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, starting below with Wednesday night.

Sammy Swindell: If you are looking for Sprint Car royalty, it doesn’t get any deeper than Swindell. The same could be said for Chili Bowl status in that the Tennessee legend is a five-time winner of the event. Despite having speed, things have slowed down since 2015. Swindell has made four Saturday A-Main appearances with his best finish coming last year when he crossed the line 13th. When it comes to preliminary night mains, Swindell has won eight preliminary events, solidifying this guy as a threat every time he touches the track.

Brad Sweet: There is no denying Sweet’s prowess in the Sprint Car ranks … back-to-back World of Outlaws titles takes care of any doubt. The same could almost be said for Sweet in Chili Bowl Nationals competition, as he has qualified for five finales since 2010. Furthermore, he has finished in the top 10 each time he’s made the Saturday main event. Sweet, who has a career-best finish of third in 2013, is also one to watch tonight.

Parker Price-Miller: While Price-Miller has made his mark in Sprint Car racing with two World of Outlaws wins, one of which came in 2020, he’s struggled a bit at the Tulsa Expo Center. In five appearances since the 2015 extravaganza, Price-Miller’s best run came in 2016, when he placed 17th in the B-Main. In the last six years, he’s made it to the C-Main twice, D-Main once, and the F-Main. Look for more speed this year.

Colby Copeland: It’s been a difficult week for Matt Wood Racing, and Copeland is hoping to turn that around Wednesday night. The California driver has a chance to shine after making Saturday’s A-Main three of the last four years. In other words, Copeland, who has King of the West wins under his belt, knows how to negotiate the tight Chili Bowl surface. He finished 14th in the 2019 finale and has the chops to advance out of his preliminary night.

Kevin Thomas Jr.: Surprisingly, Thomas has only made the Chili Bowl final once in his storied career. That came in 2018, when he placed eighth in the final rundown. Still, Thomas should have some speed in the quick Matt Wood Racing entry and have plenty of motivation to turn the team’s fortunes around. Thomas is an accomplished wingless ace and even though he has struggled in Tulsa, he has the talent to shine under the bright lights.

Blake Hahn: Two years ago, Hahn was one of the best in Lucas Oil ASCS competition by winning five events and pushing eventual champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. to the limit. While Hafertepe won that battle, Hahn is better in the Tulsa Expo Center. Hahn has qualified for Saturday’s A-Main three times, finishing a career-best eighth a year ago. Don’t sleep on Hahn as a sneaky pick against a loaded Wednesday field.

Gio Scelzi: Scelzi’s changed his career path at the end of the 2020 season, choosing Sprint Car racing over the bright lights of a possible NASCAR career. That doesn’t mean Scelzi isn’t going to dabble in other forms of racing … aka, the Chili Bowl. The Fresno, Calif., ace is making his third start in the January event and is looking to improve on his Rookie of the Year performance in 2018, when he finished 24th in the finale. Look for Scelzi to erase last year’s B-Main setback and make another charge to the A-Main.

Rico Abreu: If you are looking for a favorite in Wednesday field, you got it in Abreu. All the California star — shocker, another driver from the West Coast — has done is win the Chili Bowl twice (2015, 2016) and make Saturday’s A-Main the last seven years. In that frame, he’s also finished second in 2018 and fifth a year ago. Abreu has won five preliminary night main events and is a solid bet to make it six despite flipping in the Race of Champions on Tuesday night.