Chili Bowl– A term that many sports fans might not have come across, but for enthusiastic fans of motorsport, its fame and glory are ever-eternal and ever-expanding.
What is the Chili Bowl?
Known as the “Super Bowl” of midget racing, Chili Bowl Nationals refers to the midget car race which takes place every year in January on a quarter mile dirt track at the Tulsa Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The cars participating in the event are known as “midget cars”, which are small, four cylinder cars that have a very high power to weight ratio. While midget car racing is hosted in several countries such as Australia and New Zealand, the Chili Bowl Nationals in the United States is called the “biggest Midget race of the year” by none other than NASCAR.
That sweet sound is back! pic.twitter.com/yh1vbdY5by
— Chili Bowl Nationals (@cbnationals) January 7, 2024
Since its inauguration all the way back in 1987, Chili Bowl Nationals hype up and excite motorsport fans at the start of each new year. Taking place at the Tulsa Expo Center- home to the famed “Golden Driller” statue and has a capacity of 15,000 fans.
The event consists of five qualifier days, with the A-main event scheduled for Saturday. This year’s event, the “38th annual Chili Bowl Nationals”, will commence from Monday, 8th January, with the qualifier stage until Friday, 12th January. The main event will take place on Saturday, 13th January. The event is preceded by the practice event on 7th January.
Here’s the last few laps of the second practice session today at Chili Bowl. pic.twitter.com/d5G0XUZ1mq
— Mike Hess (@MHess51) January 8, 2024
Drivers
This year’s Chili Bowl Nationals will see over 300 drivers, hailing from different parts of the world and consisting both seasoned and those just getting started. One-fifth of the drivers will compete in each of the five qualifier days, with those earning the berths for the main event to compete on Saturday.
Aside from dedicated midget car racers, Chili Bowl Nationals observes participations from other disciplines such as NASCAR, IndyCar as well as USAC, in a roster full of a variety of motorsport backgrounds.
The inaugural 1987 event was won by Rich Vogler- the famous sprint and midget car driver who even competed five times in the Indy 500 event. The most recent edition of the event, in 2023, was won by Logan Seavey- a USAC sprint and NASCAR truck racer.
Where to Watch Chili Bowl Nationals
The 38th edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals will take place at the Tulsa Expo Center. Tickets for Monday and Tuesday are priced at $60 each. Four day tickets and five day tickets cost $245 and $305 respectively, while the full six day event ticket can be grabbed for $365.
Those wanting to watch the event live can visit floracing.com for the official live stream.
🚨 @spencerbayston catches the cushion and flips wildly in #ChiliBowl practice!@cbnationals | @NosEnergyDrink
📺 https://t.co/37DKpNQBRF pic.twitter.com/bZNAIFEEMT
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 7, 2024
The only Monday you've ever dreamed about. See you for Round 1 of #ChiliBowl2024. pic.twitter.com/0eLBFAiTjD
— Chili Bowl Nationals (@cbnationals) January 8, 2024
Weather Forecast
- Monday, 8th January: 100% chance of rain with possible thunder.
- Tuesday, 9th January: Partly cloudy/windy.
- Wednesday, 10th January: Sunny day.
- Thursday, 11th January: Mostly sunny. Possibility of afternoon clouds.
- Friday, 12th January: Windy day with a potential winter storm & snowfall. Cloudy afternoon.
- Saturday, 13th January: Mostly sunny day, Slightly windy.
(source: The Weather Channel)
The only Monday you've ever dreamed about. See you for Round 1 of #ChiliBowl2024. pic.twitter.com/0eLBFAiTjD
— Chili Bowl Nationals (@cbnationals) January 8, 2024
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