TULSA, Okla. — The 38th annual Chili Bowl Nationals will kick off tonight with Cummins Qualifying Night at Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the SageNet Center.
There will be plenty of big names, but no former winners of the prestigious event in the lineup on the first of five preliminary events leading into Saturday’s main event.
Keith Kunz Motorsports drivers Cannon McIntosh, Taylor Reimer and Tanner Carrick lead the contenders on opening night. McIntosh, one of the winningest midget drivers in the country during the past two seasons, moved to the Kunz team late last season.
McIntosh is a three-time preliminary night feature winner, including last season when he won on Monday night. Still, he’s seeking his first Chili Bowl Nationals triumph.
It will be Reimer’s third Chili Bowl Nationals. Her best preliminary night finish was seventh last year.
Carrick makes his fifth Chili Bowl appearance, and he won a preliminary night main event in 2022.
Chris Windom will be making his 14th Chili Bowl run, but he’s still seeking a first-time Saturday night victory. Windom, who will drive one of Chad Boat’s CB Industries midgets, has never won a preliminary feature but has a long line of top-five finishes. He’s main 10 Saturday night main event starts and finished 14th last year.
Rising star Jacob Denney will handle one of Tom Malloy’s midgets in quest for his first Chili Bowl main event start. It will be Denney’s fourth Chili Bowl. His best preliminary night effort was sixth in 2021.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe is making his seventh Chili Bowl appearance aboard his own No. 5 machine. He finished fifth on his preliminary night last year. Briscoe finished 22nd in his only Saturday main event start in 2017.
New Zealand midget racing superstar Michael Pickens will wheel an Abacus Racing midget as he attempts to qualify for his seventh Chili Bowl main event. Pickens will be making his 11th Chili Bowl appearance. His best Saturday night finish was third in 2011.
USAC Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons Jr. has made 18 main event starts at the Chili Bowl, with this being his 27th overall appearance at the quarter-mile dirt track. Coons finished fourth in 2016.
Coons is a three-time preliminary night feature winner with triumphs in 2004, 2009 and 2015.
Veteran sprint car racers Sam Hafertepe Jr., Noah Gass and Shane Golobic will also be in action tonight as will World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Nick Hoffman and Cole Bodine, who returns to Chili Bowl action for the first time since 2021.
The night’s festivities will wrap up with the Chili Bowl Race of Champions, which features 16 drivers in a specialty event.f