Chili Bowl Night #5, The Finale'

[CIRF]

It's Rico in victory lane for the 2nd year in a row. The track seemed to come to Rico the longer the race went. Rico passed Bryan Clauson for the lead with a few laps to go. Zack Daum was 3rd and Jerry Coons Jr. was 4th. Kyle Larson was 5th and he was the show!! Larson advance to the A-main after starting his B-main in 12th position and racing into a transfer spot. Larson was flying the last half of the A-main finale' but he flat ran out of time. Big block modified and dirt late model driver Tim McCreadie came home 6th after Larson passed him with a handful of laps.

Heading for home tomorrow. This week of racing has gone quickly and Tuesday night was by far the best night of racing among the 5.

Lord willing we'll be back here next January. This race has become such an icon of dirt track racing that it would be painful to miss it.

[Late_Model_Mark]

Thanks for the update, fell asleep when they went red late in the main, woke up and it was Sunday. Enjoyed the show on MAVtv, so glad they cover this incredible event.




Late Model Mark
TST Racecaller

[BIGSTEVE00]

Congrats to Rico. He ran one heckuva race. Clauson was strong and had a good finish too. Kyle Larson came from tail to finish in top ten. Awesome race. Thank you to MavTV for bringing it live for us fans that can't make the trip.

[TS FAN]

Congrats to Rico, Larson was also fun to watch. Good to see Kevin Swindell, he seems to be in good spirits and says he is improving slow, but sure. Understand he got a chunk of the 20/20 donated to to his recovery. Tony son, you need to find a spot for about 50 pounds you do not need. Otherwise, I am still a fan/smile. Great track prep

[CIRF]

Thanks for the update, fell asleep when they went red late in the main, woke up and it was Sunday. Enjoyed the show on MAVtv, so glad they cover this incredible event.




Late Model Mark
TST Racecaller
My pleasure Mark. The reason for the red flag later in the Saturday night A-main was that a fan had fell from a higher level of the Expo Center floor. There are two levels of the Expo Center building. The racetrack is built on the lower level and the turn 3 & 4 grandstands are positioned on the higher level. A spectator managed to fall the 15' or so from the higher floor level that the 3 & 4 grandstands are built on to the lower level that the track sets on. He landed on a flat concrete floor. Reports on Sunday morning were that the victim sustained a broken leg and other bruises. This could have been very bad. They immediately red flagged the A-main and actually sent security to the grandstand area that had a clear view of the victim to keep other spectators from taking pictures and video. It was kinda' bizarre, actually.

Congrats to Rico. He ran one heckuva race. Clauson was strong and had a good finish too. Kyle Larson came from tail to finish in top ten. Awesome race. Thank you to MavTV for bringing it live for us fans that can't make the trip.

BIGSTEVE, the little man can flat wheel a racecar, for sure. Rico is hands down the most popular driver at the Chili Bowl year in and year out.

STEVE, I strongly suggest that you get yourself out to Tulsa for The Chili Bowl. I've been to about 23 World Hundreds, a few Dream's, a couple Turkey Night Grand Prix's, 3 Belleville Midget National's, 4 Four Crown Nationals at Eldroa, 31 Indy 500's, over 20 Daytona 500's and other NASCAR events too numerous to mention and The Chili Bowl is hands down the best event I've ever been to. You can cut the intensity with a knife even during the 4 preliminary nights, let alone the Saturday night finale'.

I've never had the pleasure of attending the Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals so I'll stop short of deeming the CB the greatest of them all but it's close, for sure.

[CIRF]

Congrats to Rico, Larson was also fun to watch. Good to see Kevin Swindell, he seems to be in good spirits and says he is improving slow, but sure. Understand he got a chunk of the 20/20 donated to to his recovery. Tony son, you need to find a spot for about 50 pounds you do not need. Otherwise, I am still a fan/smile. Great track prep

As you said, Kevin really seemed to have an upbeat attitude. The 50/50 paid the winner something over $30,000.00 and some portion of the remaining $30,000.00+ went to Kevin's recovery fund. Very thoughtful gesture by those who manage the 50/50 deal.

As far as Stewart's track prep is concerned it was flawless all week. He was basically running the show from the seat of one of the tractors. The only criticism anyone had was that they completely tore the track up prior to Saturday night's A-main. I am assuming this wasn't Stewart's call. Many of us in attendance believe it was television's call since they didn't want any degree of dust at the end of the A-main and for the post race broadcast. Now, I don't know this for a fact but it kind of makes sense. I just have a feeling that if it was completely Stewart's call he would have had the track in condition for 2 groove racing all through the A-main.

As it turned out it was hammer down on the bottom until about 70% of the laps had been completed. At that point a high groove became evident and passing was much more prevalent. If that high groove had been there from the start of the A-main I believe Kyle Larson would have challenged for the lead at some point.

As I said, as good as Stewart had the track the previous 4 nights I'm betting it wasn't his idea to completely tear the track up because I'm also betting he knew exactly what was going to happen.

I'm not disparaging the way the track was dealt with going into the A-main because it turned out to be a great race anyhow. But I believe the first 30 laps might have been a bit more exciting without doing the complete track renovation. But then again, what the he!! do I know! LOL!!

[TS FAN]

It was great for me. I DVR the show and watched it yesterday. Shame indy car cannot snag Rico, he would really help that series. Smart to go the Nascar route though

[CIRF]

Please don't misunderstand, the Saturday A-main was a great race and I'm not second guessing how it was handled in the least but it was a bit of a departure from track prep protocol of the 4 prelim nights. Watch it again and see if I'm off base about the track being huggie pole until after half way. I'm working on my own memory here and that has a tendency to fail me now and again. I'm sure it would be impossible to ascertain but I'd like to know who ultimately made the decision to completely tear the track up. I have to believe Stewart knew that the upper groove was not going to develop until later in the race. But maybe that's what Emmet and Lanny wanted.

In regards to the 3 drivers that have made the leap up to NASCAR in the past couple of years (Larson, Rico & Bell) I'd be interested in if there was anyone connected with car ownership from Indy Car that made any overtures to any one of the three.

I too don't fault these young guys for allowing themselves to be courted by NASCAR. That's where the fame and most of the money is and there's no denying that. But, someone from Indy Car has to understand the benefits of having a couple of the aforementioned drivers competing in the Indy Car series. I can't imagine the interest guys like Larson, or Bell or Rico would generate during the month of May at Indianapolis. Bryan Clauson has been a major story among dirt fans in his prior starts at Indy and with a following like Rico or Bell or Larson has it would be much, much bigger.