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Chili Bowl Race of Champions Field Nearly Set!
Limited Amount of Tickets Remain for Tuesday Night Card!
by: Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (December 11, 2008) – The field for the Chili
Bowl Race of Champions on Tuesday night, January 13, has been set. Almost,
that is.
The final pair of "at-large" starting berths for the Chili Bowl Race of
Champions will be determined by the fans via an on-line voting procedure.
The Chili Bowl Race of Champions will be just one part of a stellar Tuesday
night kickoff of the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by
General Tire, a five-night racing extravaganza that takes place at the
QuikTrip Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway on January 13-17, 2009.
Tuesday night will also include a full field of qualifying action, including
heat races, qualifying races, "C" Mains, "B" Mains and an "A" Main, with the
top three finishers in the main event locked into Saturday night's 50-lap
Chili Bowl championship main event. It marks the first of four qualifying
nights, with a full slate of championship feature events to follow on
Saturday.
A limited number of tickets are available for the Tuesday night Chili Bowl
Qualifier, including the Chili Bowl Race of Champions, for just $26 apiece.
Tickets may be obtained by calling the ticket office at 918-838-3777.
The Chili Bowl Race of Champions will include a field of approximately 14 to
16 of the best racers in the world, set to slug it out atop the ¼-mile Tulsa
Expo Raceway clay oval for 20 laps with $2,500 going to the winner and a
minimum of $300 to each starter.
Already committed to the Chili Bowl Race of Champions are seven past event
winners including four-time Chili Bowl king Sammy Swindell, two-time winner
Cory Kruseman, Tracy Hines, Tim McCreadie, Scott Hatton, Jay Drake and
defending Chili Bowl champion Damion Gardner. Hatton returns to the Chili
Bowl after a two-year absence while Drake shrugs off retirement to compete
in the Chili Bowl Race of Champions as well as his 12th Chili Bowl.
Also invited to compete in the Chili Bowl Race of Champions are past USAC
Triple Crown champions Dave Darland and J.J. Yeley, NASCAR Sprint Cup star
Kasey Kahne and NASCAR Nationwide star Jason Leffler.
At least another pair of past event winners may throw their hat into the
ring as well.
The final two starting berths in the Chili Bowl Race of Champions will be
"at-large" positions. These positions will be determined by the race fans
via online voting at www.chilibowl.com, with details available soon. The
only drivers among those eligible for the "at-large" berths will be those
that have filed official entries by the December 15 pre-entry deadline.
The fan involvement doesn't stop there, as some lucky fans in the stands on
Tuesday night will determine the starting lineup of the Chili Bowl Race of
Champions by selecting some randomly marked Lucas Oil Products, in effect
drawing for the starting position of the driver they've been paired with.
With the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General
Tire little more than a month away, 204 entries have already flooded the
event office, putting last year's record mark of 274 competitors in the
jeopardy zone.
Only pit passes remain for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as
those tickets were depleted in May.
Additional Lucas Oil Chili Bowl presented by General Tire Information:
What: 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General
Tire
Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside the QuikTrip Center at
the Tulsa State Fairgrounds
When:
January 13-17, 2009
Tuesday – Qualifying Night plus Chili Bowl Race of Champions
Wednesday - Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night
Thursday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night
Friday – Bass Pro Shops Qualifying Night
Saturday – Championship Feature Events
Past Winners: Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007 and 2002), Sammy
Swindell (1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989), Cory Kruseman (2004 and 2000), Dan
Boorse (2003 and 1999), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy Hines (2005), Jay Drake
(2001), Billy Boat (1997), Donnie Beechler (1995), Andy Hillenburg (1994),
Dave Blaney (1993), Lealand McSpadden (1991), Jon Heydenreich (1990), Scott
Hatton (1988), Rich Vogler (1987).
Trade Show: Always a popular attraction at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
is the Trade Show, which is open to the public each day (Tuesday through
Saturday) free of charge. All variety of racing products, apparel and more
is available with well over 100 different vendors. The Trade Show covers
approximately 20,000 square feet.
Tickets: Four-night tickets for Wednesday through Saturday of the 23rd
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire were
depleted by the end of May. A limited number of reserved seats for Tuesday
night's Qualifying Event and Chili Bowl Race of Champions are available for
$26 per person and may be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at the gate.
Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as well.
Chili Bowl on TV: Portions of the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals presented by General Tire will be broadcast on SPEED TV on a
one-week tape-delayed basis on Saturday night, January 24. Additional
details will be available soon.
Additional information regarding the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
presented by General Tire is available at
http://www.chilibowl.com/ or
by calling 918-838-3777.
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