Christopher Bell was the class of the field on Night 4 of the Chili Bowl Nationals Thursday in marching to an easy victory.
As for the Sprint Car drivers, they had a respectable showing. Brady Bacon finished third, with Spencer Bayston placing fourth. Six other drivers from the Sprint Car ranks made it to the preliminary night A-Main.
SprintCarUnlimited.com highlights the list of entries for Friday’s action below. Once complete, the field will be divided into a series of alphabet mains, with the Chili Bowl finale headlining Saturday night’s program.
Kyle Cummins: Like a lot of Sprint Car drivers in this field, Cummins has plenty of wingless and Midget experience through running with USAC. The Indiana standout finished ninth in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car standings last season and also cracked Victory Lane with the series. Now, he takes on a pretty good Chili Bowl field looking for his first spot in Saturday’s finale.
Justin Grant: There is no lack of experience with Grant in regard to Chili Bowl success. He qualified for Saturday’s A-Main four straight years before missing in 2020. His best finish during the string was a pair of third-place results in 2017 and 2019 and a seventh in 2018. That means Grant isn’t just a solid finale choice, he is a contender. No doubt the USAC ace is a little bitter over missing a year ago and wants to make up for it tonight and Saturday.
Harli White: It was a rough year for White, who regularly competes in Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour competition. She did manage a series win and fifth-place finish in the final point standings, but she also announced at the end of the year that she was folding her team. White is still looking for a ride for 2021, but in the meantime, she will try and improve on her D-Main appearance in the 2018 Chili Bowl.
Hunter Schuerenberg: After joining Vermeer Motorsports last season and winning two events, Schuerenberg announced that the team will be joining the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions roster in 2021. But first, he hopes to make his first Chili Bowl A-Main on Saturday. Schuerenberg made it to the B-Main in 2016 and the C-Main in three of the last four seasons, so he has some speed. I like his chances for a good run Friday night.
Daryn Pittman: The former World of Outlaws champion always seems to be in contention when he takes to the track at the Tulsa Expo Center. Pittman made four straight Saturday night A-Main appearances from 2014 to 2017, landing a runner-up finish in the 2017 event. The last three years, he made it to the B-Main but failed to transfer. Look for Pittman to rectify that this year and charge into the Chili Bowl finale.
Kasey Kahne: Kahne is known for his NASCAR prowess and dabbling in Sprint Car racing, but he’s also had his share of Chili Bowl success. Over the years, Kahne has made Saturday’s finale seven times, the last of which occurred in 2016. His best effort came in 2002, when he placed sixth. The 2019 appearance resulted in an E-Main run, which doesn’t sit well for someone like Kahne, who competes at a high level. Look for Kahne to improve this year.
Aaron Reutzel: When Reutzel first tried his hand at the Chili Bowl, it resulted in an N-Main finish. Since then, Reutzel has improved, reaching the B-Main in 2017, the C-Main in 2019, and all the way to the A-Main a year ago. The three-time defending All Star champion was 23rd in last year’s event and no doubt wants to improve on that march. The speed is there, and if Reutzel can stay out of trouble, he is a solid A-Main lock.
Anthony Macri: The 2020 Sprint Car season was a breakout one for Macri, who corralled nine 410 and two 360 Sprint Car wins in central Pennsylvania competition. Now, he takes on the Chili Bowl for the first time. Originally, Macri was going to help on the CD Racing entry, but he was called into duty when the primary driver couldn’t make the event. It will be interesting to see how Macri performs in not only his first Chili Bowl start, but also the first time he has climbed into a Midget.