By T.J. Buffenbarger
TULSA, OK (January 13, 2025) – Kyle Larson kicked off the 39th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink in victory lane after using a final lap pass to score the preliminary feature victory during 2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night.
Larson passed fellow California resident Shane Golobic, who was trying to score his first preliminary feature win at the Chili Bowl Nationals, using a final lap pass for the victory. The win was Larson’s eighth preliminary win at the Chili Bowl.
For Larson, taming the tricky racetrack was as challenging as the final lap pass to get by Golobic for the victory.
“That was a lot of fun,” Larson exclaimed in victory lane. “It was a great track and just wild. I’ve never ran a midget here, or anywhere, where it’s just ice slick to a frickin’ curb and you have to lay into the it. “It’s super challenging behind the wheel. I doubt anybody’s cars feel great, but it’s a lot of fun. I’m just happy to win and setting ourselves up for Saturday.”
While Larson was victorious, he felt there was still much to be improved on with his car for the finale.
“We just found a way, which was nice, but still got to get a lot better for Saturday,” said Larson. “Winning definitely helps, and Paul (Silva) the best there is in the building, so I’m confident with (Tyler Courtney) racing on Friday we’ll get these cars better and be make things a little easier.”
Golobic and Tanner Carrick started on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Golobic jumped into the lead at the start with Carrick and Ashton Torgerson in tow.
During the second lap Torgerson was split by Cannon McIntosh and Briggs Danner, dropping him to fifth on the second lap.
Danner and McIntosh then began to pressure Carrick for second with Danner getting the spot on lap four. Carrick and McIntosh exchanged third while Danner chased Golobic for the lead. Danner’s promising run then ended in turn four just after sliding Golobic for the lead, hitting the cushion, then taking a wild tumble in turn four. Danner exited the car under his own power.
During the restart McIntosh got a run under Golobic to take the lead. Golobic kept McIntosh in sight while Torgerson, Carrick, and Kyle Larson battled for the third spot.
At the halfway point McIntosh, Golobic, and Rogerson were all nose to tail with Larson closing in.
With 16 laps in Zack Wigel and Tanner Carrick banged wheels with Wigel getting upside down. Wigel emerged from the car under his own power.
During the restart Larson challenged Torgerson for the third position, but Torgerson held the spot and closed in on Golobic the following lap. Larson then got by Torgerson to third on lap 21.
Golobic to the lead on lap 24 with a slide job in turn four. McIntosh tried to slide him in turns one and two, but couldn’t make the pass and allowed Larson to close in. With five laps to go the caution lag appeared for Gary Taylor getting upside down in turn four.
Larson and McIntosh exchanging the second spot as Golobic pulls away on lap 27.
The final caution flag appeared with one lap to go when Kyler Johnson got upside down in turn four. Johnson exited the car under his own power.
This set up the green/white/checkered finish with Larson sliding by Golobic in turn four coming to the white flag and holing on for the victory. Golobic joins Larson locked into Saturday’s finale. McIntosh, Brent Crews from the C-Main up to fourth position, and Torgerson rounded out the top five.
For Golobic, the sting of having his fifth second place finish during a preliminary night including the past three years stung even though he is locked into Saturday’s finale.
“’I’m tired of hearing big picture, but it is the truth. We are here to win Saturday. But man, I’m just getting real, real tired of finishing second,” said Golobic with mixed emotions after the main event. “Having a yellow there coming through three and four to the checkered like maybe we had them covered at that point. But, you know, it’s not over until it’s over, and you must be able to just manage those laps a little bit better,” said Golobic of the late race caution. “Kyle just sold out and made it happen. I probably had an opportunity to just turn him, finish him off there coming into three and four. Hook his bumper or something, but I couldn’t do it. That’s not how we want to win here. We’re going to get one in this building, and I would not be surprised if it’s this week.”
39th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink
2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night
Tulsa Expo Raceway
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Monday, January 13, 2025
OERB Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 1K-Kyle Larson[3]
2. 9-Emilio Hoover[2]
3. 11G-Hayden Mabe[1]
4. 71T-Kyler Johnson[4]
5. 7D-Michelle Decker[9]
6. 8L-Cooper Miller[6]
7. 16T-Kevin Newton[7]
8. 11J-Todd Jackson[5]
9. K9-Jameson Spies[8]
OERB Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 5P-Justin Peck[1]
2. 44A-Reese Nowotarski[2]
3. 5X-Jacob Dykstra[4]
4. 60X-Dillon Welch[5]
5. 20H-Noah Harris[7]
6. 17M-Logan Prickett[9]
7. 3V-Jim Vanzant[3]
8. 15K-Nathan Kilwine[8]
9. 8H-Dakota Highley[6]
OERB Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 2H-Nick Hoffman[2]
2. 2Z-Zach Blurton[1]
3. 25H-Cap Henry[8]
4. 31-Tanner Holmes[6]
5. 2MD-Aiden Price[3]
6. 80-Kade Taylor[5]
7. 93-Kyle Bellm[7]
8. 2NP-Bill Johnson[4]
OERB Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 67K-Ashton Torgerson[1]
2. 7E-Carson Bolden[2]
3. 51Z-Zach Boden[3]
4. 75-Mario Clouser[5]
5. 8-Alex Sewell[6]
6. 23D-Devon Dobie[4]
7. 14K-Brandon Carr[7]
8. 5F-Danny Frye III[8]
OERB Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 85-Jerry Coons Jr[1]
2. 89-Zach Wigal[4]
3. 55T-Trevor Cline[6]
4. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[8]
5. P1-Paul White[3]
6. 71M-Brent Crews[5]
7. 15C-Carter Chevalier[7]
8. 68E-Eric Blumer[2]
OERB Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 55I-Briggs Danner[2]
2. 32T-Trey Marcham[3]
3. 98-Tanner Carrick[7]
4. 66J-Jayden Clay[1]
5. 45J-Roger Crockett[6]
6. 97X-John Barnard[4]
7. 00-Brecken Reese[5]
DNS: 71G-Bill Balog
OERB Heat Race #7 (8 Laps)
1. 17W-Shane Golobic[5]
2. 40B-Josh Bilicki[2]
3. 6B-Brylee Kilmer[1]
4. 2W-Luke Storer[3]
5. 86C-David Camfield Sr[4]
6. 15J-Jack Potter[6]
DNS: 4E-Maverick Elkins
DNS: P92-Alex Cogley
OERB Heat Race #8 (8 Laps)
1. 32-Gary Taylor[2]
2. 51B-Joe B Miller[3]
3. 9B-Brian Schwabauer[1]
4. 50-Daniel Adler[4]
5. 94-Hayden Wise[7]
6. 73B-Ryan Timmons[5]
7. 42K-Kevin Battefeld[6]
8. 33M-Charlie Louden[8]
C-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 71M-Brent Crews[3]
2. P1-Paul White[1]
3. 23D-Devon Dobie[4]
4. 16T-Kevin Newton[5]
5. 14K-Brandon Carr[6]
6. 5F-Danny Frye III[9]
7. 3V-Jim Vanzant[8]
8. 42K-Kevin Battefeld[7]
9. K9-Jameson Spies[11]
10. 15J-Jack Potter[2]
11. 11J-Todd Jackson[10]
12. 8H-Dakota Highley[12]
DNS: 4E-Maverick Elkins
C-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 80-Kade Taylor[2]
2. 8L-Cooper Miller[1]
3. 97X-John Barnard[4]
4. 93-Kyle Bellm[5]
5. 15C-Carter Chevalier[6]
6. 00-Brecken Reese[7]
7. 2NP-Bill Johnson[10]
8. 68E-Eric Blumer[9]
9. 15K-Nathan Kilwine[8]
10. 73B-Ryan Timmons[3]
DNS: 33M-Charlie Louden
DNS: 71G-Bill Balog
DNS: P92-Alex Cogley
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #1 (10 Laps)
1. 17W-Shane Golobic[6]
2. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[3]
3. 44A-Reese Nowotarski[2]
4. 71T-Kyler Johnson[9]
5. 2Z-Zach Blurton[1]
6. 2H-Nick Hoffman[5]
7. 60X-Dillon Welch[7]
8. 45J-Roger Crockett[10]
9. 9B-Brian Schwabauer[8]
10. 55T-Trevor Cline[4]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #2 (10 Laps)
1. 55I-Briggs Danner[5]
2. 32T-Trey Marcham[3]
3. 5P-Justin Peck[4]
4. 7E-Carson Bolden[2]
5. 25H-Cap Henry[6]
6. 75-Mario Clouser[7]
7. 50-Daniel Adler[9]
8. 66J-Jayden Clay[10]
9. 20H-Noah Harris[8]
10. 5X-Jacob Dykstra[1]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #3 (10 Laps)
1. 67K-Ashton Torgerson[4]
2. 1K-Kyle Larson[6]
3. 51B-Joe B Miller[3]
4. 32-Gary Taylor[5]
5. 2W-Luke Storer[9]
6. 94-Hayden Wise[8]
7. 40B-Josh Bilicki[2]
8. 11G-Hayden Mabe[7]
9. 86C-David Camfield Sr[10]
10. 31-Tanner Holmes[1]
Toyota Racing Development Qualifier #4 (10 Laps)
1. 98-Tanner Carrick[6]
2. 89-Zach Wigal[5]
3. 85-Jerry Coons Jr[4]
4. 8-Alex Sewell[9]
5. 51Z-Zach Boden[1]
6. 7D-Michelle Decker[2]
7. 17M-Logan Prickett[8]
8. 2MD-Aiden Price[10]
9. 6B-Brylee Kilmer[7]
10. 9-Emilio Hoover[3]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #1 (15 Laps)
1. 71M-Brent Crews[13]
2. 2W-Luke Storer[1]
3. 45J-Roger Crockett[7]
4. 55T-Trevor Cline[9]
5. 20H-Noah Harris[10]
6. 94-Hayden Wise[3]
7. P1-Paul White[14]
8. 50-Daniel Adler[5]
9. 51Z-Zach Boden[4]
10. 23D-Devon Dobie[15]
11. 5X-Jacob Dykstra[12]
12. 17M-Logan Prickett[6]
13. 11G-Hayden Mabe[8]
14. 16T-Kevin Newton[16]
15. 86C-David Camfield Sr[11]
16. 2H-Nick Hoffman[2]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main #2 (15 Laps)
1. 7E-Carson Bolden[1]
2. 75-Mario Clouser[3]
3. 60X-Dillon Welch[6]
4. 7D-Michelle Decker[4]
5. 2MD-Aiden Price[8]
6. 2Z-Zach Blurton[2]
7. 93-Kyle Bellm[16]
8. 31-Tanner Holmes[12]
9. 9-Emilio Hoover[11]
10. 9B-Brian Schwabauer[9]
11. 40B-Josh Bilicki[5]
12. 97X-John Barnard[15]
13. 6B-Brylee Kilmer[10]
14. 8L-Cooper Miller[14]
15. 66J-Jayden Clay[7]
16. 80-Kade Taylor[13]
2nd Opinion Auto Center A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 1K-Kyle Larson[4]
2. 17W-Shane Golobic[1]
3. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[7]
4. 71M-Brent Crews[17]
5. 67K-Ashton Torgerson[5]
6. 85-Jerry Coons Jr[10]
7. 51B-Joe B Miller[13]
8. 5P-Justin Peck[9]
9. 32T-Trey Marcham[8]
10. 60X-Dillon Welch[22]
11. 98-Tanner Carrick[2]
12. 8-Alex Sewell[15]
13. 45J-Roger Crockett[21]
14. 25H-Cap Henry[12]
15. 44A-Reese Nowotarski[16]
16. 7D-Michelle Decker[24]
17. 55T-Trevor Cline[23]
18. 75-Mario Clouser[20]
19. 7E-Carson Bolden[18]
20. 71T-Kyler Johnson[14]
21. 32-Gary Taylor[11]
22. 89-Zach Wigal[6]
23. 2W-Luke Storer[19]
24. 55I-Briggs Danner[3]