Thankfully, following his accident, the so called “flip count” was abandoned. It was a bad idea from the beginning. Flips are never positive. At the very least they cause a race team time and money and delay the program. At the worst people get hurt. A flip is not to be celebrated.
The fact that there is danger involved is a part of the allure. Seeing people injured is not. Hopefully, the flip count goes away for good. Kudos to the leadership team and sponsor for switching gears midstream.
■ The format is always a subject for conversation as it is in every major open-wheel race. Just like qualifying is of extreme importance at the Knoxville Nationals, the heat races play a huge role at the Chili Bowl. In both scenarios the pill draw is important. At the Chili Bowl after the preliminary nights have all been completed the pole shuffle is an added wrinkle used to determine the grid. On this front, everyone has an opinion. However, no matter what format is used, the best teams and drivers always get to front.
■ The issue of rookies at the Chili Bowl comes up every year. This time around, there was a huge group of neophytes. Once again, the idea floated through the pits and stands that a special rookie night should be inserted at the first of the week. Variations on that theme have been tried in the past. One problem becomes defining what constitutes a rookie.
Are we concerned with a newcomer to the race or midget racing in general? It’s complicated. The larger issue is even more basic. It isn’t just rookies who trigger mayhem on the race track.
■ The Chili Bowl is a major logistical challenge and the operations crew deserves much applause. Operating the lights from race control and a fast acting and veteran crew promotes efficiency. Damage to the fence seemed more frequent this year, but repairs were handled quickly.
■ There are many things to juggle on Saturday night from the demands of television to the pomp and circumstance of pre-race ceremonies. That said, there has to be a way to reduce some of the downtime on the grandest night of the week.
■ Remember when there were discussions that this race might move to Texas? That seems like ages ago. The late Lanny Edwards and Emmett Hahn used their interpersonal savvy to smooth the feathers of detractors of the event years ago and they courted the support of community leaders. The race is now a part of the fabric of the greater Tulsa community.
Chili Bowl press room manager and jack-of-all-trades Len Hayward can speak of the days where getting local television stations interested in the race was next to impossible. That has changed and one can find references to the Chili Bowl throughout the city.
■ The turnover in the driver roster is ongoing but this year it seemed that the changing of the guard was even more evident. There are so many young drivers making their mark while familiar faces are fading away. That’s the nature of the sport and life. There are some areas where the overall health of the sport can be questioned. There are no concerns about emerging talent.
■ The Chili Bowl is an unpredictable event. Going in, Buddy Kofoid and Justin Grant were the pre-race favorites and it just didn’t happen for them. For Kofoid, it came down to a decision to try to squeeze past an accident scene. It didn’t work out. For Grant, it seemed that contact at the start of Saturday’s feature foiled his quest for a Driller before it started.
■ Tanner Thorson deserves a ton of credit. The defending winner put his own team together, won his preliminary night and came just one position shy of a second consecutive Chili Bowl victory. He was a joy to watch. Even more important was how he conducted himself in the Saturday night finale.
It would have been so easy for Thorson to have moved Seavey out of the way. He didn’t. He raced hard and clean. It was a true professional effort.
■ Logan Seavey called his victory career-changing. He may be right. When you beat a field of more than 350 competitors there is a lot of which to be proud. Sweeping the weekend is truly special. Seavey has been a USAC midget champion, he has been a runner-up in the Silver Crown series the last two years and has enjoyed moments of genius.
There are also times when you wonder where he has gone. This is an extremely talented racer who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. That should change post haste.