Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson are back at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals for the first (planned) time since 2021 and it actually feels like the biggest race in the world this weekend as a result.
And before you stop me, and tell me this is some kind of NASCAR bias, let me stop you there. Logan Seavey and Tanner Thorson, who won the three races since their last (planned) entry, will tell you they would have wanted to beat the three-time and two-time winners respectively.
They will tell you because they actually told me.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder but the three years without those two headline attractions in the building did have some benefits. Would Seavey or Thorson had won those races regardless? Hard to say but the fact that they have drillers on the shelf with Bell and Larson bringing theirs back to Tulsa just makes the week feel even bigger.
We miss you Rico, by the way.
We can proactively bill this week as a showdown between the previous winners of this past decade that carry eight Drillers between them. Seavey is looking to tie the three-straight Bell won from 2017-2019, which would inch him closer to the record four-straight held by his team owner, Kevin Swindell.
He will be apt to show that he is very much on that same level as the returning headliners.
But this is also no disrespect to several other expected contenders who are more than likely to podium on their prelim nights and have a chance to make the pole shuffle. We’re talking Sprint Car prodigy and new Hendrick Motorsports development driver Corey Day, emerging Sprint Car ace Buddy Kofoid, USAC champion Daison Pursely and Race of Champions winner Spencer Bayston.
Oh my god, the Race of Champions is going to rule on Monday night too.
I don’t want to disrespect any of the favorites so I’m going to list their names here too just for the sake of intellectual honesty — Justin Grant, Hank Davis, Emerson Axsom, Cannon McIntosh, Jake Swanson, Michael Faccinto, Thomas Meseraull, Ryan Timms …
It would be disingenuous to suggest the race has been better off without Bell and Larson. However, having three years for this race to make other stars, not just on Championship Saturday but also on the prelim nights left available for the taking has been a benefit.
There have been several resumes that were bolstered as a result and it just elevates the optics for those who have found success and made their own stars brighter in this building.
And honestly, that’s the thing about the Tulsa Expo, that for an event full of stars, there is no bigger star this week than the building itself. It’s hard to describe unless you have been. For those who understand, no explanation is needed but for those who haven’t, none will do …
#UselessChiliBowl
“Alice! Who the hell is Alice!”
Top Row Rowdies
Vuvuzelas
Peasant Row
Keith Kunz wildly gesturing atop the ramp
Alphabet Soup
Buddy Moore
Big Al
Walkapedia
“Are You Ready For The CHILLIIIII BOWWLLLLLLL!”
This week <expletive> rules and you owe it to yourself to attend once, just to feel the vibes and experience the culture of this building.
Maybe DirtVision is trying to make a run at securing the broadcast rights from FloRacing at some point before the contract ends over the next decade, or maybe this is just a slow period in their broadcast schedule, but the World of Outlaws owned streaming service is on the grounds this week shooting content and a pre-pre-race show every day.
That feels extra big for the race too.
If you were ever curious how much this race matters to everyone who attends, from A main to O Main, look no further than Thomas Meseraull and Cannon McIntosh nearly coming to blows over what happened in their Championship Saturday B last night.
Ask anyone on Peasant Row what it means just to advance through the first intermission for track prep amidst an alphabet soup run.
Chili Bowl is probably going to fall just short of the record 393 entries set in 2022, which had 381 draw in, with the current number sitting at 388 parking on Saturday but lord is there additional quality.
We’re still talking about a first-time Q-Mains on Saturday!
Keith Kunz Motorsports ridiculously has a record 17 cars sitting at the front of the building at the cross-section of main street and the video board.
Lol
There are so many stories I didn’t cover in this column but I will here on Sportsnaut all week. Right now, as I sit on this Delta jet, crossing over into central time … no, Tulsa Time, … I can think of just one more thing to say.
Yes, Bryan Hulbert …
I AM READY FOR THE CHILIIIIII BOWLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
Let’s go.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.
