RPW Exclusive: While His Prelim Didn’t Go As He’d Hoped, Alex Yankowski’s Enjoying The Chili Bowl

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Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – TULSA, OK – Even though Alex Yankowski’s Wednesday night prelim for the 2025 Chili Bowl didn’t go as he had hoped, he’s getting more and more comfortable with each lap he makes.

Yankowski, who is part of the massive Keith Kunz Motorsports stable this week, was put behind the eight ball from before his first laps on track Wednesday. A horrible draw put him dead last on the starting line-up for his heat race.

He was able to get up to sixth at the checkers and have enough passing points to make it into one of the four qualifier events. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it to a lock in spot, finishing eighth.

So, he was forced to run a B-Main where he was in contention for a transfer position until three laps remaining when the brakes on his Ferris Commercial Mowers no. 84Y locked up. That stalled the engine and he came to a stop.

“Kid Rocket” was able to restart but only gained two positions in those remaining laps before the race was complete and his night came to an end.

Even though he didn’t get the results he wanted, was Alex’s first race night in a KKM Midget a success?

“The Chili Bowl is just the most intense race you can go to,” Yankowski said. “I would say we have some work to do if we want to make up some ground on Saturday night.”

The consensus by many that have made the move from Northeast Modifieds to a Midget for this event is that the cars drive completely different from each other. How difficult is Yankowski finding it compared to his regular mount?

“It’s super difficult to race these cars for sure,” he said. “Their extremely twitchy and react to movements very fast so you have to be up on the wheel from the first time you hit the gas pedal.”

The driver from Covington Township, PA, has been able to run something a little closer to a midget in recent weeks. In fact, he took the checkered flag in doing so. Back just before Christmas, Alex jumped in a wingless mini sprint for Carber Racing at Millbridge Speedway in North Carolina and parked it in victory lane.

Did that experience speed up his learning curve once he got here to Tulsa?

“Absolutely,” he said. “Running laps with a short wheel-based race car like that was definitely a huge help. Every lap helps but running the Carber ride was big.”

Another thing that Alex is grateful for are the people that have helped to get him to Tulsa this week.

“I can’t thank Briggs & Stratton and the Ferris brand enough for being behind this deal,” he said.  “For them to take a chance on me, on a stage as big as this, is amazing.  I hope they know what this means to me.”

One advantage to Yankowski to help in his learning curve is the plethora of knowledge at his fingertips within the Keith Kunz stable of drivers. While this is his first attempt at the Chili Bowl, several of his teammates run these cars a lot and have tried to chase the elusive Golden Driller.

In fact, some have captured it. How much has Alex been able to lean on those guys for advice?

“A ton,” he said. “Christopher Bell has won here and knows this place well. He even won the Champions race on Monday. He’s definitely been a big help to me.”

That type of assistance has definitely accelerated Yankowski’s learning curve at the Tulsa Expo Raceway this week.

Is he getting comfortable in the car and how will that aid him as he tries to make his way up the alphabet on Saturday?

“I believe every time I’m able to be on track, I’m getting better and our car’s getting better,” he said. “Saturday’s going to be a tough deal but everyone at KKM has been behind my effort and I know they’re just like me. All of us will give everything we’ve got to get to the main event.”

 
 
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