Night #5 Is In The Record Books, The Prelim Events Are Over

[CIRF]

The prelim nights are history for another year. It's always just a little bittersweet. Justin Grant and Kyle Cummings transfer to the Saturday A-main by running 1-2 respectively in tonight's final prelim night A-main. Like is the case many times, had there been just 1 or 2 more laps in the A-main tonight things might have been different. Kyle Cummings was right on Grant's rear nerf bar in turn 4 of the final lap and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who ran 3rd, was probably the fastest car on the track for the entire A-main. I really hope Ricky transfer's out of the B-main tomorrow night. He should since he'll start up front. Ricky might just have something for Bell, Larson & Company.

Trigger alert!

I found it rather telling that the competition director for the WoO's generic dirt late model pizza deliver cars would be in Tulsa racing in the biggest and best dirt event of the year when his series is in Florida for an event down there. Certainly shows how the importance of competing in The Chili Bowl overshadows delivering pizza in FL! LOL! I'm sure Casey being in Tulsa driving a dirt open wheel car ruffles some dirt late model fan feathers. Totally understandable to those who understand and appreciate the gravity of what is taking place in Tulsa that Mr. Shuman would opt for Tulsa. If further adds to the inferiority complex of those DLM hacks afflicted with envious tunnel vision!

A Feature
30 laps | 00:00:00
Pos Start Driver Hometown Car
1 2 Justin Grant Ione, CA 2J
2 1 Kyle Cummins Princeton, IN 3G
3 18 Ricky Stenhouse Jr Olive Branch, MS 17S
4 20 Tanner Thorson Minden, NV 08
5 5 Daryn Pittman Owasso, OK 21
6 3 Damion Gardner Concord, CA 71G
7 6 Jesse Love Redwood City, CA 97K
8 14 Aaron Reutzel Clute, TX 87
9 17 J.J. Yeley Charlotte, NC 2G
10 4 Ronnie Gardner Corona, CA 68
11 15 Casey Shuman Rattlesnake Bend, AZ 32W
12 22 Ethan Mitchell Mooresville, NC 19M
13 13 Ace McCarthy Tahlequah, OK 28
14 11 Kasey Kahne Enumclaw, WA 57W
15 24 Tucker Klaasmeyer Paola, KS 27
16 12 Cody Jessop Madera, CA 4CM
17 7 Bill Balog North Pole, AK 37X
18 23 Wesley Smith Nixa, MO 44X
19 16 Tyler Edwards Salina, OK 73B
20 21 Kinzer Edwards South Coffeyville, OK 15F
21 10 Brent Beauchamp Avon, IN 2X
22 19 Lane Goodman Broken Arrow, OK 10J
23 (DNF) 8 Luke Icke Littleton, CO 56I
24 (DNF) 9 Jesse Colwell Red Bluff, CA 14

Another Chili Bowl is nearly history. This event has grown in stature to the degree that every year it become more epic and relevant in the world of motorsports. The Chili Bowl has taken on an aura and mystic that very few, if any, dirt racing events can equal. It's sad when it's over but the anticipation of the next January journey to Tulsa is a constant the rest of the year.

The alphabet soup is slowly simmering on the stove.

[Rajflyboy]

Your addicted bad. Real bad. I could easily argue we are seeing better racing at Volusia speedway this week. Just saying.

[EvelB7]

I may run a pizza delivery car but have to say that it would be all but impossible to find better racing than the Chili Bowl...an average night there would top most other forms of racing at their best.

[Rajflyboy]

But not late models like Arizona Speedway this week or night 1 Volusia. But most other forms of racing ... you probably correct

[Rajflyboy]

Right now it’s just a little too predictable. Hopefully these Big league dudes will move along and do something else on a January weekend

[CIRF]

Your addicted bad. Real bad. I could easily argue we are seeing better racing at Volusia speedway this week. Just saying.

You may easily argue it but you'd be wrong and you'd look silly doing it.

I may run a pizza delivery car but have to say that it would be all but impossible to find better racing than the Chili Bowl...an average night there would top most other forms of racing at their best.

Sincerely, we meant no offense to you Evel.

You speak the truth but there are meat ball generic dirt late model hacks that can't bear to hear the truth. It's one thing to have other preferences, that is human, but it's quite another to deny the truth and downplay the obvious. All I do is point out the obvious! LOL!

[CIRF]

But not late models like Arizona Speedway this week or night 1 Volusia. But most other forms of racing ... you probably correct

You are joking, aren't you? If you're not, you're doing a great job of looking dumb. LOL doesn't begin to cover it!

[JimBo]

I may run a pizza delivery car but have to say that it would be all but impossible to find better racing than the Chili Bowl...an average night there would top most other forms of racing at their best.

I agree. Likewise, I love watching these tumble buggies.

[Rajflyboy]

I agree. Likewise, I love watching these tumble buggies.

Tumble buggies. That’s awesome and pretty much exactly what they are.

[Raceready]

Tumble buggys. What was it this year ? Did they say 67 roll overs which falls short of the record of 87 flips last year ?

[Rajflyboy]

Oh lord. I do remember that from the broadcast lady year 👍

[EvelB7]

You may easily argue it but you'd be wrong and you'd look silly doing it.Sincerely, we meant no offense to you Evel.You speak the truth but there are meat ball generic dirt late model hacks that can't bear to hear the truth. It's one thing to have other preferences, that is human, but it's quite another to deny the truth and downplay the obvious. All I do is point out the obvious! LOL!

No offense taken... growing up I wanted to run sprint cars, started in late models then got a chance to switch (which I did). Change was short lived as I moved south and the sprint cars did not exist here, so back to late models...to old to switch back to sprints I do believe, but you never know.

[CIRF]

No offense taken... growing up I wanted to run sprint cars, started in late models then got a chance to switch (which I did). Change was short lived as I moved south and the sprint cars did not exist here, so back to late models...to old to switch back to sprints I do believe, but you never know.

Find yourself a Silver Crown car and come to Springfield & Du Quoin. I'll stooge for you and I'll even buy my own pit pass! LOL!

[EvelB7]

Problem is I have no money... I can find rides in the late model but don't believe the open wheel world wants to see me (not that the late model world does, I just have been around a long time and didn't tear up much equipment; although that point can be argued lately for sure)....If I hit the lottery it is on to Sprints, Midgets, and Silver Crown!!!

[CIRF]

Tumble buggys. What was it this year ? Did they say 67 roll overs which falls short of the record of 87 flips last year ?

You were paying close attention, weren't you Rr.

Luckily Emmett has the best people in the business as track workers. The flips are not abnormally time consuming and detract from the show very little. Part of the appeal of dirt open wheel cars, in this case specifically midgets, is that you can't beat and bang with little to no consequences like some other types of dirt racing. Drivers have to take care of one another. Obviously Chili Bowl speeds are less than lethal under normal circumstances, but serious injuries have taken place. Case in point, Tim McCreadie broke his back and was laid up for months as a result of a Chili Bowl midget crash.

When qualified people have the correct equipment at their disposal, such as is the case at Chili Bowl, the show moves on quite well despite the "tumble buggies". They ran an average of 64 cars, 8 heat races, 2 C-features, 4 qualifiers, 2 B-features, and an A-main 5 nights in a row. Except for Tuesday night, which is Race of Champions night and the Saturday night MAVtv debacle, racing was completed by 9:30 PM. Flip counts averaged 11 per night spaced out over 188 laps of green flag racing. That's not counting the flips that took place in hot laps. If the flip count was an excessive time detriment it would have been much later than 9:30 PM finishing times. Anyone who sights a flip count as detrimental to the quality of the show is biased in the first place.

Plus, people gamble some big money on the exact number and the over/under of The Chili Bowl flip count. THAT's why they keep track and announce it so often.

Problem is I have to money... I can find rides in the late model but don't believe the open wheel world wants to see me (not that the late model world does, I just have been around a long time and didn't tear up much equipment; although that point can be argued lately for sure)....If I hit the lottery it is on to Sprints, Midgets, and Silver Crown!!!

I hope you win the lottery, Evel. I think you'd have some serious fun driving a Silver Crown car on the Illinois 1 mile dirt tracks.