Sprint Car drivers competing in the Chili Bowl Nationals isn’t an odd occurrence. It’s been going on since the event started in 1987.
It’s become commonplace to see these drivers participating in this annual event. But now that it has become a January happening, Sprint Car drivers have become more of a fixture in the Tulsa Expo Center.
The same can be said for the 35th edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals, which begins today. SprintCarUnlimited.com will highlight the Sprint Car drivers participating each qualifying night, continuing below with Tuesday night.
Kyle Larson: Next year, Larson doesn’t make this list because he falls under the NASCAR banner. But after 32 Sprint Car wins in 2020, yeah, he is a Sprint Car driver. Larson is also the defending champion of the Chili Bowl Nationals, which ended his futility in the event. It comes as no surprise that Larson is the favorite to make it two straight, and that march starts in Tuesday’s qualifying action.
Shane Golobic: The California driver doesn’t receive the publicity that a lot of other drivers walking through the Tulsa Expo doors get, but he puts together some solid results. Golobic has qualified for Saturday’s A-Main the last five years, which means he knows his way around the tight Chili Bowl track and is good at putting himself in position through his qualifying night. Why should this year be any different?
Cory Eliason: Like Carson Macedo on Monday, Eliason is normally ripping around Australian tracks during Chili Bowl week. The Coronavirus pandemic changed that this year, and Eliason is using his down time to jump in a Midget. I’m not sure how much experience the California driver has in the division, but it doesn’t help that this is his first time running at the Tulsa Expo Center. Eliason is a gasser, and it seems the Sprint Car guys have been quick studies.
Tanner Carrick: There is plenty of California flavor on the Chili Bowl entry list, and Carrick is another part of that group. Carrick posted three Sprint Car wins in the Golden State a year ago and brings that success into his third Chili Bowl. It’s been a struggle for the young upstart, as he was in Saturday’s C-Main in 2019 and was pinned back in the H-Main a year ago. Look for better results this year.
Tony Bruce Jr.: People forget that Tony Bruce Jr. competed with the World of Outlaws during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, placing 21st and 14th in the point standings. Since then, Bruce has been dabbling in 360 Sprint Car racing, with his biggest achievement coming in 2019 when he was crowed the Lucas Oil ASCS Lone Star champion. A year ago, Bruce had his best Chili Bowl effort by finishing 11th in preliminary night action and 11th in Saturday’s C-Main.
Thomas Meseraull: This nine-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Series winner has spent the better part of the last few years bouncing around between Midgets and Sprint Cars and is accomplished in both disciplines. That has shown at the Chili Bowl. Meseraull has qualified for Saturday’s A-Main seven times, with a career-best finish of eighth in 2016. He is fun to watch and has the chops to have another good run in 2021.
Michael Faccinto: You can’t discuss Faccinto without bringing up last year’s event, so let’s get it out of the way. Faccinto finished third during his preliminary night feature and dropped a racial slur during an interview that ruined his week. Now the good … Faccinto is decent in Chili Bowl competition, qualifying for Saturday’s A-Main in 2017 and 2019. Look for Faccinto to let his performance do the talking this year.
Derek Hagar: It was a pretty good season for Hagar, who ripped off nine victories in 29 starts including a pair of Midget triumphs. That bodes well heading into the Chili Bowl, which will feature the deepest field all season in the division. A year ago, Hagar put together his best effort during the January extravaganza by placing eighth on his preliminary night and 14th in Saturday’s B-Main.
Kelby Watt: Watt is part of a loaded first-year class, which will make his march to Rookie of the Year honors difficult. After starting in the 305 division at Knoxville Raceway in 2017 at age 16, Watt moved into the 360 Sprint Car class in 2019. He finished 11th in points before climbing to sixth in 2020. It should be interesting to see how Watt adapts to running a Midget around the tight Chili Bowl surface.
Shane Cottle: There are plenty of rookies in this field, but Cottle isn’t one of them. This seasoned veteran has made Saturday’s Chili Bowl A-Main on 10 occasions dating back to the 2000 event. It should be noted that his first A-Main resulted in a career-best second-place finish. The downside is that Cottle hasn’t transferred to Saturday’s finale since 2016, a string he is trying to end this year.
Matt Westfall: The last time Westfall charged into Saturday’s A-Main at the Chili Bowl was 2003. That year, Westfall finished eighth and ended a five-year run of success. Now, the Midwest wingless ace, who jumps around between the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS) and USAC, tries to break that streak. He has a tough road against a stiff qualifying field littered with talent.
Chase Johnson: Johnson was a late entry into the Chili Bowl mix as the driver of the Pennsylvania-based Mike Heffner entry. There is no doubt that Johnson can get it done at the Chili Bowl, something he proved in 2018 when he was eighth in Saturday’s A-Main. The California driver — we’ve said that plenty already this week — is a fixture in Victory Lane at Petaluma Speedway and is hoping to duplicate that feat tonight in Tulsa, Okla.