Donny Schatz making NASCAR Truck Series debut at Knoxville Raceway July 9.

[Rajflyboy]

Shear numbers you're probably correct. Attention, notoriety, prestige and diverse participation? Probably not. The Chili Bowl commands the highest viewership of all live events carried on the network that broadcasts it. On non-covid years the stands are sold out to the tune of 15,000 spectators on all but Monday night. 15,000 doesn't count those who don't have seats and buy pit passes to watch the action on the jumbotron in the pit area.Not downplaying the Boone event. It has to be one of, if not the, toughest accomplishments in dirt racing but it just doesn't seem to command the attention and isn't a career making portfolio win as is The Chili Bowl.

What else can one do in the middle of January throughout most of the northern parts of the country? Not exactly a lot of racing going on. Chili bowl is a well timed niche event that has become very popular. It’s not at all the biggest event on dirt.

[CIRF]

Name a bigger or better dirt event that is run at any time of year that can catapult a driver onto the national racing scene and some of the higher echelon's of racing? The World Hundred certainly doesn't advance the winners' career, or at least it hasn't so far.

The Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals is the only real rival to The Chili Bowl in regards to national notoriety but really hasn't been a life changing win on a drivers' resume'

Here's a list of drivers who's racing fortune's were advanced by winning in Tulsa:

1993 Winner-Dave Blaney. Went on to a NASCAR career racing many years in Cup following his CB victory.
1995 Winner-Donnie Beechler. Got an Indy Car ride following his CB victory.
1997 Winner-Billy Boat. Got an Indy Car ride following his CB victory.
2006 Winner-Tim McCreadie. Got an ARCA ride and a NASCAR Busch Series ride following his CB victory
2010-2013 Winner-Kevin Swindell. Got various NASCAR & ARCA rides following his CB victories.
2014 Winner-Bryan Clauson. Got an Indy 500 ride following his CB victory.
2015 & 2016 Winner-Rico Abreu. Got a NASCAR truck ride following his CB victory.
2017-2019 Winner-Christopher Bell. Got a NASCAR truck ride following his CB victory and won the championship in that division and went on to NASCAR Xfinity and is now racing for a top team in NASCAR Cup with a Cup win this season.

Larson has won The CB twice but he had already won the Rolex 24 and several NASCAR truck, Xfinity & Cup races by the time he won The CB the first time but his near misses prior to winning it garnered Larson a lot of national attention.

Name another dirt race that has produced that much advancement to it's winners over the years?

Bet ya' can't! LOL!