Cottle Throttles Chili Bowl Foes in Bass Pro Shops Qualifier
by: Lonnie Wheatley

TULSA, Okla. (January 11, 2007) – Indiana's Shane Cottle tracked down his first Chili Bowl "A" Main win by wiring the field in Thursday night's Bass Pro Shops Qualifying event at Tulsa Expo Raceway's 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Cottle gunned into the lead from the front row outside at the drop of the green flag and rode the rim to perfection all 25 laps to snare the victory with young shoe Justin Allgaier chasing him underneath the checkered flag.

NASCAR rep J.J. Yeley shook off the effects of a wild heat race flip to ultimately snare third in the Bass Pro Shops feature after picking off eight positions in both his Last Chance and Qualifying races.

Jason Leffler prevailed in a wild battle of slidejobs with 2005 Chili Bowl champ Tracy Hines to snare the fourth and final lock-in position to Saturday night's 50-lap O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature.

"The track had a nice little cushion that you could kinda lean on, it was nice," Cottle commented afterward. "If you didn't hit it right it would pick the front end up and set it over. I did that on the last lap, kinda got the last lap jitters I think. Anytime you can win something here, it's big."

To which Yeley jokingly commented, "He (Cottle) had a half straightaway or straightaway lead most of the way, he had nothing to worry about."

After racing from fifth to second in his heat race and then from fourth to win his qualifying race, Cottle had earned the outside front row starting position for the feature alongside Leffler, who had raced his way to the pole position by way of an eighth-to-second heat race charge then a sixth-to-first qualifying race win.

The initial attempt to start the Bass Pro Shops feature event was waved off when second row inside starter and USAC Sprint Car champion Josh Wise tangled with Australian Mark Brown in turn four.

The second start was successful, with Cottle using the cushion to race into the lead ahead of Leffler, Allgaier and Hines. While Cottle slipped away from the field, the action behind him was intense with Allgaier battling into second by the fourth round with seventh-starter Yeley entering the multi-car mix for the runner-up slot as well.

When the caution flew on the seventh lap for Jesse Hockett's turn two tumble, Cottle led the way in front of Allgaier, Yeley, Leffler and Hines.

Cottle was in his own league on this night, weathering another pair of small cautions and racing to victory lane virtually unchallenged aboard the Pace Brothers Racing Chevy-powered No. 44c Beast.

Allgaier, who made the cut for his first O'Reilly Chili Bowl championship feature last year, locked himself in with a strong second place drive aboard Ebby Bergfield's Ethanol/Auto Xpres No. 86 Spike entry on a borrowed powerplant.

"I'm not sure if the motor problems are resolved or not, we got a little hot during the feature and it was smoking when I pulled in so that's probably not a good sign," Allgaier explained. "We blew our motor up on the dyno last week and this is a rental motor, kind of a last minute deal so we'll see where things go from here and hopefully it didn't hurt it too bad."

Haunted by qualifying night gremlins in past years, Yeley's night started off inauspiciously when he flipped Andy Bondio's Barnes-powered Kenny's Components No. 47x entry while leading his heat race. Yeley rebounded to charge from ninth to first in a Last Chance Race and then from eleventh to third in his Qualifying Race to rack up enough passing and finishing points to earn a starting berth in the Bass Pro Shops Qualifying main event.

Yeley cracked the top five in the early rounds and held down the show position over the final 19 laps to secure a spot in the Oklahoma Dodge Dealers Championship Saturday headliner.

Asked if his bad luck at the Chili Bowl was behind him, Yeley commented, "Probably not, but at this point it doesn't really matter because if I have some problems in the "A" Main on Saturday I'm probably done anyway. I've used up a pretty good arsenal of all the spare parts at Bondio Fabrications so Kruseman better take it easy tomorrow because I don't think there's anything left."

Leffler and Hines offered up some of the most entertaining action of the night, trading slidejobs repeatedly before Leffler finally took the critical fourth position aboard his own Esslinger-powered Team ASE/Kaeding Performance No. 71J Stealth.

Hines rounded out the top five, with Ryan Durst, Tyler Brown, Jonathan Hendrick, Steve Buckwalter and Garrett Hansen completing the top ten.

Heat race victories for Thursday's 74-car Bass Pro Shops Qualifying event were topped by Keith Rauch, Mark Brown, Robby Flock, Coleman Gulick, Hockett, Kevin Swindell, Brandon Waelti, Durst, Adam Trimble and Wise.

Billy Pauch, Jr., Yeley, Hendrick and Patrick Bruns topped the 8-lap Last Chance races, with Cottle, Leffler, Allgaier and Hines victorious in the 10-lap Qualifiers.

Hansen won the first 15-lap "B" Main with Mike Goodman topping the second "B" Main. Goodman, last year's Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year, was caught up in Hockett's lap seven "A" Main flip and forced pitside.

In addition to Yeley, Geoff Dodge and Garry Lee Maier both took wild rides in heat race action. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Larry Cole and Glenn Styres each got upside down during the fourth Last Chance race. There were no injuries.

The third Qualifying Race featured a pair of the most spectacular flips in Chili Bowl history. On the opening lap, Pennsylvania's Ray Bull climbed Brandon Waelti's right rear tire and launched into a wild series of flips into the work area outside turn three. While Bull walked away unharmed, his Midget was badly battered.

Then, as the checkered flag flew on the third Qualifier, Chad Boat and Garrett Hansen got together at the stripe and collected seventh-runner Wally Pankratz. Pankratz flipped violently and after several moments, emerged from his car with the aide of a backboard. The salty veteran recovered quickly however, receiving clearance from medical personnel and returned for "B" Main action only to have his mount suffer from lingering effects after a few laps.

Defending Chili Bowl champ Tim McCreadie battled misfortune all evening, ultimately credited with 16th in the second "B" Main and forced pitside with a flat tire.

The 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals continues with Friday night's Oklahoma Dodge Dealers Qualifying event, with heat races slated to go green at 6:15 p.m.

Thursday Night's 21st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals Bass Pro Shops Qualifier Results:
Heat Races (8 Laps - Top 40 in passing points to four A Qualifiers; Balance to four Last Chance races)

Heat 1: 1. #71R Keith Rauch, Thornton, Colo.; 2. #75 David Gough, Machesney Park, Ill.; 3. #11M Mike Goodman, Tulsa, Okla.; 4. #45 Aaron Kirk, Conroe, Texas; 5. #37X Billy Osta, Rotterdam, N.Y.; 6. #26 Glenn Carson, Concord, Calif.; 7. #73X Dex Eaton, Owasso, Okla.; 8. #3A Bill Allen, Independence, Mo.

Heat 2: 1. #71B Mark Brown, Sydney, Australia; 2. #44C Shane Cottle, Kokomo, Ind.; 3. #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, Calif.; 4. #37B Tyler Brown, Norco, Calif.; 5. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, Calif.; 6. #96X Sam Hafertepe Jr.; 7. #20N Jordan Noblitt, Columbus, Ind.; 8. #22X Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, Ontario

Heat 3: 1. #19S Robby Flock, Murrieta, Calif.; 2. #71J Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif.; 3. #14T Tony Rossi, Westminster, Colo.; 4. #7 Critter Malone, Speedway, Ind.; 5. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; 6. #12C Rick England, Wichita, Kan.; 7. #7M Michelle Decker, Guthrie, Okla.; 8. #0 Johnny Murdock, Kaufman, Texas

Heat 4: 1. #00 Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, N.Y.; 2. #24 Leon Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 3. #21P Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla.; 4. #71 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas; 5. #58 Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, Ind.; 6. #55 Tony Everhart, El Cajon, Calif.; 7. #20S John Sarna, Palm Desert, Calif.; 8. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz.

Heat 5: 1. #27C Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, Mo.; 2. #2C David Cardey, Perris, Calif.; 3. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.; 4. #XX Darrin Bolton, El Dorado Hills, Calif.; 5. #5X Patrick Bruns, Champaign, Ill.; 6. #17M Dean Alexander, Hanford, Calif.; 7. #25 Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pa.

Heat 6: 1. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 2. #31X Joe Walker, Harrisonville, Mo.; 3. #5D Zachary Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.; 4. #2X Bryan Stanfill, Bakersfield, Calif.; 5. #50J Jeff Griffin, St. Helena, Calif.; 6. #22J Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, Okla.; 7. #45H Don Hammer, Clinton, Ill.

Heat 7: 1. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 2. #86 Justin Allgaier, Springfield, Ill.; 3. #21 Tracy Hines, Greenfield, Ind.; 4. #49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, N.J.; 5. 4W Edwin Wilson, Tuttle, Okla.; 6. #D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 7. #500 Geoff Dodge, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Heat 8: 1. #91X Ryan Durst, Lincoln, Neb.; 2. #86C David Camfield Jr., Decatur, Ill.; 3. #7F Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 4. #1A Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.; 5. #83X Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, Wash.; 6. #35X Korey Weyant, Springfield, Ill.; 7. #11V Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, Kan.

Heat 9: 1. #73I Adam Trimble, Pueblo, Colo.; 2. 317 Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.; 3. #21AZ Nathan High, Goodyear, Ariz.; 4. #22 Ray Bull, Royersford, Pa.; 5. #4 Michele Miller, reading, Pa.; 6. #50T Roland Ayo, Houston, Texas; 7. #57K Randy Koch, Oregon, Wis.

Heat 10: 1. #11W Josh Wise, Riverside, Calif.; 2. #05X Greg Bragg, Visalia, Calif.; 3. #86X Daron Clayton, Sikeston, Mo.; 4. #11D Dustin Morgan, Collinsville, Okla.; 5. #79C Chris Sheil, Lakewood, Colo.; 6. #11R Larry Cole, Porter, Okla.; 7. #6D Chad DeSelle, Sun Prairie, Wis.

Last Chance Races (Top 2 in each transfer to back of corresponding A Qualifier)

Last Chance 1: 1. #49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, N.J.; 2. #25 Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pa.; 3. #D1 Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 4. #12C Rick England, Wichita, Kan.; 5. #50J Jeff Griffin, St. Helena, Calif.; 6. #37X Billy Osta, Rotterdam, N.Y.; 7. #73X Dex Eaton, Owasso, Okla.; 8. #57K Randy Koch, Oregon, Wis.; 9. #0 Johnny Murdock, Kaufman, Texas

Last Chance 2: 1. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz.; 2. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, Calif.; 3. #6D Chad DeSelle, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 4. #20N Jordan Noblitt, Columbus, Ind.; 5. #83X Samantha Taylor, Bonney Lake, Wash.; 6. #79C Chris Sheil, Lakewood, Colo.; 7. #45H Don Hammer, Clinton, Ill.; 8. #55 Tony Everhart, El Cajon, Calif.; 9. #35X Korey Weyant, Springfield, Ill.

Last Chance 3: 1. #68 Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, Ind.; 2. #17M Dean Alexander, Hanford, Calif.; 3. #7M Michelle Decker, Guthrie, Okla.; 4. #50T Roland Ayo, Houston, Texas; 5. #3A Bill Allen, Independence, Mo.; 6. #26 Glenn Carson, Concord, Calif.; 7. #4 Michele Miller, Reading, Pa. DNS - #500 Geoff Dodge, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Last Chance 4: 1. #5X Patrick Bruns, Champaign, Ill.; 2. #22J Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, Okla.; 3. #22X Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, Ontario; 4. #20S John Sarna, Palm Desert, Calif.; 5. #4W Edwin Wilson, Tuttle, Okla.; 6. #96X Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, Okla.; 7. #11R Larry Cole, Porter, Okla. DNS - #11V Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, Kan.


A Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)

A Qualifier 1: 1. #44C Shane Cottle, Kokomo, Ind.; 2. #75 David Gough, Machesney Park, Ill.; 3. #11W Josh Wise, Riverside, Calif.; 4. #05X Greg Bragg, Visalia, Calif.; 5. #86C David Camfield Jr., Decatur, Ill.; 6. #24 Leon Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 7. #25 Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pa.; 8. #21AZ Nathan High, Goodyear, Ariz.; 9. #49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, N.J.; 10. #2X Bryan Stanfill, Bakersfield, Calif.; 11. #7 Critter Malone, Speedway, Ind.; 12. #1A Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.

A Qualifier 2: 1. #71J Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif.; 2. #37B Tyler Brown, Norco, Calif.; 3. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz.; 4. #19S Robby Flock, Murrietta, Calif.; 5. #5D Zachary Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.; 6. #11M Mike Goodman, Tulsa, Okla.; 7. #11D Dustin Morgan, Collinsville, Calif.; 8. #45 Aaron Kirk, Conroe, Texas; 9. #73I Adam Trimble, Pueblo, Colo.; 10. #21P Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla.; 11. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 12. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, Calif.

A Qualifier 3: 1. #86 Justin Allgaier, Springfield, Ill.; 2. #68 Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, Ind.; 3. #71B Mark Brown, Sydney, Australia; 4. #27C Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, Mo.; 5. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.; 6. #70 Garrett Hanson, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; 7. #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, Calif.; 8. #7F Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 9. #17M Dean Alexander, Hanford, Calif.; 10. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 11. #22 Ray Bull, Bloomsburg, Pa. DNS - #2C David Cardey, Perris, Calif.

A Qualifier 4: 1. #21 Tracy Hines, Greenfield, Ind.; 2. #17 Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.; 3. #91X Ryan Durst, Lincoln, Neb.; 4. #71R Keith Rauch, Thornton, Colo.; 5. #XX Darrin Bolton, Eldorado Hills, Calif.; 6. #31X Joe Walker, Harrisonville, Mo.; 7. #71 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas; 8. #22J Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, Okla.; 9. #86X Daron Clayton, Sikeston, Mo.; 10. #14T Tony Rossi, Westminster, Colo.; 11. #00 Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, N.Y.; 12. #5X Patrick Bruns, Champaign, Ill.

B Mains (Top 4 advance in each to A Main)

B Main 1: 1. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; 2. #25 Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pa.; 3. #5D Zachary Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.; 4. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.; 5. #24 Leon Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 6. #86X Daron Clayton, Sikeston, Mo.; 7. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 8. #7 Critter Malone, Speedway, Ind.; 9. #17M Dean Alexander, Hanford, Calif.; 10. #21AZ Nathan High, Goodyear, Ariz.; 11. #00 Cameron Gulick, Binghamton, N.Y.; 12. #22J Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, Okla.; 13. #2C David Cardey, Perris, Calf.; 14. #21P Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla.; 15. #5X Patrick Bruns, Champaign, Ill. DNS - #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, Calif.

B Main 2: 1. #11M Mike Goodman, Tulsa, Okla.; 2. #7F Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 3. #86C David Camfield Jr., Decatur, Ill.; 4. #73I Adam Trimble, Pueblo, Colo.; 5. #11D Dustin Morgan, Collinsville, Okla.; 6. #49 Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, N.J.; 7. #31X Joe Walker, Harrisonville, Mo.; 8. #2X Bryan Stanfill, Bakersfield, Calif.; 9. #71 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas; 10. #XX Darrin Bolton, Eldorado Hills, Calif.; 11. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, Calf.; 12. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 13. #14T Tony Rossi, Westminster, Colo.; 14. #45 Aaron Kirk, Conroe, Texas; 15. #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, Calif.; 16. #1A Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y. DNS - #22 Ray Bull, Bloomsburg, Pa.

Bass Pro Shops Qualifying Night "A" Main (25 laps - Top 4 Advance to Saturday Night’s Main Event)

1. #44C Shane Cottle, Kokomo, Ind.; 2. #86 Justin Allgaier, Springfield, Ill.; 3. #47X J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz.; 4. #71J Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif.; 5. #21 Tracy Hines, Greenfield, Ind.; 6. #91X Ryan Durst, Lincoln, Neb.; 7. #37B Tyler Brown, Norco, Calif.; 8. #68 Jonathan Hendrick, Fortville, Ind.; 9. #25 Steve Buckwalter, Royersford, Pa.; 10. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; 11. #71B Mark Brown, Sydney, Australia; 12. #17 Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.; 13. #75 David Gough, Machesney Park, Ill.; 14. #05X Greg Bragg, Visalia, Calif.; 15. #7F Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, Wis.; 16. #5D Zachary Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.; 17. #71R Keith Rauch, Thornton, Calif.; 18. #73I Adam Trimble, Pueblo, Colo.; 19. #19S Robby Flock, Murrietta, Calif.; 20. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.; 21. #86C David Camfield Jr., Decatur, Ill.; 22. #11M Mike Goodman, Tulsa, Okla.; 23. #27C Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, Mo.; 24. #11W Josh Wise, Riverside, Calif.