Chili
Bowl Entry Count Closes in on 200!
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla.
(December 10, 2008) – With the
December 15 pre-entry deadline rapidly
approaching, the entry count for the 23rd
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
presented by General Tire is nearing the
200 mark as of the close of business on
Wednesday.
Thus
far, 189 entries representing 29 different
states as well as Canada have been filed
for the event that is set to take place at
the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway
on January 13-17, 2009.
Among
the group of entries that has been filed
over the early portion of the week are
nine past Chili Bowl championship main
event starters, including Tulsa-area
hotshoe Brady Bacon.
Bacon
is part of the three-car Tel-Star
Communications team that also includes
Washington-native Gary Taylor and Donnie
Ray Crawford, who finished fifth as a
Chili Bowl rookie in 2007.
For Bacon, it marks a reunion with
Mike and Megan Eubanks, who fielded the
entry for Bacon's Chili Bowl rookie effort
as a 14-year-old in 2005.
In
addition to Bacon and Crawford, other past
Chili Bowl championship feature starters
to file entries this week include
Oklahoma's Shane Carson, Nebraska's Don
Droud, Jr., Wisconsin's Chad DeSelle,
Arizona's Nathan High, Tennessee's Paul
McMahan, Illinois' Kevin Olson and Texas'
Paul White.
Also,
Illinois shoe Mat Neely was named the
driver of the Scooter Ellis No. 73x
previously listed as a TBA, filling out a
team that includes 19-year-old Samantha
Taylor, a top-five finisher in 2008 ASCS
Rebel Region points, and Chili Bowl rookie
contenders Tanner Mullens and Austin
Wheatley.
Neely finished tenth in the 2007
edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Included
among the latest rookies is Washington
Sprint Car shoe Brock Lemley, who joins a
rookie crop that currently numbers 36.
Some other notable rookie contenders thus
far include two-time All Star Sprint Car
champion Greg Wilson, BCRA Midget champion
Nick Foster, Jr., USAC Western States
Midget champion Nic Faas, and Posse Sprint
Car shoes Cody Darrah and Aaron Ott among
others.
New York
lady racer Jessica Zemken has also joined
the Chili Bowl field.
Set for her third Chili Bowl,
Jessica runs the number of female
competitors to seven as she joins previous
event competitors Shannon McQueen,
Michelle Decker, Randi Pankratz and
Samantha Taylor along with rookie shoes
Julee Jamison and Jennifer Greenberg.
The
23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili
Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire
kicks off Tuesday night, January 13, with
the first of four qualifying nights.
Tuesday's card will also include
the Chili Bowl Race of Champions,
featuring past event winners and other top
Chili Bowl contenders squaring off in a
special feature race.
The
top three finishers from the Qualifying
Night features will automatically lock
into the Saturday night, January 17, Chili
Bowl championship feature, with the
balance of Saturday's Bass Pro Shops
championship feature events lined up
according to Qualifying Night finishes.
Originally
a two-day event that attracted 52 entries
in 1987, the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals presented by General Tire has
evolved into a five-night extravaganza of
indoor, dirt track midget racing, and
ranks among the world’s most prestigious
auto racing events with the 2008 edition
of the event attracting a record number of
274 competitors.
A
limited number of reserved seats remain
for Tuesday night's Qualifying event and
Race of Champions for just $26 apiece.
Tickets may be obtained by calling
the ticket office at 918-838-3777.
Only
pit passes remain for Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, as those tickets were
depleted in May.
Additional
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl presented by General
Tire Information:
What:
23rd
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals presented by General Tire
Where:
Tulsa
Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside
the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State
Fairgrounds
When:
January
13-17, 2009
Tuesday
– Qualifying Night plus Chili Bowl Race
of Champions
Wednesday
- Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night
Thursday
– Warren CAT Qualifying Night
Friday
– Qualifying Night
Saturday
– Bass Pro Shops Championship Saturday
Feature Events
Past
Winners:
Damion
Gardner (2008), 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).
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 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili
Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire
were depleted by the end of May. A limited number of reserved seats for Tuesday night's
Qualifying Event and 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 23rd Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by
General Tire will be broadcast on SPEED TV
on a one-week tape-delayed basis on
Saturday night, January 24.
Additional details will be
available soon.
Additional
information regarding the Lucas Oil Chili
Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General
Tire is available at http://www.chilibowl.com/
or by calling 918-838-3777.
Pictured:
Brady Bacon and the Tel-Star
Communications team reeled off three
consecutive Sprint Bandits TNT feature
wins in August.
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