By T.J. Buffenbarger
TULSA, OK (January 16, 2026) – Logan Seavey continued his incredible run of success in Chili Bowl Nationals by winning the feature event during Hard Rock Casino and Resort qualifying night for the fourth year in a row.
Seavey’s journey to victory lane was far from simple after dropping back to fourth position after taking the lead for a single lap midway through main event, then retaking the lead on lap 23 before pulling away during a restart with four laps to go.
After the race Seavey, from Sutter, California, praised the quality of his Swindell Speedlabs entry to allow him to be patient when things started to get crazy during the main event that regularly had four and five cars fighting for the two spots to lock into Saturday’s main event.
“I’ve been saying for the last few years when my car is this fast, I don’t have to push and put myself in those really bad spots that sometimes do end up killing your weekend,” Seavey said after a hard-fought feature victory. “I just take them when I can get them, I don’t make stuff happen when I when I don’t need to, and the races usually come to me, and my car gets better and better as race goes on.”
Seavey had to overcome racing back and forth with Justin Grant, Gavin Miller, Steven Snyder, and Daryn Pittman for a majority of the feature event.
“I could pace (Grant) there and could really hit the bottom in three and four when he tripped up on the cushion I could make a bunch of ground,” said Seavey. “I missed the bottom like three times where I thought if I just hit this I’m going to go right by him. Every time I had the chance, I just choked it. Right before we got the lap traffic I got to him and put him away. Then I made one little mistake in lap traffic, and knowing Justin was behind me, I should have protected a little bit. He threw one that landed right on my nose and was about as textbook as it gets. It killed my run and bout killed my nigh. I was back to fourth before I knew it.”
“Steven was really good on the bottom, which is what I was worried about, because I thought that’s where I passed those guys. I was able to sneak by him right away. Then I kind of turned just (in car adjustments) a click or two and it was like; we came right back to life. I was able to get to second and run down Gavin really quick and put him away. This thing was just so fast. I know if I do a decent job, and I get around there really good, this thing’s quite a bit faster than the cars around me. I just kind of had to take my time and try not to screw it up, which I about did.”
Justin Grant and Wout Hoffmans started on the front row for the 30-lap main event with Grant leaving the opening lap with Seavey moving into second. Hoffmans was dropped back to fourth as Steven Snyder and Daryn Pittman were able to move past him the following lap.
Seavey was applying pressure to Grant eight laps into the main event using the bottom of the track in turns three and four and the top side in one and two, bringing Snyder with him to create a three-car race for the lead on lap 10.
Seavey was able to gain enough momentum to slide in front of Grant for the lead on lap 12, but his time in the top position was short lived as two laps later Grant was able to drive around Seavey for the lead as Gavin Miller, who started seventh, quickly moved into fourth and caught the lead trio.
Chaos ensued on lap 17 when a slower car bottled up the field and Pittman went over a right rear tire and Seavey had to take evasive action through the infield to keep going when the caution flag appeared shortly after.
During the restart Snyder was able to slide Grant for the lead along with Miller to race three wide off the second corner. This eventually opened the door for Miller to move into second and take the lead on lap 20.
Miller’s time at the front was also short lived as Seavey moved back into second, taking advantage of Grant stumbling on the cushion in turn four. Seavey then put a slide job on Miller to take the lead on lap 23.
While Seavey held the lead Grant and Miller were trading slide jobs on each end of the speedway for the second and final lock in spot. With 26 laps in disaster struck for Miller as he got into the front stretch wall and tumbled down the front straightaway with Snyder piling into his car. Both drivers exited the heavily damaged cars under their own power
With four laps to go during the restart Seavey was able to pull away while Grant and Pittman found themselves in a tussle with Hoffmans for the final lock in position with Pittman sliding by both to take the spot with one lap to go.
While Seavey pulled away to a 1.536 second advantage at the finish line, Grant did not give up and built up enough moment off turn two to capture the second and final lock in position for Saturday’s finale by just 0.149 seconds over Pittman.
Hoffmans, from the Netherlands finished fourth while Giovanni Scelzi charged from 13th starting position to round out the top five
Jesse Love, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion who had worked his way up to fourth position at one point after starting 17th, flipped hard down the front stretch at the checkered flag to end up sixth, salvaging a spot in one of Saturday’s B-Main events.
Even with his comeback performance to take the lead back on Friday night, Seavey knows repeating that same task on Saturday would be difficult and hopes some of the speed they showed on Monday night can put the Swindell Speedlabs team he drives for in position to capitalize on securing his third Chili Bowl Nationals title.
“I hope everything just has to go a little bit smoother than it did tonight,” said Seavey. “You know, getting yourself back to fourth on Saturday is a lot different than f on your prelim night. Hopefully I can draw a decent little number and have some speed in the in the pole shuffle tomorrow. I feel like our car’s qualifying speed is insane. We kind of show that every year for the Race of Champions qualifying, so I’m excited to draw up here and kind of see where we stack up with some of these guys come Saturday night.”
40th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink
Hard Rock Casino Qualifying Night
Tulsa Expo Raceway
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Friday, January 16, 2026
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 54-Matt Westfall[1]
2. 98P-Ryan Padgett[3]
3. 8S-Kyle Steffens[4]
4. 21-Daryn Pittman[10]
5. 00-TJ Stark[8]
6. 57R-Daniel Robinson[5]
7. 11B-Clinton Boyles[9]
8. 56X-Mark Chisholm[7]
9. 10K-Jordan Knight[6]
10. 3F-Kody Schander[2]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 16-Santino Ferrucci[1]
2. 39-Logan Seavey[8]
3. 95-Chris Andrews[7]
4. 2ND-Jeb Sessums[5]
5. 4P-Jason McDougal[4]
6. 5J-Josh Hodge[9]
7. 47R-Ray Brewer[2]
8. 60-Dusty Young[3]
9. 51W-Jack Wagner[6]
DNS: 68E-Jim Schulenburg
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 19A-Hayden Reinbold[1]
2. 66B-Broedy Graham[3]
3. 87-Justin Grant[9]
4. 28-Ace McCarthy[7]
5. 55C-Connor Wakim[2]
6. 45X-Rees Moran[6]
7. 92M-Josh Most[5]
8. 51Z-Zach Boden[4]
9. 30X-Larry Bratti[8]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 19B-Jack Berger[3]
2. 63X-Frankie Guerrini[5]
3. 21T-Justin Bates[8]
4. 37-Ayden Gatewood[7]
5. 7E-Casey Burkham[1]
6. 20M-Malyssa Perkins[2]
7. 11A-Andrew Felker[4]
8. 17B-Ryan Bickett[6]
DNS: 2S-Billy Wease
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 14J-Wout Hoffmans[4]
2. 27H-Michael Hubert[7]
3. 33-Brady Baker[1]
4. 2Z-Austyn Gossel[3]
5. 84R-Chris Roseland[2]
6. 21K-Austin Nigh[8]
7. 22B-Brian Strane Jr[6]
8. 19U-Pierce Urbanosky[9]
9. 96-Cody Brewer[5]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 71C-Giovanni Scelzi[1]
2. 2-Jesse Love[5]
3. 5U-Michael Faccinto[2]
4. 9A-Ronnie Gardner[4]
5. 81G-Rylan Gray[3]
6. 0G-Glenn Styres[6]
7. 10C-Dalton Camfield[8]
8. 80S-Josh Hawkins[7]
DNS: 1P-Terry Nichols
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #7 (8 Laps)
1. 07W-Austin Wood[2]
2. 71H-Mason Hannagan[1]
3. 75-Mario Clouser[4]
4. 21X-Casey Shuman[6]
5. 32C-Curtis Jones[3]
6. 56E-Tyler Edwards[5]
7. B2-Carson Bolden[9]
8. 20-Tadd Holliman[7]
9. 19H-Brian Hubert[8]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #8 (8 Laps)
1. 97-Gavin Miller[2]
2. 30R-Levi Klatt[1]
3. 94-Hayden Wise[3]
4. 40X-Steven Snyder Jr[9]
5. 60M-Earl McDoulett Jr[5]
6. 74-Luke Hall[7]
7. 63-Cale Coons[6]
8. 22G-AJ Johnson[8]
9. 0-Johnny Murdock[4]
JUGO Super Foods Heat Race #9 (8 Laps)
1. 19X-Adyn Schmidt[1]
2. 14-Jett Nunley[5]
3. 7N-Brody Roa[2]
4. 77-Joe Wirth[6]
5. 4W-Wesley Smith[7]
6. 14S-David Gasper[8]
7. 15V-Cole Vanderheiden[3]
8. 48-Eric Webber[9]
9. 11X-Donovan Peterson[4]
Smileys Racing Products D-Main (10 Laps)
1. 92M-Josh Most[1]
2. 15V-Cole Vanderheiden[2]
3. 80S-Josh Hawkins[4]
4. 96-Cody Brewer[8]
5. 11X-Donovan Peterson[9]
6. 17B-Ryan Bickett[5]
7. 10K-Jordan Knight[7]
8. 1P-Terry Nichols[10]
9. 19H-Brian Hubert[6]
10. 47R-Ray Brewer[3]
DNS: 60-Dusty Young
DNS: 68E-Jim Schulenburg
Smileys Racing Products D-Main 2 (10 Laps)
1. 11A-Andrew Felker[1]
2. 22G-AJ Johnson[2]
3. 20-Tadd Holliman[4]
4. 51Z-Zach Boden[5]
5. 0-Johnny Murdock[7]
6. 48-Eric Webber[9]
7. 3F-Kody Schander[10]
8. 51W-Jack Wagner[8]
9. 56X-Mark Chisholm[3]
10. 30X-Larry Bratti[6]
DNS: 2S-Billy Wease
Creek County Speedway C-Main (12 Laps)
1. 11B-Clinton Boyles[4]
2. 14S-David Gasper[1]
3. 56E-Tyler Edwards[8]
4. 63-Cale Coons[10]
5. 81G-Rylan Gray[3]
6. 15V-Cole Vanderheiden[12]
7. 0G-Glenn Styres[7]
8. 7E-Casey Burkham[6]
9. 55C-Connor Wakim[5]
10. 4P-Jason McDougal[2]
11. 92M-Josh Most[11]
12. 20M-Malyssa Perkins[9]
Creek County Speedway C-Main 2 (12 Laps)
1. B2-Carson Bolden[4]
2. 45X-Rees Moran[6]
3. 74-Luke Hall[2]
4. 57R-Daniel Robinson[7]
5. 22G-AJ Johnson[10]
6. 11A-Andrew Felker[11]
7. 32C-Curtis Jones[3]
8. 84R-Chris Roseland[5]
9. 60M-Earl McDoulett Jr[1]
10. 22B-Brian Strane Jr[9]
11. 19U-Pierce Urbanosky[8]
DNS: 10C-Dalton Camfield
Toyota Qualifier #1 (10 Laps)
1. 19A-Hayden Reinbold[2]
2. 97-Gavin Miller[3]
3. 39-Logan Seavey[6]
4. 66B-Broedy Graham[1]
5. 2-Jesse Love[4]
6. 77-Joe Wirth[8]
7. 7N-Brody Roa[9]
8. 30R-Levi Klatt[7]
9. 21T-Justin Bates[5]
DNS: 5J-Josh Hodge
Toyota Qualifier #2 (10 Laps)
1. 40X-Steven Snyder Jr[3]
2. 28-Ace McCarthy[1]
3. 71C-Giovanni Scelzi[2]
4. 9A-Ronnie Gardner[10]
5. 19B-Jack Berger[5]
6. 8S-Kyle Steffens[7]
7. 27H-Michael Hubert[6]
8. 14-Jett Nunley[4]
9. 00-TJ Stark[8]
10. 2ND-Jeb Sessums[9]
Toyota Qualifier #3 (10 Laps)
1. 87-Justin Grant[6]
2. 21-Daryn Pittman[5]
3. 54-Matt Westfall[3]
4. 75-Mario Clouser[7]
5. 94-Hayden Wise[8]
6. 95-Chris Andrews[4]
7. 19X-Adyn Schmidt[2]
8. 2Z-Austyn Gossel[10]
9. 37-Ayden Gatewood[1]
10. 33-Brady Baker[9]
Toyota Qualifier #4 (10 Laps)
1. 71H-Mason Hannagan[1]
2. 14J-Wout Hoffmans[6]
3. 98P-Ryan Padgett[2]
4. 5U-Michael Faccinto[8]
5. 21X-Casey Shuman[7]
6. 07W-Austin Wood[4]
7. 4W-Wesley Smith[9]
8. 63X-Frankie Guerrini[5]
9. 16-Santino Ferrucci[3]
10. 21K-Austin Nigh[10]
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main (15 Laps)
1. 2-Jesse Love[1]
2. 94-Hayden Wise[2]
3. 07W-Austin Wood[4]
4. 14-Jett Nunley[6]
5. 8S-Kyle Steffens[5]
6. 21X-Casey Shuman[3]
7. 14S-David Gasper[12]
8. 11B-Clinton Boyles[13]
9. 19X-Adyn Schmidt[7]
10. 63-Cale Coons[14]
11. 2ND-Jeb Sessums[11]
12. 56E-Tyler Edwards[15]
13. 21T-Justin Bates[8]
14. 2Z-Austyn Gossel[9]
15. 00-TJ Stark[10]
DNS: 5J-Josh Hodge
Ferguson Enterprises B-Main 2 (15 Laps)
1. 66B-Broedy Graham[2]
2. 95-Chris Andrews[3]
3. 63X-Frankie Guerrini[5]
4. 77-Joe Wirth[4]
5. 27H-Michael Hubert[1]
6. 4W-Wesley Smith[7]
7. 30R-Levi Klatt[8]
8. 57R-Daniel Robinson[16]
9. 7N-Brody Roa[6]
10. 33-Brady Baker[11]
11. 45X-Rees Moran[14]
12. 74-Luke Hall[15]
13. 21K-Austin Nigh[12]
14. B2-Carson Bolden[13]
15. 16-Santino Ferrucci[9]
16. 37-Ayden Gatewood[10]
JST Motorsports A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 39-Logan Seavey[3]
2. 87-Justin Grant[1]
3. 21-Daryn Pittman[4]
4. 14J-Wout Hoffmans[2]
5. 71C-Giovanni Scelzi[13]
6. 2-Jesse Love[17]
7. 28-Ace McCarthy[11]
8. 19A-Hayden Reinbold[6]
9. 9A-Ronnie Gardner[9]
10. 94-Hayden Wise[19]
11. 07W-Austin Wood[21]
12. 54-Matt Westfall[10]
13. 75-Mario Clouser[12]
14. 66B-Broedy Graham[18]
15. 71H-Mason Hannagan[8]
16. 19B-Jack Berger[16]
17. 77-Joe Wirth[24]
18. 95-Chris Andrews[20]
19. 14-Jett Nunley[23]
20. 63X-Frankie Guerrini[22]
21. 98P-Ryan Padgett[15]
22. 97-Gavin Miller[7]
23. 40X-Steven Snyder Jr[5]
24. 5U-Michael Faccinto[14]