Tulsa’s Chili Bowl Nationals kicked off its 40th year of racing Monday, with a former champion calling it the most packed race to date.
“I was scared to say that this was bigger than (the) Daytona (500), but it is. It truly is. It’s not in the world’s eyes, but in true motor sports fans’ eyes,” said Tony Stewart, a former NASCAR driver and two-time Chili Bowl champion.
More than 400 drivers, both professional and amateur alike, will participate in a six-day dirt race, steering their small triangular-shaped vehicles called “midget cars” toward the finish line. The ultimate goal: Capture the elusive Golden Driller trophy.
The event, which began in 1987, will take place at the SageNet Center at Expo Square. Mayor Monroe Nichols says the Chili Bowl has become vital to Tulsa’s economy, infusing $60 million over the course of a week.
“The $60 million is what we lift up. That’s really important. But I think the true economic impact of the Chili Bowl is something that might be something that’s almost unquantifiable,” Nichols said.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, both active NASCAR racers with three Chili Bowl championships to their names, spoke about their love for Tulsa’s race during Monday’s kickoff press conference. Bell, a native Oklahoman, highlighted the atmosphere and the diversity of racers.
“It’s so cool that we, the guys that are at the top, are able to come down and bring a spotlight on the younger generation of drivers and … to see all of the talents that we have coming up. And I think it’s a great opportunity for young drivers to try and prove themselves,” Bell said.
Chili Bowl Nationals has brought international attention to Tulsa over its 40-year history. Tulsa Regional Tourism president Renee McKenney says about 6,000 people visit during the week. Some, like Australian racer Luke Storer, travel thousands of miles to the race.
While organizers previewed the event, hundreds of drivers, mechanics and sponsors worked on their cars in preparation for the first preliminary race Monday night. Storer is participating in his second Chili Bowl and said he is mainly focused on having fun before his preliminary race.
Just around the corner was Casey Shuman, a Chili Bowl veteran from Tempe, Arizona who is making his 21st appearance at the race.
”It’s definitely more people, more cars. It seems like it gets bigger and bigger every year, which is crazy to think that it can,” Shuman said. “It keeps growing somehow.”
Races are split into five preliminary nights before Saturday’s championship.
- Monday: 2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night, plus the Race of Champions
- Tuesday: Warren CAT Qualifying Night
- Wednesday: York Plumbing Qualifying Night
- Thursday: Hasty Bake Qualifying Night
- Friday: Hard Rock Casino Tulsa Qualifying Night
- Saturday: Championship Feature Events
Each driver’s goal is to gain the most passing points, which are earned through a driver’s start and finish position.
“You got 400 guys you got to beat to win this race, not the same 40 guys that you see every week at a NASCAR track. So this is probably one of the hardest events to win,” Stewart said.
For specific rules and schedule details, check the Chili Bowl website here.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
