TULSA, Okla. — Reigning Chili Bowl winner Logan Seavey will start his quest to repeat his historic victory on Friday’s Hard Rock Casino Qualifying Night at Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the SageNet Center.
Seavey, who won the 2023 USAC national midget title driving for Abacus Racing, will return to Kevin Swindell’s No. 39 midget with which he scored a thrilling and popular victory during last year’s Chili Bowl, in an attempt to go back-to-back in the 38th running of the prestigious event.
It will be Seavey’s sixth Chili Bowl start. He won his preliminary feature last year before turning in a dominant effort in claiming what was at the time the biggest victory of his career.
It kicked off a season that included not only the USAC midget title, but the USAC Silver Crown championship.
The second Chili Bowl winner in Friday night’s field is dirt late model champion Tim McCreadie, who scored one of the biggest upsets in Chili Bowl history in 2006.
McCreadie will steer the No. 19 entered by Hayward Motorsports as he makes his 17th Chili Bowl appearance. McCreadie has started seven Saturday night features, including last year when he came home 11th.
Possibly the most successful Chili Bowl racer who hasn’t won Saturday’s main event is Justin Grant, who returns to the seat of the RMS No. 2j in quest of his first Golden Driller trophy.
Grant has won five preliminary night features in 13 Chili Bowl appearances. He’s qualified for Saturday’s main event seven consecutive times. His best finish was second in 2021.
A pair of Keith Kunz Motorsports Curb-Agajanian entries will see hard chargers Ryan Timms, Emerson Axsom and Gavin Miller challenge the veterans.
Timms made his first Chili Bowl main event last year and finished 19th and Miller is making his first Chili Bowl appearance. Axsom is making his third Chili Bowl appearance. He finished fifth in last year’s main event.
Veterans Daryn Pittman, who will drive for Matt Wood Racing and Ace McCarthy, who will wheel a second Tanner Thorson entry, should also contend along with Shane Cottle, Jason McDougal and Ronnie Gardner.
POWRi Midget League champion Bryan Wiedeman will step into a CB Industries machine in a debut Chili Bowl effort, while second-generation upstart Cale Coons will make his first Chili Bowl start in a car owned by Joe Dooling. Hayden Reinbold and Stuart Snyder are among other young guns in the field.