By T.J. Buffenbarger
TULSA, OK (January 14, 2025) – Landon Brooks continued his upward trajectory in the open wheel world picking up the preliminary feature victory during Warren CAT Qualifying Night during the 39th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink.
Brooks, from Rio Oso, California, traded the lead with Brenham Crouch in the closing stages of the feature, making a pass on the final lap to secure the preliminary feature for his Matt Wood owned racing team.
Afterwards, Brooks was still processing his performance that locked him into one of the biggest events in motorsports while being quick to credit his race team that also locked Shane Golobic into the finale with a second-place finish Monday.
“Man, this is crazy,” said Brooks in victory lane. “This whole team, you got to give it up to them. They don’t race midgets but at this race once a year. We come here and be competitive. Shane locked in. I was upset when I saw that yellow flag with one to go. But I just can’t thank Matt Wood, Shane Golobic, and everybody on this team. Factory QRC and Craft Builders for even getting me out here. I can’t believe it, this is insane.”
Crouch and Hunter Schuerenberg started on the front row for the 30-lap main event.
Schuerenberg led the opening lap when the caution flag appeared for Kevin Thomas Jr. spinning in turn four. Thomas was able to restart at the back of the field.
The second attempt to start the main event saw Crouch take the lead with Schurenberg, Ruschenberg exchanged, and Gunnar Setsar second position when the caution flag came out for Brad Sweet getting upside down with Jake Bubak collected in the incident with two laps complete.
After the restart Crouch and Setser drove away from the field while Rueschenberg had a large group of cars behind him vying for third. Five laps were complete when a group of cars were stacked up and caused Schuerenberg spun in turn four.
Setser continued to put pressure on Crouch for the lead. Behind them Clinton Boyles musceled his way by Ruschenberg for third while Kameron Key followed through to drop Ruschenberg back to fifth.
The race for the lead heated up on lap 12 with Setser taking a run under Crouch through turns one and two but could not make the pass. This allowed Boyles to close in on Setser to attempt a slide job to take away the second position but could not make the pass. On lap 17 Boyles race came to an end after getting bottled up while navigating slower traffic, got into the front stretch wall, and flipped into turn one, ending Boyles night.
Crouch pulled away as Setser raced with Key for the second position, and allowed Rueschenberg and Buddy Kofoid, who flipped after contact with Rueschenberg during the qualifier and had to come through the B-Main, moved into fifth when the caution flag came out with 18 laps in for Chance Morton flipping between turns one and two. Morton was able to restart at the back of the field.
After the restart Crouch pulled away while Ruschenberger, Setser, Kofoid, Key, and Landon Brooks diced for the second position. Setser moved into second when the caution flag came out for Thomas Meseraull, who had his oil tank become dislodged with 10 laps to go.
Crouch continued to pull away as Brooks rolled the top of the track into the second position. Brooks then closed in to challenge Crouch during the closing laps of the main event, making his move in turns one and two to take the lead with two laps to go. Brooks then got over the cushion in turn four to retake the lead.
Brooks was able to slide Crouch back in turns one and two to take the lead and win the main event. Crouch also locked into Saturday’s finale while Kofoid rallied from his earlier misfortune to round out the podium.
39th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink
Warren CAT Qualifying Night
Tulsa Expo Raceway
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
OERB Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 43-Gunnar Setser[3]
2. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[5]
3. 25V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[6]
4. 84K-Tom Harris[2]
5. 55D-Nick Drake[7]
6. 22-Troy Betts[1]
7. 91B-Kevin Bayer[8]
8. 3D-Darin Naida[9]
9. 20X-Kyle Hawse[4]
OERB Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 27B-Jake Bubak[6]
2. 95K-Mitch Fabish[5]
3. 19K-Riley Kreisel[9]
4. 22P-Brant O’Banion[3]
5. 97W-Alex Karpowicz[1]
6. 80D-Corey Smith[7]
7. 28B-Brandon Mattox[4]
8. 121-Jason Bennett[2]
9. 4-Adam Bolyard[8]
OERB Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 71-Michael Kofoid[5]
2. 19R-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]
3. 88A-Austin Torgerson[1]
4. 71P-Mat Williamson[4]
5. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[2]
6. 3K-Todd Kluever[6]
7. 14F-Conner Morrell[8]
8. 18K-Billy Rayburn[7]
OERB Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 41J-Nathan Crane[1]
2. 55X-Kevin Thomas Jr[7]
3. 7W-Brendon Wiseley[3]
4. 32L-Connor Lee[5]
5. 81-Ty Gibbs[8]
6. 11H-Jori Hughes[4]
7. 71J-Jeremy Huish[2]
8. 27G-Steve Gresham[6]
OERB Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 71H-Mason Hannagan[1]
2. 11B-Clinton Boyles[7]
3. 20Z-Stevie Sussex III[5]
4. 28K-Austin Wood[6]
5. 19S-Chase Porter[4]
6. 7Z-Brian Peterson[2]
7. 2ND-Darren Kauffman[3]
DNS: 96-Cody Brewer
OERB Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 29S-Hank Davis[3]
2. 6G-Garet Williamson[4]
3. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[6]
4. 1R-RJ Johnson[8]
5. 22G-Jack France[2]
6. 7F-Joshua Tyre[5]
7. 97L-Brandon Lewis[1]
8. 84S-Shaun Shapel[7]
OERB Heat Race #7 (8 Laps)
1. 57-Kaylee Bryson[1]
2. 1C-Brenham Crouch[2]
3. 8J-Jonathan Beason[8]
4. 21J-Kameron Key[6]
5. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[7]
6. 2WI-Tommy Colburn[3]
7. 92-Mike Hess[4]
8. 7U-Zach Daum[5]
OERB Heat Race #8 (8 Laps)
1. 57W-Landon Brooks[1]
2. 7MF-Chance Morton[7]
3. 3T-Brad Sweet[5]
4. 41D-Derek Hagar[4]
5. 7R-Jadon Rogers[8]
6. 23S-Kyle Simon[3]
7. 48G-George Loux[2]
8. 72W-Tye Wilke[6]
Heat Race #9 (8 Laps)
1. 4T-Brandt Twitty[1]
2. 44-Colton Hardy[2]
3. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[8]
4. 12A-AJ Bender[3]
5. 50C-Dane Culver[5]
6. 321-Chad Winfrey[7]
7. 25J-Nathan Moore[4]
8. 5A-Adam Trimble[6]
C-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 92-Mike Hess[10]
2. 3D-Darin Naida[9]
3. 50C-Dane Culver[1]
4. 5A-Adam Trimble[15]
5. 321-Chad Winfrey[2]
6. 2WI-Tommy Colburn[7]
7. 3K-Todd Kluever[4]
8. 7F-Joshua Tyre[5]
9. 48G-George Loux[12]
10. 7Z-Brian Peterson[8]
11. 84S-Shaun Shapel[13]
12. 20X-Kyle Hawse[17]
13. 4-Adam Bolyard[16]
14. 14F-Conner Morrell[6]
15. 2ND-Darren Kauffman[11]
16. 27G-Steve Gresham[14]
17. 22G-Jack France[3]
C-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[2]
2. 7U-Zach Daum[13]
3. 80D-Corey Smith[4]
4. 23S-Kyle Simon[5]
5. 97W-Alex Karpowicz[1]
6. 72W-Tye Wilke[14]
7. 71J-Jeremy Huish[9]
8. 91B-Kevin Bayer[3]
9. 28B-Brandon Mattox[7]
10. 11H-Jori Hughes[6]
11. 25J-Nathan Moore[10]
12. 22-Troy Betts[8]
13. 97L-Brandon Lewis[11]
14. 18K-Billy Rayburn[12]
15. 121-Jason Bennett[15]
DNS: 19S-Chase Porter
DNS: 96-Cody Brewer
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #1 (10 Laps)
1. 1C-Brenham Crouch[7]
2. 25V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[3]
3. 57-Kaylee Bryson[2]
4. 41D-Derek Hagar[10]
5. 29S-Hank Davis[4]
6. 27B-Jake Bubak[6]
7. 95K-Mitch Fabish[1]
8. 81-Ty Gibbs[8]
9. 88A-Austin Torgerson[9]
10. 7MF-Chance Morton[5]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #2 (10 Laps)
1. 57W-Landon Brooks[2]
2. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[4]
3. 19R-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]
4. 55D-Nick Drake[9]
5. 8J-Jonathan Beason[5]
6. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[3]
7. 71-Michael Kofoid[6]
8. 22P-Brant O’Banion[10]
9. 7R-Jadon Rogers[8]
10. 44-Colton Hardy[7]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #3 (10 Laps)
1. 20Z-Stevie Sussex III[1]
2. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[5]
3. 55X-Kevin Thomas Jr[6]
4. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[9]
5. 41J-Nathan Crane[3]
6. 19K-Riley Kreisel[4]
7. 4T-Brandt Twitty[2]
8. 12A-AJ Bender[10]
9. 7W-Brendon Wiseley[8]
10. 28K-Austin Wood[7]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #4 (10 Laps)
1. 3T-Brad Sweet[1]
2. 43-Gunnar Setser[5]
3. 21J-Kameron Key[7]
4. 11B-Clinton Boyles[6]
5. 71P-Mat Williamson[9]
6. 1R-RJ Johnson[2]
7. 84K-Tom Harris[10]
8. 32L-Connor Lee[8]
9. 71H-Mason Hannagan[3]
10. 6G-Garet Williamson[4]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #1 (15 Laps)
1. 29S-Hank Davis[2]
2. 8J-Jonathan Beason[1]
3. 1R-RJ Johnson[5]
4. 6G-Garet Williamson[10]
5. 71P-Mat Williamson[3]
6. 84K-Tom Harris[6]
7. 19K-Riley Kreisel[4]
8. 5A-Adam Trimble[16]
9. 32L-Connor Lee[9]
10. 12A-AJ Bender[8]
11. 3D-Darin Naida[14]
12. 50C-Dane Culver[15]
13. 92-Mike Hess[13]
14. 7W-Brendon Wiseley[11]
15. 44-Colton Hardy[12]
16. (DQ) 95K-Mitch Fabish[7]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #2 (15 Laps)
1. 71-Michael Kofoid[2]
2. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[4]
3. 7MF-Chance Morton[6]
4. 19R-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]
5. 7U-Zach Daum[14]
6. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[13]
7. 71H-Mason Hannagan[9]
8. 41J-Nathan Crane[3]
9. 81-Ty Gibbs[8]
10. 88A-Austin Torgerson[11]
11. 7R-Jadon Rogers[10]
12. 23S-Kyle Simon[16]
13. 22P-Brant O’Banion[7]
14. 28K-Austin Wood[12]
15. 80D-Corey Smith[15]
16. 4T-Brandt Twitty[5]
Warren CAT A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 57W-Landon Brooks[7]
2. 1C-Brenham Crouch[1]
3. 71-Michael Kofoid[18]
4. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[5]
5. 43-Gunnar Setser[4]
6. 21J-Kameron Key[11]
7. 29S-Hank Davis[17]
8. 57-Kaylee Bryson[16]
9. 27B-Jake Bubak[12]
10. 41D-Derek Hagar[13]
11. 8J-Jonathan Beason[19]
12. 19R-Ricky Thornton Jr[24]
13. 55X-Kevin Thomas Jr[3]
14. 25V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[8]
15. 6G-Garet Williamson[23]
16. 20Z-Stevie Sussex III[9]
17. 55D-Nick Drake[14]
18. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[2]
19. 1R-RJ Johnson[21]
20. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[20]
21. 7MF-Chance Morton[22]
22. 11B-Clinton Boyles[6]
23. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[15]
24. 3T-Brad Sweet[10]