24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Next
Week!
 Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 8, 2010)
– Just one week into the new decade, the
nation's premier motorsports spectacle is
already upon us as the 24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
brings the City of Tulsa to life like no
other time of the year.
Closing in on a quarter-century of unforgettable
racing action atop the QuikTrip Center's
¼-mile Tulsa Expo Raceway clay oval at the Tulsa State
Fairgrounds, the 24th Annual
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals kicks off
Tuesday night, January 12, before finally
culminating with Saturday night's (January
16) 50-lap championship main event.
The entry list for the prestigious event is
currently at 266, with a worldwide field
representing 28 different states, a pair
of Canadian provinces, Australia and New
Zealand.
Among this week's additions to the entry list is
2008 Chili Bowl champion Damion Gardner,
bringing the number of past event winners
looking for more Chili Bowl glory to
eight.
While Tuesday's Warren CAT Qualifying Night kicks
off the four preliminary Chili Bowl
nights, the Vacuworx Race of Champions
makes for an action-packed Tuesday card.
Those eight past Chili Bowl winners, including
five-time Chili Bowl king Sammy Swindell,
two-time winner Cory Kruseman and one-time
winners Damion Gardner, Tim McCreadie,
Tracy Hines, Jay Drake, Jon Heydenreich
and Scott Hatton will square off in the
Vacuworx Race of Champions 20-lapper that
also includes NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne and
Jason Leffler, National Midget Driver of
the Year Bryan Clauson, USAC Midget
champion Brad Kuhn, Gary Taylor, Brad
Loyet, Garrett Hansen and Cole Whitt.
The first quarter of the field will also battle
it out in Tuesday's Warren CAT Qualifier,
with the balance of the field racing
through Wednesday's River Spirit Casino
Qualifier, Thursday's Bully Dog Qualifier
and Friday's E3 Spark Plugs Qualifier.
The top three finishers in each Qualifying night
feature lock into Saturday night's 50-lap
Chili Bowl championship feature, with the
others left to battle it out through Saturday's
Rockstar Energy Drink slate of feature
events.
Several of next week's Chili Bowl competitors got
an early look at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in
last weekend's Tulsa Shootout, with Kevin
Bayer, Donnie Ray Crawford and Kyle Larson
among the event winners.
Bayer's win came in the inaugural
ASCS ECOTech Chevy Midget main event,
Crawford added another Golden Driller in
the Micro Sprint Car ranks and
California's Larson topped a winged kart
class.
Crawford was added to the ChiIi
Bowl entry list this week aboard the Hard
Eight Racing No. 8x.
Also added to the entry list this week is
Penngrove, California's Alissa Geving.
Already a two-time track champion
in the Sprint Car ranks at Petaluma
Speedway, the 18-year-old runs the total
of lady competitors at the Chili Bowl to
five with others including Shannon
McQueen, Michelle Decker, Randi Pankratz
and Julee Jamison.
Geving is also part of a Chili Bowl rookie crop
that currently stands at 51.
While racing action officially goes green on
Tuesday, activities have already picked up
at the QuikTrip Center.
While the track is being groomed
for five nights of action, trailers will
be parked in the building on Sunday with a
practice session to follow on Monday.
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Quick Facts:
What: 24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals
Where: Tulsa
Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside
the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State
Fairgrounds
When:
January 12-16, 2010
Tuesday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night plus
Vacuworx Chili Bowl Race of Champions
Wednesday – River Spirit Casino Qualifying
Night
Thursday – Bully Dog Qualifying Night
Friday – E3 Spark Plugs Qualifying Night
Saturday – Rockstar Energy Drink Championship
Feature Events
Past Winners:
Sammy Swindell (2009, 1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989),
Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007
and 2002), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy
Hines (2005), Cory Kruseman (2004 and
2000), Dan Boorse (2003 and 1999), 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: Four-night tickets for Wednesday through Saturday
of the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals were depleted by the
end of May.
A limited number of reserved seats
for Tuesday night's Warren CAT Qualifying
Event and the Second Annual Vacuworx
International Chili Bowl Race of Champions
are available for $26 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.
Chili Bowl on TV: Portions of the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Midget Nationals will be
broadcast on SPEED TV on a tape-delayed
basis.
Chili Bowl on the Net: All official news pertaining to the 24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals, 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 is available
at http://www.chilibowl.com/
or by calling 918-838-3777.
Pictured; Kasey Kahne
vies for a Golden Driller next week as
well as bragging rights in Tuesday night's
Vacuworx Race of Champions.
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