TULSA, Okla. — The 38th annual Chili Bowl Nationals was not without drama, and the final day of the weeklong affair provided plenty of it.
It started on the final lap of the first B main when Cannon McIntosh made a slide-job pass of Thomas Meseruall in turn four that caused the No. 7t midget to flip as the two drivers approached the checkered flag. Both McIntosh and Meseruall were in transfer positions prior to the wreck.
Afterward, McIntosh rolled on to place his No. 71p Keith Kunz Motorsports midget in the A main, while Meseruall was finished for the night.
“We’re in a B main, started 10th and they take six,” Meseruall explained.
For the official record, seven drivers transferred out of the B main.
He continued, “I’ll go ahead and give him (McIntosh) the benefit of the doubt — we probably didn’t know where we were so he was probably just trying to go forward, but he cannon-balled me.
“He said ‘slide or die,’ that’s how I live. But he killed me.”
McIntosh maintained the stance that he was merely trying to secure a transfer spot and wasn’t sure where he was in the lineup. McIntosh transferred to the A main, but the No. 71p finished 20th.
Drake Named 2024 Rookie Of The Year
After ending the A main 14th, Kale Drake was named Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year.
He was the only driver among more than 70 rookies to make Saturday’s A main. Drake started 22nd in the 55-lapper and gained eight positions over the course of the race in his No. 71k Keith Kunz Motorsports midget.
Kale Drake’s Dream Journey To The Chili Bowl
“It’s a super crazy feeling. I don’t think it’s going to sink in for a little bit,” Drake said after the feature. “The first five to 10 laps we were moving pretty good and I was like, ‘This is going to be a fun race. We’re going to be able to make a lot of ground up.’
“Then about lap 20, I saw people starting to line up on the bottom and I was like, ‘I guess it’s time to tuck my nose in, hop down there and not make any mistakes.’”
Heartbreak For Kofoid
If it weren’t for one crucial caution on lap five, Buddy Kofoid might’ve been a first-time Chili Bowl victor.
After leading lap four and nearly completing lap five, Kofoid was sent back to second on the restart, while eventual race winner Logan Seavey was given the lead position.
Neither Kofoid, nor Seavey were entirely sure why.
“Honestly, I never really know in this building when the laps count and when they don’t,” Seavey admitted. “I feel like that time it should have counted for sure. I was completely ready to go back to green in second. Then they come on the radio and say I’m ahead of him, and then they say his transponder fell off. But they hand score here also, so I’m not sure how they do it.
“Obviously, if I were him, I’d be mad, too.”
While the caution was frustrating, Kofoid also recognized that track conditions came into play when it came to deciding the race winner.
“My chances came down when the rubber came in,” Kofoid said. “Before it took rubber, I thought we were equal, if not a little better than (Seavey) on the cushion. It’s just so treacherous and tricky. He would mess up, then I would mess up. Or I’d get up to him and be ready to throw a slider, and then a lapper would be next to him.”
Despite the adversity, Kofoid still soldiered on to bring the No. 71w Keith Kunz Motorsports midget home in second.
It is his career-best finish at the esteemed midget race.
Pursley Goes D-C-B-A
Daison Pursley ate the most soup out of anybody in the A main on Saturday, climbing from a fourth-place starting position in the D main to a fourth-place finish in the championship finale.
When asked if he woke up Saturday morning thinking he’d end it with a top-five in the A main, Pursley adamantly shook his head.
“I think it played into my favor when I’ve had to pass cars all day,” explained Pursley, who drove from 20th to fourth in the 55-lapper. “I think I had confidence to make the A, but I definitely didn’t think fourth. Sucks to come that close and end up fourth, but that’s part of it when you’re coming from a D main.”
Bayston Rallies From Early Flip
Following Spencer Bayston’s flip during the time-trial pole shuffle, the RMS Racing crew had a lot of work to do to repair the No. 1s midget for the feature. Well-known crew chief Flea Ruzik even came over to lend a hand.
“Going into the pole shuffle, I knew that track position would be important,” Bayston said. “Odds have it that the guys who start in those front two rows have a better chance, so I was trying to get as much as I could out of the pole shuffle and tried a little too hard there.”
Despite the unfortunate circumstances that kicked off his evening, Bayston rallied to finish eighth in the A main — his second-best result at the Chili Bowl.
“Hopefully next year we come back to the track a little more active on Saturday night and we can battle up front,” Bayston said.