Night #4 Is In The Record Books One More Prelim Night

Prelim night #4 went just about as everyone who knows anything about The Chili Bowl expected it would. Christopher Bell and Buddy Kofoid finished 1-2 which transfers them into the Saturday night A-main. Bell has won every race he's competed in this week and virtually no one is the least surprised. Bell runs the Expo Center as smooth as anyone ever has. Kofoid, on the other hand, had to work for his ticket into the Saturday A-main.

There were some rough moves made tonight and I'm really surprised that there wasn't some fisticuffs given the blatancy of some of the incidents. But hey! As the saying goes, this is The Chili Bowl.

Spencer Bayston and Kofoid were fast and might would have won any other prelim night A-main but let's face it, Christopher Bell is in another zone and has been in another zone for several years with last year's Saturday night A-main being the lone exception when he ran second to Larson.

I felt especially sad for Steve Buckwalter. Buckwalter was fast all night and actually started on the pole in the A-main but got fed a questionable right rear. Not saying Steve had anything for Bell (no mere mortal does) but I think he had a shot at a 2nd place transfer or a very manageable starting spot in the Saturday night B-main but it's not to be. Anyone familiar with Buckwalter knows he is not to be trifled with and the guy who dumped him, who's name escapes me now, should have his head on a swivel if he finds himself racing anywhere near Buckwalter in the future.

Joe B. Miller gets a bit more impressive every time we see him race. Joe B. finished 5th in the A-main tonight and will be another driver who will have a legit shot at transferring into the Saturday night A-main from the B-main. We've watched Joe B. for several years at various venues and he gets better all the time. Hope he transfers Saturday night!!

A Feature
30 laps |
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 4 Christopher Bell Norman, OK 84X
2 7 Michael Kofoid Penngrove, CA 67
3 2 Brady Bacon Broken Arrow, OK 21H
4 3 Spencer Bayston Lebanon, IN 1S
5 8 Joe B. Miller Millersville, MO 49J
6 13 Logan Seavey Sutter, CA 39
7 11 Tim Buckwalter Douglassville, PA 29
8 5 Trey Gropp Lincoln, NE 21G
9 12 Andrew Deal Caney, KS 15D
10 14 Matt Sherrell Owasso, OK 2D
11 6 Kaylee Bryson Muskogee, OK 71
12 24 Frankie Guerrini San Rafael, CA 31K
13 9 Carson Garrett Littleton, CO 15X
14 15 Andrew Felker Carl Junction, MO 11A
15 16 Chance Crum Snohomish, WA 47C
16 22 Sam Hafertepe Jr Sunnyvale, TX 15H
17 17 Noah Gass Mounds, OK 20G
18 20 Kyle Bellm Nixa, MO 93
19 10 Don Droud Jr Lincoln, NE 22T
20 23 Brody Roa Buena Park, CA 7M
21 (DNF) 1 Steve Buckwalter Royersford, PA 25B
22 (DNF) 19 Cody Ledger Omaha, NE 35L
23 (DNF) 18 Zeb Wise Angola, IN 37W
24 (DNF) 21 Austin Prock Avon, IN 19P

We're down to 1 last prelim night. Where the hell has the week gone. This deal is the epitome in dirt racing, will be over in a blink and we'll begin to look forward in anticipation to the 2022 Chili Bowl on our way home Sunday morning. Gotta' drink it all in while we can!

I told you this stuff months ago 😜. Too predictable out there.

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Originally Posted by Rajflyboy

I told you this stuff months ago . Too predictable out there.

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If you mean that you predicted this year's Chili Bowl would once again be the biggest, best, most exciting and most entertaining dirt event of any kind this year then your prediction was spot on. To predict it's going to be the best dirt racing all year is way too easy, even for you! LOL!!

Bell is on a different level than anybody else except maybe Larson. Wish I was there, but I have enjoyed watching on Flo. Track prep has been excellent as usual.

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Originally Posted by JimBo

Bell is on a different level than anybody else except maybe Larson. Wish I was there, but I have enjoyed watching on Flo. Track prep has been excellent as usual.

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That sure is how it looks, JimBo. There's Larson & Bell and then everyone else.

I'm beginning to believe that the Tuesday night fiasco with the track locked down was a result of all the extra laps that were turned due to the Race of Champions. Monday, Wednesday and last night the track was good all night. The only variable was the RoC's Tuesday.

Everyone likes the Tuesday night RoC's but there are a couple of downsides to it. Later finish time and the track getting worn out. Emmett needs to figure out how to avoid this happening again.

CIRF How many fans are allowed at this event 2021 ?

CIRF, if you happen to walk buy and see Nick Hoffman apologize for me. I was sure yelling at him for not getting on the top in the B main and missing the transfer spot by a hair; spoke to his dad and found out the throttle linkage broke early and he was running the gas with one hand and steering the other...First time racing the midgets for him but I thought he was doing a great job until then (guess I was wrong, he was doing an exceptional job under the circumstances). On to Friday's show...

They are at 25% capacity in the grandstands so ~3700 seats, and limits on pit passes as well.

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Originally Posted by slideiton

They are at 25% capacity in the grandstands so ~3700 seats, and limits on pit passes as well.

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Thanks for the info 👍. Hope for a normal crowd next year.

This is fun stuff👍 https://www.floracing.com/video/6856...sammy-swindell

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Originally Posted by EvelB7

CIRF, if you happen to walk buy and see Nick Hoffman apologize for me. I was sure yelling at him for not getting on the top in the B main and missing the transfer spot by a hair; spoke to his dad and found out the throttle linkage broke early and he was running the gas with one hand and steering the other...First time racing the midgets for him but I thought he was doing a great job until then (guess I was wrong, he was doing an exceptional job under the circumstances). On to Friday's show...

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I'll do that, Evel! We'll be in the pit area until the Saturday C-mains so chances are good that I'll be walking pasts Hoffman's pit area more than once.

I wasn't aware that Nick was having the throttle linkage problems. Hats off to Mr. Hoffman to persevere through those tribulations and his first time in a midget, to boot.

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Originally Posted by slideiton

They are at 25% capacity in the grandstands so ~3700 seats, and limits on pit passes as well.

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The stands are much more than 25% full. I'd estimate that they're at least 40% of capacity and the pit area appears to have nearly as many people milling around as on a normal year. I hope there aren't bad repercussions from this. I will give credit for the stringent enforcement of the use of face coverings. They escorted a guy out of the stands Monday night for not wearing a mask and we haven't seen anyone without one on since.