RPW Exclusive: Previewing The Preliminary Nights For The 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals

Column By: DYLAN TERRY & DERICK KRINER / RPW – TULSA, OK – As Bryan Hulbert faithfully says each and every year, “ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHILI BOWL!?”

Well, folks it’s that time once again.

For the 39th running of the event, it’s evident that the race’s popularity is only continuing to grow, attracting new fans, drivers sponsors and vendors every year.

There are nearly 400 entries for this years event, which very well could set the all-time record for most entries in event history.

The anticipation inside the Tulsa Expo Center is starting to ramp up, as the first practice sessions for this year’s event are scheduled to be lining up down the ramp on Sunday morning. Before the action rolls off on Monday evening and the every lap matters format begins to determine the fate of the competitors, we here at Race Pro Weekly thought it would only be fitting to continue our yearly tradition of giving out a few names that we like as “favorites” to capture the victory on each of the Preliminary Nights throughout this week.

Without further ado, here are our picks:

Dylan Terry’s Picks:

Monday

Kyle Larson – For it to be the middle of the NASCAR offseason, the man known as “Yung Money” is riding a huge wave of momentum right now. Fresh off winning a pair of drillers during the Tulsa Shootout last week, Larson also captured a $100,000 payday a few weeks back during the High Limit International finale at the Perth Motorplex in Australia. In 16 career preliminary night starts at the Chili Bowl, Larson has amassed 7 victories, while leading laps in 9 of those starts. Larson will be a man on a mission in this year’s edition, looking to bounce back after flipping during his prelim night last year. Back in his familiar #1K midget with Paul Silva on the wrenches, he will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the entirety of the week.

Cannon McIntosh – Ever since Cannon McIntosh stepped foot behind the wheel of a midget, he has been extremely dominate in the SageNet Center, particularly during his preliminary nights. In 6 career preliminary night starts, he has earned 3 victories and has led laps during 4 of those starts. Also, his worst finish in all of those starts was a 6^th place run last year, which he did lead some laps in before falling back. Sporting an average finish of 3.33 in those 6 preliminary starts, it’s almost a lock for the Keith Kunz Motorsports #71K to be near the front of the field on Monday night.

Shane Golobic – While Golobic hasn’t necessarily gotten the job done during championship night at the Expo Center, he has been historically fast during his preliminary nights in the past. He leads all drivers with 11 Top 5’s during preliminary nights, which is currently the most throughout the last 20 years of the event. During his last 6 starts on his preliminary nights, he has tallied finishes of 2^nd, 5^th, 22^nd, 5^th, 2^nd, and 2^nd , which comes out to an average finish of 6.33. Golobic returns with familiar equipment also, as he will be once again behind the wheel of his familiar NOS Energy Drink #17W for Matt Wood Racing. Looking to build off of his successful 2024 season in his 410 sprint car, look for Golobic to be in the hunt again on Monday evening.

Sleeper Pick

Briggs Danner – One of the brightest young talents in the world of dirt racing, Danner made himself known on the national stage of dirt racing throughout the past calendar year. He qualified for his first Chili Bowl A-Main last January and continued to make headlines during the summer months, as he captured his first two career victories with the USAC 410 National Sprint Car series at Grandview and Lawrenceburg Speedways respectively. He finished 3^rd during his preliminary night last year, and now teams up with Alex Bowman Racing in what is very easily by far the best equipment he’s ever had the opportunity to race in Tulsa. Don’t be surprised if the young gasser from Allentown, PA wheels the ABR #55I to a podium, and continues to build on his already impressive resume he has developed throughout his young career.

Tuesday

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid – The driver of the Mobil 1 #71 Keith Kunz Motorsports machine has been fairly consistent at the Chili Bowl ever since his debut in 2020. In his 5 career preliminary starts, he has finishes of 3^rd, 2^nd, 1^st, 20^th, and 1^st. Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention the fact that he also led laps during that 20^th place run prior to getting involved in an incident that ended his night prematurely. Similar to aforementioned Larson, Kofoid comes into Tulsa riding a wave of momentum. He was arguably the hottest driver down the final stretch of his rookie year with the World of Outlaws this summer, tallying 6 wins during the final 3 months of the season. If you combine that with the fact that he is coming off of a runner-up finish in last years Chili Bowl championship A-Main, you can bet that Buddy’s confidence level is at an all-time high right now. It will be hard for the competition to fend off the youngster from Penngrove, CA who is guaranteed to let it all hang out during this year’s running of the event.

Hank Davis – After his upset preliminary night victory in 2023, Hank Davis backed it up with another impressive performance in 2024. He finished 2^nd on his preliminary night last January, and then finished the week by earning his highest ever championship Saturday A-Main finish, a 5^th place run. Davis has also broadened his horizons this year, dabbling into winged sprint car racing more than ever before. He showed flashes of potential during his substitute ASCS campaign with Wayne Johnson Racing, which earned him the opportunity to jump to the 410 ranks this year with Shannon Wheatley Racing. With added experience from getting these new sprint car opportunities and having had success at the Chili Bowl before in the Matt Seymour owned 29S, I expect Davis to be a threat on Tuesday evening as he returns with the same equipment.

Zach Daum – One of the most experienced drivers inside the Tulsa Expo Center, Daum has participated in every single running of the Chili Bowl since 2006. While he only has 1 preliminary night victory, he has led laps on 3 other preliminary nights during his career at Tulsa. He also 6 podium finishes in his 19 preliminary night starts. Daum is also running this year’s edition with his familiar #7U Trifecta Motorsports entry, which he has been running during outdoor events lately. He has had a few disappointing performances in the past couple of years in Tulsa while running one of the iconic Andy Bondio machines. Now back with familiar equipment that he’s ran throughout the past year, I believe Daum takes a step back in the right direction during this years running and will be competing for the win during the A-Main on Tuesday night.

Sleeper Pick:

Kameron Key – Before anybody says anything, some might say that this is a BOLD pick. However, if you look at the trajectory that Key’s career has gone on throughout the last year, it steadily has moved in the upward direction. He made a couple 410 starts this season and was successful during those appearances, even making a show against High Limit at Lucas Oil Raceway. He has a 410 ride lined up for next season, as he will be behind the wheel of the Beaver Racing #12X running select shows throughout the midwestern US. As for the Chili Bowl, Key was sneaky good last year. He finished 5^th during his prelim night, and also ended up qualifying for the Championship A-Main on Saturday. Although he didn’t start the feature due to mechanical woes, just making the A-Main on Saturday is a big accomplishment in itself. Key has another year of experience under his belt, and also just got done participating in the Tulsa Shootout. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn some heads on Tuesday, as he returns to the Expo Center in the same #21J ride owned by Kelly Hinck. I’d also like to add that having 5-time Saturday championship A-Main starter Brady Bacon as a teammate to lean on for information also doesn’t hurt his chances either.

Wednesday

Emerson Axsom – Axsom is coming off of career year. He turned heads this season during his first year primarily behind the wheel of a 410 sprint car. He qualified for the Knoxville Nationals A-Main in his first try, and also finished 6^th in the Kings Royal at Eldora. Axsom also has success in the past inside the SageNet Center as well. He is a multi-time driller winner during the Tulsa Shootout, so you best believe that he wants to add a Chili Bowl driller to his collection. In his last two attempts at the Chili Bowl, he has finishes of 5th and 2nd during his preliminary nights. He returns to familiar equipment in this year’s running, as he will be driving the #68K Keith Kunz Motorsports entry that he drove last year. Everyone knows this equipment is amongst the best in the business, so be prepared for an inspired Axsom to put up a fight for the win on Wednesday night.

Daison Pursley – The young gasser Pursley returns to the Chad Boat Industries #86 again for this year’s running, which he put on a clinic in during last year’s edition on Saturday. After having bad luck during his prelim night, he rolled off from the 4^th position in the D-Main to begin the day. He advanced to finish 1^st in that, locking him into the 16^th starting position for the C-Main. In that C-Main, he passed 11 cars to score the final transfer position to the B-Main which was 5^th. In the B-Main, Pursley started 20^th, and advanced to the 5^th position, locking into the championship A-Main after passing 15 cars. He again started 20^th in that championship A-Main feature and earned hard charger honors as he climbed his way all the way up to finish 4^th that evening. With all of that added together, from the D-Main through the A-Main he passed a whopping 45 cars on just on Saturday night combined. It was one of the most memorable performances in recent Chili Bowl history and turned a ton of heads and put Pursley on the radar of many. Back in that same car this year, Pursley definitely will be in contention for the victory as long as he has better luck early on during his preliminary night this time around.

Corey Day – The newest driver at Hendrick Motorsports had another banner year in 2024, tallying a total of 10 wins this year in 410 sprint car competition between High Limit Racing, the World of Outlaws, and NARC. Outside of the sprint car, Day has been always a threat to win in a midget also. After the sprint car season concluded this summer, he also had a few starts with the USAC NOS Energy National Midgets in California in November. He picked up 2 victories during the 5 appearances he made during that span. As for his past in Tulsa, he won his preliminary night feature at the Chili Bowl last January and backed it up with a 3^rd place run during the championship A-Main on Saturday. It seems that Day has found a home he is comfortable with, in the #41 Willie Kahne owned entry. He’s had all of those wins and success in that same ride, so the expectation would be for him to be somewhere near the podium on Wednesday evening as a result.

Sleeper Pick:

Stephen Snyder Jr. – Now Stephen Snyder Jr. isn’t necessarily a household name when it comes to midget racing, but he definitely should be on people’s radars in the future. The youngster from Maryland was absolutely insane in micro sprint competition this year, racking up nearly $100,000 in winnings from that alone. Yes, you did read that correctly, nearly $100K earned in micro sprints. If those absolutely insane numbers don’t impress you enough, Snyder was on a tear during his Non-Winged Outlaw feature last week during the Tulsa Shootout. He started 21^st and charged all the way to 1^st before mechanical problems ended his evening prematurely. He passed notable names on his way to the front that night including Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Emerson Axsom, Ricky Thorton Jr., and more. He also has the midget figured out inside the Expo Center too. He led laps during his preliminary night feature last January, before winding up 4^th that evening. He ended up qualifying for the Saturday championship A-Main, but mechanical problems again forced him a DNS result. Hopefully Snyder’s luck in Tulsa can turn around this week, because if it does, he could be a deep sleeper pick to be in contention for the win on his preliminary night. He is back in the same car that he led laps in last year, the Chase McDermand owned #40X that is always pretty good equipment no matter what track it appears at. Don’t be shocked if Snyder is contending for the victory on Wednesday night because he is certainly capable of doing so as long as lady luck doesn’t come back to bite him in Tulsa like it has in the past.

Thursday

Christopher Bell – Fresh off his return to dirt racing, Bell picked up right where he left off by capturing a golden driller during the Tulsa Shootout in his inaugural trip back to the Tulsa Expo Center for the first time since 2022. In his last 7 attempts at the Chili Bowl, he has finished 1^st on his preliminary night every single time. In 3 of those, he also took home the checkered flag during the championship Saturday A-Main as well. Just from those statistics alone, Bell is seemingly an automatic lock to be contending for the win on Thursday. He will be in the #71W Keith Kunz Motorsports entry, so he will have some of the best equipment in the building. If Bell puts all of the pieces back together, he could add yet another Chili Bowl driller to his already impressive resume.

Tanner Thorson – It’s no secret that Thorson loves the Chili Bowl perhaps more than any other driver. He has participated in every single event since 2014, and has had a ton of success in the process. His main highlight was winning the Saturday night A-Main in 2022, but he has also displayed a model of consistency throughout his other appearances. During his 11 preliminary night starts, Thorson has an average finish of 5.81, tallying 2 wins in the process. Since the 2019 edition, his preliminary finishes have been 2^nd, 1^st, 4^th, 2^nd, 1^st, and 2^nd. When you take that into account with the fact that Thorson essentially is his own crew chief for his team, it seems like he has a really firm grasp on the surface inside the SageNet Center. You can expect Thorson to be on the podium once again on Thursday, battling with Bell for the victory barring any issues that may arise.

Spencer Bayston – The former USAC NOS Energy National Midget champion Bayston has been pretty consistent during his previous appearances in Tulsa. He scored his 1^st career preliminary night victory last year, and ended up finishing 8^th during the championship Saturday A-Main last year. In 10 career preliminary evening starts, he has registered 7 Top 10 finishes, with an average finish of 6.9 in those starts. Bayston returns to the same ride he performed well in last year, the RMS Racing #1 car. If he can replicate his past consistency at the Chili Bowl, (and preferably not end up flipping and breaking stuff during the Pole Shuffle like he did this past January) he could be in the right place at the right time to pounce if the opportunity presents itself.

Sleeper Pick:

Jacob Denney – Now let me preface this, Denney hasn’t been anything too spectacular at the Chili Bowl in his past appearances. In his 4 career starts, he has an average finish of 14.0 on his preliminary nights with his lone Top 10 finish of 6^th coming way back in 2021. That being said, Denney has taken strides in his career this past summer, and has elevated his craft to become amongst the top drivers in midget racing. He finished 5^th in the standings during this past summer in the USAC NOS Energy National Midget Championship standings. This performance was good enough to capture Keith Kunz’s eye, thus leading to Denney inking a deal to pilot a KKM house car for next summer. He will also be running a #67W KKM entry for this year’s Chili Bowl appearance, which is by far the best equipment he has ever had in the Expo Center. If he was able to tally a 6^th place run in mediocre equipment in the past, I think Denney is capable of making a surprising leap this year with the upgrade in equipment. Look for Denney to turn some heads and make some noise during this year’s running of the event, especially on his preliminary night.

Friday

Logan Seavey – I mean, do I really have to say much about this pick? Ever since he teamed up with the Swindell Speedlab and Victory Fuel #39 machine, he has yet to be defeated in Tulsa. Seavey has been the Saturday night A-Main champion and has also swept both of his preliminary nights in each of the past two years of the event. Seavey’s crew chief Kevin Swindell (yes, the 4x Chili Bowl Champion himself) obviously has a package that Seavey loves and performs well with in each of the past two years. Because of that, plus the idea that this is considered by many to be the weakest of all of the preliminary nights roster-wise, I expect that Seavey will be at least on the podium barring he doesn’t get caught up in an incident or nothing on his car malfunctions.

Ryan Timms – In 2024, Timms took a different path running more midget races than sprint car races. Teaming up with Keith Kunz, he had a very good opportunity to win the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series and USAC NOS Energy National Midget titles. He ended up runner-un in the Xtreme Series, tallying 19 Top 10 finishes in 22 starts. As for USAC, he wound up 4^th in the standings behind Pursley, McIntosh, and Seavey. Surprisingly, Timms hasn’t really performed that well in the Tulsa Expo Center in the past. Last January was the first time Timms podiumed on his preliminary night in his career. He finished 2^nd that evening, after leading laps during that feature. While this year’s edition will be only his 4^th attempt at running the Chili Bowl, I think Timms will take a step forward this year as long as he stays out of trouble. Timms always seems to be one of the most aggressive drivers in midget racing, so he will need to keep his nose clean if he wants to have a shot this week. He is running the same KKM #67 car he ran all summer, so having familiarity with the car and more midget experience after 24’ I think will pay dividends towards his Chili Bowl effort this year.

Chase McDermand – A driver that kind of has flown under the radar in recent seasons, McDermand has been pretty impressive over the last two seasons. He has tallied 8 victories since the start of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series in 2022, and also earned his first career USAC NOS Energy National Midget Series victory during a preliminary night during BC39 weekend this past summer. During the BC39 A-Main on Saturday, McDermand nearly upset the field and took the win before he wheel-hopped while leading coming to the white flag. The mistake caused him to settle for 3^rd that night, so close to what would have been easily the biggest victory of his career. After that disappointing finish to the week, I’m sure McDermand is going to come to the Chili Bowl this year more motivated than ever to put on a show. He’s finished 3^rd on his preliminary nights in both of the past two years at the Chili Bowl, each of these coming in two different cars. In 2023, he was behind the wheel of his own Chase McDermand Racing #40M machine, and repeated the feat last year driving a Trifecta Motorsports #7U entry. He returns back to his family-owned #40M machine for this year’s edition, which is just as good equipment as demonstrated first hand by Steven Snyder Jr.’s surprise run to qualify for the Saturday night A-Main last year. Back in his familiar equipment that he owns, and looking to bounce back from the BC39 heartbreak could be a potent combination that McDermand needs to elevate his game to the next level during this year’s running of the event.

Sleeper Pick:

Ace McCarthy – A name that has been extremely flying under the radar, McCarthy has amongst the best equipment in the building piloting the #28 Tanner Thorson owned entry. With Thorson on the wrenches, you know that McCarthy will have a car capable of being in contention. McCarthy himself also hasn’t been too bad at the Expo Center in the past. He has qualified for his Preliminary Night A-Main in 9 out of his 10 career starts, and has made strides the past two seasons in terms of improving his average finish. On his last 2 Preliminary Nights, he has finishes of 6^th in 2023, and 8^th last year. For a guy that hasn’t been talked about that much, I could see McCarthy continue to his upward trajectory this year and potentially even be in the hunt for the win during his Preliminary Night since there doesn’t appear to be as much depth throughout the field based on Friday night’s entry list.