From Bryan Hulbert
TULSA, Okla. (December 1, 2016) — The chill in the air may signal the coming of Christmas for some, but for the world of dirt track racing, that means the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire is right around the corner.
Happening January 10-14, 2017 inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla. the 31st edition of the world’s largest Midget racing event is on track to set another record as the entry list debuts 39 ahead of the 2016 first look at 183 strong.
Comprised of some of racing’s greatest talent, the count includes three past champions to go along with 25 A-Feature starters and 38 Chili Bowl Rookies.
For the champions, Damion Gardner, Tracy Hines, and John Heydenreich are the earliest to put their name in for another Golden Driller.
Hines, who last won the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in 2005, will again pilot his familiar Bob Parker/Spike with a Toyota No. 24. In A-Feature power rankings, Hines is second overall to Sammy Swindell with 14 A-Feature starts, a pair of podiums, three top-fives’, and eight top-ten runs to go along with his win.
Making the cut on eight occasions, “The Demon” last saw Victory Lane in 2008 while driving for the late, Jason Leffler. Add two podiums, just as many top-fives’, and three top-tens’ and Gardner is 25th overall in Chili Bowl A-Feature performances. Taking a Golden Driller home in 1990, John Heydenreich is the only driver in the field thus far who can say he raced the very first Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. In all, John has made three A-Features with his podium, top-five, and top-ten count all at a pair.
While Tracey Hines has the best average record of drivers currently entered, none have more feature starts so far than Dave Darland. “The People’s Champ” has made the cut 15 times since 1998. Missing the show in 2016, Darland will again pilot the Gray Auto / Toyota No. 11AG. The record of course belong to Sammy Swindell with 23 to his credit.
Looking over the list of Chili Bowl Rookies, one name that stands out is Donny Schatz. The North Dakota shoe has landed the World Of Outlaws Sprint Car title seven times, and will grace the clay of the Tulsa Expo Raceway in the Clauson-Marshall Racing with additional support from Matt Wood Racing No. 15.
As of December 1, 2016, the following entries have been received for the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire.
Car # – Driver (City, State)
* 0 – Johnny Murdock (Kaufman, Texas)
* 0B – Ross Wece (Concord, North Carolina)
* 0K – Don O’Keefe, Jr. (Pittsboro, Indiana)
* 00 – Tristan Lee (Biloxi, Mississippi)
* 00C – Grady Chandler (Piedmont, Oklahoma)
* 1K – Brayton Lynch (Springfield, Illinois)
* 1P – Terry Nichols (Delano, California)
* 1R – Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, California)
* 1T – Tony Roney (Herculaneum, Missouri)
* 2 – Ryan Hall (Midlothian, Texas)
* 2A – TBA
* 2K – Kyle Jones (Kennedale, Texas)
* 2ND – Jeb Sessums (Burleson, Texas)
* 2T – TBA
* 2W – Wyatt Burks (Topeka, Kansas)
* 2X – Logan Seavey (Sutter, California)
* 2Z – Jesse James Colwell (Red Bluff, California)
* 3 – TBA
* 3C – D.J. Netto (Harnford, California)
* 3F – Davey Hamilton, Jr. (TBA) (Boise, Idaho)
* 3T – Tim Barber (Sonoma, California)
* 4 – Austin Nemire (Sylvania, Ohio)
* 4B – Shane Sellers (Mustang, Oklahoma)
* 4D – Robert Dalby (Anaheim, California)
* 4H – Tom Harris (Banbury, OXF, )
* 4M – J.J. Ercse (Lakewood, California)
* 4P – Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, Tennessee)
* 4R – Ryan Greth (New Cumberland, Pennsylvania)
* 05 – Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, Missouri)
* 05B – Steve Buckwalter (Royersford, Pennsylvania)
* 05G – Dennis Gile (Phoenix, Arizona)
* 05J – Curtis Jones (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
* 05T – Gary Taylor (Snohomish, Washington)
* 5A – TBA
* 5B – Andee Beierle (Bismarck, North Dakota)
* 5BB – Bobby Brewer (Cabot, Arkansas)
* 5C – Colten Cottle (Kansas, Illinois)
* 5CB – Chase Briscoe (Mitchell, Indiana)
* 5D – Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Illinois)
* 5E – David Gravel (Watertown, Connecticut)
* 5F – Danny Frye III (St. Peters, Missouri)
* 5GS – Garrett Stout (Wichita, Kansas)
* 5J – Jeff Crook (Garden City, Kansas)
* 5T – Tom Everhart (El Cajon, California)
* 5W – Chris Windom (Canton, Illinois)
* 6K – Josh Lakatos
* 6S – Mike Snider (Kelseyville, California)
* 7 – Shannon McQueen (Tehachapi, California)
* 7B – Brian Peterson (Mukwonago, Wisconsin)
* 7BC – Tyler Courtney (Noblesville, Indiana)
* 7CH – Critter Malone (Pittsboro, Indiana)
* 7D – Michelle Decker (Guthrie, Oklahoma)
* 7G – Justin Gonzales (Streetman, Texas)
* 7JR – J.D. Black (Grain Valley, Missouri)
* 7M – Kevin Ramey (Ft. Worth, Texas)
* 7MF – Chance Morton (Coweta, Oklahoma)
* 7RS – Merril Lamb (Iola, Kansas)
* 7S – Pat Schudy (Springfield, Missouri)
* 7SS – Wade Seiler (Alton, Illinois)
* 7U – Joe B. Miller (Millersville, Missouri)
* 7W – Scott Walton (Inola, Oklahoma)
* 7X – John Ivy (Fremont, Ohio)
* 7XX – Gage Walker (Fairland, Indiana)
* 8 – Alex Sewell (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 8J – Jonathan Beason (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 8K – Frank Flud (Pryor, Oklahoma)
* 8M – Kade Morton (Coweta, Oklahoma)
* 9 – Matt Moore (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
* 9$ – Kyle Clark (Sapulpa, Oklahoma)
* 9C – Cory Turner (Caistor Centre, Ontario)
* 9D – Mack DeMan (Mississauga, Ontario)
* 9JR – Derek Hagar (Marion, Arkansas)
* 9M – Cory Mallo (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
* 9X – TBA
* 10K – Billy Lawless (Fresno, California)
* 11AG – Dave Darland (Lincoln, Indiana)
* 11C – Chett Gehrke (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 11E – Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, California)
* 11K – TBA
* 12 – Chris Sheil (Aurora, Colorado)
* 12K – Zac Taylor
* 13 – Glen Saville (Razorback, NSW)
* 13M – TBA
* 14 – Sean Watts (Atwater, California)
* 14C – Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, New York)
* 14E – David McIntosh (Bixby, Oklahoma)
* 14H – Harley Hollan (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
* 14K – Chris Cochran (McCloud, Oklahoma)
* 15 – Donny Schatz (Fargo, North Dakota)
* 15D – Andrew Deal (Caney, Kansas)
* 15S – Gavin Stout (Wichita, Kansas)
* 16 – Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, Michigan)
* 16K – Chris Dyson
* 17 – Joey Saldana (Pittsboro, Indiana)
* 17BC – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Olive Branch, Mississippi)
* 17K – Alex Schutte (Rohnert Park, California)
* 17W – Shane Golobic (Fremont, California)
* 18 – Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, Kansas)
* 19W – Matt Streeter (Galt, California)
* 20 – Tadd Holliman (Murray, Nebraska)
* 21 – Daryn Pittman (Owasso, Oklahoma)
* 21K – Cory Kruseman
* 21T – Ty Hulsey (Owasso, Oklahoma)
* 22 – Chase Jones (Greenwood, Indiana)
* 22B – Troy Betts (Townsend, Delaware)
* 22H – John Heydenreich (Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania)
* 22M – Taylor Courtney (Indianapolis, Indiana)
* 22X – Payton Williams (N. Richland Hills, Texas)
* A23 – Barrie Valentino (Chandler, Queensland)
* 23 – Jimmy Light (Lizton, Indiana)
* 23A – Hannah Adair (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
* 24 – Tracy Hines (Wilkinson, Indiana)
* 24F – Hunter Fischer (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
* 25C – C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Indiana)
* 25K – Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Indiana)
* 25P – Michael Pickens (Auckland, )
* 27 – Tucker Klaasmeyer (Paola, Kansas)
* 27K – Kyle Keeler (El Reno, Oklahoma)
* 27Z – Zane Hendricks (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
* 28 – Kory Schudy (Springfield, Missouri)
* 28A – Ace McCarthy (Tahlequah, Oklahoma)
* 29 – Derek Childs (Lodi, Wisconsin)
* 29A – Anthony Nocella (Marlboro, Massachusetts)
* 29S – Tim Buckwalter (Douglasville, Pennsylvania)
* 32 – Casey Shuman (Rattlesnake Bend, Arizona)
* 32D – Danny Jennings (Norman, Oklahoma)
* 35 – Matt Sherrell (Owasso, Oklahoma)
* 35L – Cody Ledger (Omaha, Nebraska)
* 35R – TBA
* 35T – Tyler Robbins (Collinsville, Illinois)
* 38 – Justin Grant (Ione, California)
* 39BC – TBA
* 41 – Jason Johnson (Eunice, Louisiana)
* 41T – Brad Thompson (Austin, Arkansas)
* 43H – Reece Shelton (Barnesville, Ohio)
* 44D – Phillip Dietz (Lake Ozark, Missouri)
* 44H – Colton Hardy (Phoenix, Arizona)
* 44X – Wesley Smith (Nixa, Missouri)
* 45X – Bricen James (Albany, Oregon)
* 46 – Kenney Johnson (Bethel, Connecticut)
* 48M – Rick Murcko (Iola, Kansas)
* 50 – Daniel Adler (St. Louis, Missouri)
* 51 – Jeremy McCune (Sheppard, Montana)
* 52 – Blake Hahn (Sapulpa, Oklahoma)
* 53 – Brett Wilson (Coweta, Oklahoma)
* 55D – Nick Drake (Mooresville, North Carolina)
* 55T – Tony Everhart (El Cajon, California)
* 56B – Tyler Brehm (Royersford, Pennsylvania)
* 56V – Matt Veatch (Macedonia, Illinois)
* 56X – Mark Chisholm (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
* 57 – Maria Cofer (Macdoel, California)
* 57K – Kevin Studley (Plainfield, Indiana)
* 66F – TBA
* 67F – Kyle O’Gara (Indianapolis, Indiana)
* 68F – TBA
* 69 – A.J. Fike (Galesburg, Illinois)
* 69B – Bryan Debrick (Irving, Texas)
* 71D – Domain Ramsay (Geelong, Vic.)
* 71G – Damion Gardner (Concord, California)
* 71R – Nick Chivello (Manteca, California)
* 71W – Weston Gorham (Colleyville, Texas)
* 72 – Cameron Hagin (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 73 – Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 75 – Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
* 75X – TBA
* 76 – TBA
* 76J – David Jones (West Middlesex, Pennsylvania)
* 76M – Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
* 76N – Brad Noffsinger (Concord, North Carolina)
* 76Z – Zane Lawrence (Lillian, Texas)
* 77 – Alex Bright (Collegeville, Pennsylvania)
* 78 – Nick Wean (Phillipsburg, New Jersey)
* 83S – Shane Weeks (Wagoner, Oklahoma)
* 84 – Shaun Shapel (Wichita, Kansas)
* 85 – Matt Johnson (Edmond, Oklahoma)
* 86 – Mark Lowrey (Concord, North Carolina)
* 87 – Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California)
* 88 – Chad Wheeler (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
* 88T – Tyler Nelson (Indianapolis, Indiana)
* 89 – Nick Bailey (Cabot, Arkansas)
* 91A – Chris Andrews (Sandusky, Ohio)
* 91T – Tyler Thomas (Collinsville, Oklahoma)
* 92 – Brenden Bright (Collegeville, Pennsylvania)
* 92L – Austin Lambert (Claremore, Oklahoma)
* 93L – Trey Lambert (Claremore, Oklahoma)
* 96 – Cody Brewer (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
* 96CM – TBA
* 99 – Colton Heath (Marysville, Washington)
* 99W – Larry Wight (Phoenix, New York)
* 118 – Scott Evans (Rhome, Texas)
* 122Q – David Prickett (Fresno, California)
* 321 – Chad Winfrey (Gladstone, Missouri)
The 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire takes place January 10-14, 2017 inside the River Spirit Expo Center. For continued updates on the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire, log onto http://www.chilibowl.com.