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Fifteen-year-old midget racer Ryan Timms at California's Placerville Speedway. (Devin Mayo photo)

Chili Bowl Adjusts Age Requirement

TULSA, Okla. — Officials with the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire have adjusted the age requirement for participation in the world’s largest indoor midget event.

Starting with the 2022 event, the requirement of a driver being 16 years old will no longer be enforced, but will be modified to accommodate the increasingly youthful field.

All entries received by drivers under 16 years of age will go before an advisory committee. Only after being approved by the committee will a driver under 16 years of age be allowed to compete. A copy of the driver’s birth certificate will still be required to confirm a driver’s age.

“The landscape of midget racing has changed drastically over the last 20 years and it’s changed even faster over the past five years,” stated Chili Bowl Director Matt Ward. “Just looking back over the past season with ASCS and the shows we ran where Midgets were also racing, the winners were all under 16 years old.

“The Chili Bowl is all about having the greatest talent under one roof, and after talking with Emmett [Hahn], he absolutely agrees and we were able to make the changes needed to allow it to happen this January instead of 2023.”

Entries are already rolling in for the 36th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire.