Lucas
Oil Chili Bowl 2010 - Kruseman and Bondio
Field Separate Entries
 Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (December 4, 2009) – It has
ranked as one of the most successful
owner-driver combinations in Chili Bowl
history.
Teamed for eleven of the past
twelve editions of the prestigious event
that takes place atop the QuikTrip
Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway clay oval, the
duo has come away with the coveted Golden
Driller trophy on two occasions and
recorded several other podium finishes.
But, when the 24th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl
Nationals takes place on January 12-16,
2010, things will look a little different,
as that team won't be intact any more.
For the first time since 2001 and just the second time since
1997, Ventura, California's Cory Kruseman
won't be at the wheel of one of the unique
Andy Bondio No. 47 entries.
Bondio, who earned the first of three Golden Drillers as a
car owner when Lealand McSpadden won the
Chili Bowl in 1991, will still field a
pair of entries for this year's Chili
Bowl.
Cali shoe Garrett Hansen, who made
the Chili Bowl championship feature cut in
both 2006 and 2007, will fill the seat of
the primary Bondio entry with the second
driver yet to be determined.
Kruseman will be in the house as well, anchoring his own
super-team of five entries that also
includes 2001 Chili Bowl champion Jay
Drake.
Kruseman and Bondio first joined forces at the Chili Bowl in
1998.
A runner-up finish the following
year kicked off a remarkable run of six
podium finishes in seven tries, including
victories in 2000 and 2004.
That one time outside the top three
was a 13th place finish in 2003
in which what appeared to be a sure
victory came up just five laps short due
to a reported dead battery, although some
speculate to this day that the more likely
culprit was a depleted fuel cell.
A year after the duo's second win, Bondio pushed the envelope
of innovation when he showed up in Tulsa
with a motorcycle tire mounted on the left
front of the Kruseman-appointed Midget.
"The Kruser" responded
with preliminary feature wins in both 2005
and 2006, finishing second and third,
respectively, in the Saturday night
finales.
That third-place run in 2006 ultimately proved to be the last
taste of Chili Bowl success for the
Bondio-Kruseman combination, as the pair
has missed the championship feature cut
over the past three renditions of the
Chili Bowl.
This year, Bondio is set to try his luck with USAC Western
States Midget champion Hansen, who drove
Bondio's No. 47 entry to five USAC Western
States wins in 2009 while also knocking
off a pair of Sprint Car feature wins.
Hansen also ranked third in USAC/CRA
Sprint Car points.
Staying busy with his Ventura-based Sprint Car and Midget
Driving School, Kruseman still mixed in a
full slate of events with three Sprint Car
feature wins and a Midget score over the
course of 2009.
Kruseman will be one of at least five past winners among this
year's Chili Bowl field, with other past
event champions expected to include
defending race winner Sammy Swindell, Tim
McCreadie, Tracy Hines and Jay Drake.
Other past winners that are likely
contenders include Damion Gardner, Jon
Heydenreich and Scott Hatton.
Swindell bested a Chili Bowl record
281 competitors in January of 2009 for an
unprecedented fifth Chili Bowl win.
Those past winners along with several other selected drivers
will compete in the Tuesday night, January
12, Vacuworx International Chili Bowl Race
of Champions, an added element to the
Warren CAT Qualifying night slate of
events that kicks off five full nights of
competition.
The four qualifying nights' feature
finishes will determine the lineups for
Saturday's championship slate of feature
events.
A limited
number of tickets remain for the Tuesday
night, January 12, Warren CAT Qualifying
event that includes the Second Annual
Vacuworx International Chili Bowl Race of
Champions.
Tickets are available for just $26
by calling 918-838-3777.
Only pit passes remain for Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
Approximately 125 entries have already been
submitted for the 24th Annual
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, with more
expected to flood the event office prior
to the December 15 pre-entry deadline.
It is anticipated that the initial
entry list will be revealed early next
week.
Additional information regarding the Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is available
at http://www.chilibowl.com/.
(G.T.
Miller photo)
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