RPW Exclusive: Previewing the Preliminary Nights of the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals
Column By: DYLAN TERRY & DERICK KRINER / RPW – TULSA, OK – It’s time once again for one of the most famous events in all of motorsports, the Chili Bowl Nationals.
This year’s edition is already proving to be one of the most historic, as there are currently 404 entries, setting the event’s all-time record of participants.
Something that has now become seemingly a tradition for RPW’s Dylan Terry and Derick Kriner, is writing a story every year with their picks for each preliminary night of the week-long event.
Without further ado, the duo is back and ready to try their luck once again for this year’s running.
Here are each of their favorites for this week’s action:
Dylan Terry’s Picks:
Monday
Kyle Larson – I mean is there really much to say with this pick? Larson captured his third career driller at the Chili Bowl last January. This was his first Chili Bowl Championship victory with Paul Silva on the wrenches, however. The duo is running it back this year and looks to be a huge favorite to repeat. A solid run on Monday evening is the first step to the pairing being able to accomplish that task. Expect Larson to be in contention on Monday night near the front of the field.
Cannon McIntosh – Love him or hate him, it’s no secret that the pilot out of Bixby, Oklahoma is always fast inside the SageNet Center every January. In seven starts on his preliminary nights at the Chili Bowl, McIntosh has an average finish of an astounding 3.29. In those seven starts, he also has led laps in five of those features. As long as McIntosh can keep his nose clean and out of controversy, he should be one of the top contenders to potentially knock off Larson on Monday evening.
Briggs Danner – Coming off a memorable 2025 Chili Bowl performance, Danner comes back to Tulsa seeking revenge. During his preliminary night last season, Danner started third in the feature. He appeared to have one of the fastest cars in the building before he made a mistake and ultimately ended up going off on the hook that evening. He was in the hunt for the win with the aforementioned Larson and McIntosh prior to wrecking. Danner is back in the same car for Alex Bowman Racing in this year’s edition, so you know that he will certainly have speed right out of the box. It appears he has matured a little bit behind the wheel, as he picked up 4 victories with the USAC National Sprint Car Series this past summer, which was his highest total to date. If Danner can take care of his car and not put himself in a bad spot, he will definitely be in the hunt for the win on Monday.
Darkhorse Pick: Gavan Boschele – After running primarily asphalt events the last couple of years, Boschele makes a return to the SageNet Center for the Chili Bowl in 2026. During three preliminary nights at the Chili Bowl in his career, he has posted finishes of 15th, 6th and 8th. These numbers aren’t exactly outstanding, but they also aren’t bad either. One caveat, however, is the fact that the youngster does already have a driller on his resume. Boschele was the victor in the Stock Non-Wing class during the Tulsa Shootout in 2023 against a loaded field of drivers. If you combine that with the fact that he is piloting an entry for Kyle Busch Motorsports this year, I feel like Boschele has the opportunity to have the best Chili Bowl performance of his career. You all know that Busch’s team will have some of the best equipment inside the building, and with Boschele’s experience inside the Expo Center it appears that it could be a perfect pairing. Monday night’s field features fewer heavy hitters than any night of the week, so Boschele will have a perfect opportunity to make himself known to the dirt world once again. I could very well see him in the hunt for a podium position by the time the checkered flag waves.
Other Names to Watch: Shane Golobic, Kameron Key, Tanner Carrick
Tuesday
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid – This pick is seemingly another “layup” type of pick. Kofoid has been on the podium for his preliminary night every time he has entered the event other than in 2023 when he crashed while leading after a lap car forced him into the fence. If you take away that year, his average finish during preliminary nights is a mind-blowing 2.5. He returns this year in his usual Keith Kunz entry, so you can guarantee that Buddy will be one of the favorites on Tuesday night.
Landon Brooks – After bursting onto the scene last year scoring a preliminary night victory, Brooks returns to Tulsa in the same car as last year, the #57W for Matt Wood Racing. Matt Wood’s entries are always some of the best cars in the building, as proven by Brooks’ upset victory last year. Landon also managed to finish 5th during Saturday night’s A-Main as well, which was also very impressive considering how stacked that field always is. If Brooks can stay out of trouble like he did last year, he will be in contention for a win on Tuesday yet again.
Hank Davis – Davis has been a threat to win at the Expo Center ever since his breakout performance he had back in 2023 when he captured the win on his preliminary night. He has made the Saturday night A-Main in each year since, even tallying a 5th place finish on Saturday in 2024. While he regressed a little bit in last year’s running, Davis comes into this year’s edition having logged more laps in open wheel cars this past summer than he ever had before. I feel like this will only help him that much more on a track he’s become very acclimated with and even more in a car that he has performed exceptionally in the past three years at the Chili Bowl. He certainly will be in the hunt for a podium position on Tuesday.
Darkhorse Pick: Corbin Rueschenberg – This pick could be very good, or very, very bad. Rueschenberg showed a ton of speed during last year’s Chili Bowl, as he beat and banged his way to a 4th place finish on his preliminary night. He even made the Saturday night A-Main, which was very impressive considering he is still younger than 20 years old. The bad part about all of that? He didn’t happen to make many friends in the process. He is a gas masher, who isn’t afraid to lean on guys in order to move his way forward. This radical driving style also presents more opportunities for incidents and more opportunities that other drivers could retaliate against the youngster. It’s no secret that he has the speed, it will be the task of keeping his nose clean that will determine Rueschberg’s fate throughout the week. If he can manage to stay out of trouble, I see him mixing it up inside the Top 5 during Tuesday night’s action.
Other Names to Watch: Kyle Jones, Ricky Thornton Jr., Gunnar Setser
Wednesday
Daison Pursley – Pursley has to be the favorite in an absolutely stacked field on Wednesday night. While last year was the first time that he finished on the podium during his preliminary night, he has performed well inside the SageNet Center. He has made the Saturday night A-Main during his last three attempts, finishing inside the Top 5 on two of those occasions. After finishing 2nd on Saturday night last year, you better believe that Pursley will be itching to finish one spot better this year. He is back in the same #86 entry for Chad Boat Industries and is coming off of his first career driller win during the Tulsa Shootout in the Outlaw division. All signs point to another strong performance on Wednesday for Daison.
Corey Day – The newest full-time driver for Hendrick Motorsports returns to the Expo Center in his familiar #41 entry owned by Willie Kahne. Despite being one of the best young talents in all of motorsports, Day has had a fairly decent showing throughout his Chili Bowl career. He has made the Saturday night A-Main in three out of his four attempts. He has two preliminary night podium finishes, including a victory back in 2024. In only 4 starts at the end of the year in USAC National Midget competition, Day tallied a win at Ventura and 3rd place run at Merced. He also led laps at Placerville before ultimately finishing 22nd. All of these starts came against some of the most stacked midget fields of the season. It’s evident that Day is a gasser when it comes to small bullring style tracks, and you know he won’t be afraid to bang the cushion that the Expo Center raceway has provided the past few years. If he can keep his nose clean, Day will be one of the front runners on Wednesday for sure.
Emerson Axsom – Despite having somewhat of a down year in a sprint car this past year, Axsom remains another one of the best young prospects in all of dirt racing. He has a boatload of experience in Tulsa, having participated in both the Chili Bowl and Tulsa Shootout on numerous occasions. During his previous 5 starts on preliminary nights during the Chili Bowl, he has one win, a 2nd place run, a 5th place run, a 9th place run, and a 14th place run. The win he had came last year, in a Keith Kunz Motorsports entry which is important to note because this year will be slightly different for Axsom. This time around, he hops behind the wheel of a Kevin Swindell owned entry. Swindell’s equipment is just as good as the KKM stable, as proven by Logan Seavey’s back-to-back Chili Bowl titles in 2023 and 2024. As long as Kevin can get Axsom comfortable in the new ride and up to speed very quickly, I feel like this could be a very good pairing to make waves throughout the week and ultimately be in contention for the win on Wednesday evening.
Darkhorse Pick: Jesse Love – Now let me just say, this is somewhat of a very bold pick. The defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion makes his return to Tulsa after taking 2025 off. While Love hasn’t always had the best of luck at the Chili Bowl in terms of results, he has shown flashes of speed on numerous occasions during previous years in Chad Boat Industries machines. One knock on Love is the fact that he hasn’t been running dirt racing events very much since he became a full-time NASCAR driver. I feel like Love has had the opportunity to mature more as a driver the past few seasons and will come to Tulsa with a lot of excitement to get back to his dirt racing roots. He is driving an entry owned by his NASCAR crew chief, so this combination will be one to pay attention to this week. I think if the stars align and Love can finally have luck on his side, that this duo could certainly turn some heads this week and surprise some people.
Other Names to Watch: Ryan Timms, Thomas Meseraull, Mitchell Moles
Thursday
Christopher Bell – Another pick that is pretty self-explanatory. Bell had a stretch where he was absolutely lights out inside the Expo Center. Since 2016, Bell has made 8 appearances at the Chili Bowl. He has 7 preliminary night victories, and a 3rd place finish last year. As for Saturday night, Bell has won the Chili Bowl title on 3 occasions and finished runner-up twice. After having somewhat of a “down” year last January in a Keith Kunz entry, Bell has decided to bring his own equipment this time around. He has the resources and knows what it takes to win inside the Expo Center, so you know that he will be in contention to win on both Thursday and Saturday nights.
Jacob Denney – Denney burst onto the midget scene in 2025, as he captured the Xtreme Outlaw Series championship by claiming 11 victories, 20 Top Fives and 23 Top Ten finishes in 23 starts. He also scored 3 victories in 23 starts in USAC National Midget competition as well. Ever since pairing with Keith Kunz Motorsports, Denney has become an immediate threat to win every time he hits the track. While in a KKM entry last year at the Chili Bowl, he finished 5th on his preliminary night and 17th during the Saturday night A-Main. After having time to develop chemistry with the KKM team throughout this year and having a ton of speed in the process, his confidence has to be at an all-time high heading into this year’s Chili Bowl. Denney is looking to be one of KKM’s best shots to compete for a golden driller this year, and that starts with having a good run on Thursday.
Tanner Thorson – As a past Chili Bowl Champion, Tanner Thorson is very well educated with the surface inside the SageNet Center. He has been one of the most dominant cars inside the building throughout the last handful of years. Since 2019, Thorson has yet to finish outside the Top 5 on his preliminary night, picking up three victories in the process. He always finds a way to find speed inside the building, and is always one of the most hands on guys in the entire pit area. He knows what adjustments to make and when, which could give him a leg up on the competition. Thorson will be heading into this year’s edition of the CB Nationals riding a wave of momentum, having had a very successful campaign in the sprint car with the High Limit Racing Series. Thorson picked up 2 wins this past summer, so his confidence should be at an all-time high heading into this event. Thorson should certainly be amongst the front runners on Thursday evening.
Darkhorse Pick: Ashton Torgerson – One of the newest full-time drivers on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, Torgerson proved many of the doubters wrong this past summer becoming the new pilot of the Shark Racing #1A. He was able to take care of his equipment, and piece together some very solid runs against strong competition in a car that he hadn’t had much experience in beforehand. A car he does have a lot of experience in? A Keith Kunz Motorsports midget. This will be his ride for this year’s running of the Chili Bowl yet again. He finished 5th on his preliminary night during last year’s running of the event, and I think he could definitely improve upon this year. He gained a ton of experience and knowledge running the sprint car this year, and I think that will only help Torgerson even more and potentially make him a threat to win on Thursday. Keep an eye on the youngster to make some noise and continue to turn heads this week.
Other Names to Watch: Karter Sarff, Ryan Bernal, Chris Windom
Friday
Logan Seavey – Seavey simply has to be the favorite for Friday night. He has won his last three preliminary features at the Chili Bowl, all of which were on Friday night. In two of those years, he also went on to score the victory in the A-Main feature on Saturday night. He is back in the same car as he was in those appearances with Kevin Swindell on the wrenches once again, so Seavey will undoubtedly be at the front of the pack by the time the checkered flag waves on Friday.
Justin Grant – After he had struggled a bit the last few years in Tulsa, Grant teamed up with Chad Boat Industries for the 2025 Chili Bowl and had somewhat of a “bounce-back” performance. He finished 5th on his preliminary night and qualified for the Saturday night A-Main after failing to achieve that task in 2024. This year, Grant and CBI are choosing to run it back. After being able to build chemistry with one another last year, this duo could take a leap forward in this year’s edition. Grant has 5 preliminary night victories in his career, so he knows how to get it done inside the building. If the cards align just right, don’t be surprised if he is able to upset Seavey and take home the victory on Friday evening.
Gavin Miller – The young gasser out of Allentown, PA turned many heads last year with a 2nd place run on his preliminary night. That finish was his first Top 5 inside the Expo Center, and Miller followed it up on Saturday night by also finishing 8th in the A-Main. He is one of the fastest drivers in the midget world today, but one downfall he has is that he sometimes tends to overdrive the car and ends up going off on the hook. As he continues to mature more in his career, he is getting better at keeping his nose clean and not putting himself in bad spots. If he can do that on Friday night like he did last year, he will be amongst the frontrunners and have the opportunity to set himself up well for Saturday.
Darkhorse Pick: Steven Snyder Jr. – If I remember correctly, Snyder Jr. was one of my darkhorse picks last year. It evidently didn’t pay off as he finished 11th on his preliminary night, but I still have faith for this year. Snyder Jr. will be reunited with Chase McDermand Racing, piloting the #40X entry as he did last year. The difference? Chase McDermand is now on the wrenches for the car. After announcing his retirement from full-time midget competition following the conclusion of the Xtreme Outlaw Series this past fall, McDermand is not entered for this year’s Chili Bowl. He will be a full-time car owner and will be able to focus his full attention to working on his cars. McDermand shocked everyone when he finished 3rd on his preliminary nights back in 2023 and 2024. I feel like having him being more hands on this year and more directly involved will help Snyder Jr. in this year’s running. Snyder Jr. did have a 4th place finish on his preliminary night back in 2024, and even led some laps in that feature. If McDermand can get Snyder Jr. comfortable, this could be a sneaky, sneaky combination that could be in contention this week.
Other Names to Watch: Daryn Pittman, Cale Coons, Jason McDougal
Derick Kriner’s Picks:
Monday
Kyle Larson – Who would not think to pick this guy. One of the most dominant drivers in the building, no matter if he’s in micros or midgets. Larson, who has three golden drillers of the Chili Bowl variety to his name, is always a threat to win. He has been a part of some of the most thrilling battles and finishes in Tulsa and is sure to dazzle the fans once again. If it’s not a prelim night win or lock-in spot finish on Monday, Larson will still be a contender come Saturday.
Tanner Carrick – This driver, who was once a regular in the USAC National Midget ranks for KKM, has continued to perform when he occasionally steps back in the seat. After some strong finishes with the USAC tour on the west coast to finish out the 2025 season, and having won two prelim nights features in the past, Carrick finds his way onto the list once again, as someone that just needs luck to go his way and make it through the prelim feature.
Cannon McIntosh – One of the more polarizing drivers in recent history within the Expo has been Cannon McIntosh. After a few run ins with crowd favorites, but big successes, Cannon has been one of the best in the building. Having yet to finish outside the top 10 in any prelim night feature and with a worst of 6th, McIntosh seems to be a lock to make the Saturday night A-Main and potentially add to his three prelim night triumphs. Even though 2025 was not an extremely dominant year for the Oklahoma native, he always shows speed in the building and we should expect nothing different this year.
Darkhorse Pick: Jake Andreotti – A driver that might be familiar to some of the regular fans of the USAC Midget tour, but not so familiar to others is Jake Andreotti. With several years of midgets racing under his belt and some strong performances in Tulsa in the Shootout, Jake might be someone to keep an eye on to make a sneaky good run on his qualifying night and get big points to set himself up well in the feature. With an upward trend over his three starts, this could be the year he finds himself out of the G-C Main range, and potentially in the B with a shot to make the A.
Other Names to Watch: Briggs Danner, Justin Peck, Nick Hoffman
Tuesday
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid – A young driver that has arguably been the best sprint car driver in the US over the past few seasons and has long been a threat in midgets. Another driver, similar to McIntosh in the fact that he has a very strong track record on prelim nights. Minus one issue in 2023, Kofoid has never finished outside the top five on a prelim night and has two prelim night wins. Mark Kofoid down as a lock to make the Saturday night feature, and probably finish top five on Tuesday.
Hank Davis – Now some may be saying, “who is this guy?” Well lets take a look at why he made the short list for Tuesday night. Prior to the last three years at the Chili Bowl, Hank’s name was a back burner one. Hardly ever making it anywhere on his qualifying night or Saturday for that matter. But fate changed in 2023 when he took a prelim night win. Since then, he has been one of the Tulsa fan favorites and a true underdog. He has made the Saturday night show the last three years and has a top five finish in 2024. Hank became a little more recognized over the past few seasons, getting into the sprint car scene more. He looks to dive back into the midget world and continue his history of good finishes at the bowl. Look for this guy to potentially steal a prelim night win again this year.
Jonathan Beason – As many who watch the races that take place over the few week period at the Expo know, the Beason name is synonymous. The golden driller trophy in the midget ranks has long eluded the Okie and so have the prelim night features on occasion. Having only one prelim night win to his name, Beason is always hungry to change his luck within the building. I would look to see Beason make a strong run on his prelim night and potentially lock into the A-Main or a good B-Main starting spot on Saturday. But who knows, it could be Beason season in the Expo in 2026.
Darkhorse Pick: Landon Brooks – Landon Brooks is a driver that shocked the world last year at the Chili Bowl, winning his prelim night. The Matt Wood Racing driver has had a quick rise within the last few attempts in Tulsa. Most of his attempts haven’t ended up going the way he had planned, but last year was something to build off of. Finishing top five in the Saturday night show, 2026 might just end up being the start of a streak of A-Main starts for the young California driver.
Other Names to Watch: Clinton Boyles, Blake Hahn, Chase Randall
Wednesday
Daison Pursley – With big plans on the horizon for the young Oklahoma driver, moving over to KKR for the 2026 High Limit season, and a Tulsa Shootout driller in his back pocket, Daison looks to be a strong candidate for a win during the Chili Bowl. If not on his prelim night, then potentially even on Saturday. Finishing top five in the last two Saturday night shows, Pursley may just finally get the job done and close out a prelim night win and grab a golden driller during Saturday’s 55-lap feature.
Ryan Timms – Wednesday’s picks stay in the young and up and coming sprint car driver territory with the 2025 Knoxville Nationals champ. Timms has taken a step back from midget competition and focused on sprint car racing over the past few years. 2025 was a breakout year, grabbing two big wins, in the Nationals and Tuscarora 50. Timms was a strong contender in the midget when he ran it full-time and has had some successful runs in Tulsa in the Shootout. Chili Bowl though, has been a little less of a success. With just two Saturday night A-Main starts, maybe Ryan can ride the momentum of a historic 2025 season into 2026, and make a run at a Chili Bowl prelim win and personal best on Saturday.
Corey Day – No name has been at the forefront of rising stars within the dirt world more than Corey Day’s. After having a lot of success in the California region in sprint car competition and taking his talent to the national scene with High Limit, Day has quickly become a household name. NASCAR has even become part of his racing life. The last two attempts at the Chili Bowl have yielded top three finishes, including a win, on his prelim night. He also managed to finish on the podium in 2024 on the championship night. Day had some strong speed in his last few midget starts, but also took some nasty flips. If he can keep the car under him, he will easily be at the front of his preliminary race, and could do the same on Saturday.
Darkhorse Pick: Kevin Thomas Jr. – Now this one might not be too obvious of a pick to some, but Kevin Thomas Jr is one of the best at being consistent and taking moves as they come. Something that has served him well in USAC National Sprint Car competition. It hasn’t always been a joyful relationship with the Expo Center though. KTJ has had a 10-year streak of making his prelim night feature. His Saturday night performance has been hit or miss, with several A-Main starts and even top 10’s, but also some early exits in the B-Main. While Kevin may not be a favorite to win a prelim night feature, he would likely put his ride in the the right spots on Wednesday night and maybe even make a run at a lock-in spot.
Other Names to Watch: Emerson Axsom, Tim Buckwalter, Mitchell Moles
Thursday
Tanner Thorson – A Chili Bowl Nationals champion is an easy decision to take on a prelim night. Thorson, who has three prelim night wins and one Saturday night win, is a contender every time he enters the track in Tulsa. In his last five attempts in prelim night action, Thorson averaged around a 2nd place finish. The last two Saturday night features have not gone the way he would have liked, but it is certain that Thorson knows the tricks of getting around the Expo Raceway. Fans should not be shocked to see him pick up another prelim win.
Jacob Denney – The 2025 Xtreme Outlaw Midget champ, comes into Tulsa off of a career best season. In his first season with KKM, Denney was able to prove what he can do behind the wheel of top-tier equipment. This year, the Chili Bowl could be a breakout performance for the young driver. Denney has made his prelim feature in every attempt he’s made, but still lacks a really stellar run, with a best of 5th last year. This time around, Denney gets to roll in with a way bigger notebook and more confidence in himself, then he has probably ever had. That could be a dangerous thing for the rest of the field.
Brady Bacon – Looking back on the last few years of this guy’s career, you would have thought that Bacon switching to primarily winged sprint car racing was crazy. A typical non-wing ace and one of the best to do it in USAC, Bacon has been tackling the winged world and has found some success. The one thing he has never lost though is the ability to run anything without the wing on. Tulsa has yet to see Bacon win during the Chili Bowl. No prelim night nor Saturday night triumphs, have found the Broken Arrow driver. While putting him as a contender to win may be a little over the top, Bacon is surely a contender to have a strong night and make his way into the A-Main come Saturday. With several top five finishes on his prelim nights in years past, 2026 may bring another for Bacon.
Darkhorse Pick: Spencer Bayston – Spencer Bayston has been a strong force when it comes to midget racing over the last 5-8 years. Another story of transitioning to mainly sprint car racing for Bayston. While he hasn’t gotten behind the wheel of a midget much over the last few years, when he has, he has shown speed. The Chili Bowl has also been a shining moment at some points for him. He does hold one prelim night win and has had several top 10 finishes on Saturday. A darkhorse pick is what I would classify Bayston as this year, but could easily be a contender for a win.
Other Names to Watch: Christopher Bell, Ashton Torgerson, Karter Sarff
Friday
Logan Seavey – A driver that garners similar respect within the building as Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Tanner Thorson. With a string of impressive dominance in the Tulsa Expo Center, Seavey looks to start 2026 off on a better note. 2025 in his normal USAC exploits was not as stellar and didn’t see a ton of wins. Logan was able to show that he is still fast in anything on the Tulsa dirt at the Shootout, with some strong runs in the classes he made the feature in. Winning his last three prelim features, Seavey doesn’t need much introduction or reasoning as to why he ends up on the short list for Saturday.
Steven Snyder Jr. – One of micro racing’s more notable names finds his way onto the short list for Friday. Snyder Jr has had some impressive performances within the Expo Center in the Shootout, and this past year got to experience midget racing around the country. A career best 4th place finish the other year on his prelim night, might be achievable once again. Getting to experience midget racing on a wide variety of tracks in 2025, might be the little extra that Snyder Jr needs to propel himself into a lock-in spot for Saturday.
Justin Grant – “Mr. Friday” for so many years, Justin Grant has long been the star during the final qualifying night in Tulsa. With having challenges this year with a leg injury, fans should look past that and study the history of this guy in the Expo. With five prelim night wins, Grant is still searching for that elusive first driller. While Saturday has been a struggle, Friday has certainly not been, and even with the injury still lingering, it would not be a surprise to see a California battle for the win between Grant and Seavey on Friday night.
Darkhorse Pick: Gavin Miller – A repeat of last year, Gavin Miller looks to play spoiler on Friday night and is a true darkhorse pick to find a lock-in spot. Miller was able to lock his KKM ride into the show last year and finished top 10 in the championship feature. Speed will hopefully continue for the Allentown, PA driver and maybe he has another strong performance similar to last year.
Other Names to Watch: Hayden Reinbold, Jason McDougal, Andrew Felker
