

Prior to the 2007 edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals, few people outside of Mechanicsburg, IL, knew much about the guy they call "Bubba".  But after his last lap heroics to win the first Tuesday night Pre-Qualifier in event history and then more Friday night dramatics to lock into the Saturday night finale, the name Bubba Altig is permanently etched into the voluminous pages of Chili Bowl lore.

Bubba ran a mix of Midget events over the course of 2007, finishing among the top five in half of his 22 feature starts with top finishes of second in POWRi action at the Lincoln Fairgrounds (Apr. 27) and in Badger competition at Angell Park (July 29).

Teamed with Davey Ray, a Wednesday night preliminary winner at the Chili Bowl last year, Bubba will bypass this year's Tuesday festivities.

Car Owner:  Mecum Racing

Chassis:  Spike

Engine:  Steve Smith Hawk

Sponsors:  Mecum Auctions, Parkland Environmental Group, Weiland Racing, Rod End Supply, Reliable Carriers

Photo:  Bubba Altig celebrates his Tuesday night triumph at the 2007 Chili Bowl Nationals. (TWC Photo)