Breaking Down The 2018 Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main

Column By: NICHOLAS FILLMAN / RPW – TULSA, OK – As is the norm, the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals features an incredible number of drivers and teams from many states coast to coast, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. 2018 was no different as over 350 entries filled the River Spirit Expo Center for the worlds biggest midget race.

Drivers from virtually every single division of racing were again represented from sprint car and midget regulars, to NASCAR drivers, dirt modified and late models and everything in between.

As a interesting piece lets take a look through the finishing field of drivers that made the 2018 Chili Bowl, driver by driver, to show the diversification this special event brings every single year.

Winner: Christopher Bell, Norman OK
Christopher Bell is a driver that really needs no introduction. The defending Chili Bowl champion was able to grab the win yet again after winning his qualifying night and having a front row starting spot along side fellow KKM teammate Kyle Larson. 2017 was an amazing year for Bell that would see him be the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget champion, while collecting wins in both the USAC and Powri Midget series, ASCS sprints and other sprint car victories. 2018 is off to a great start after Bell won the Tulsa Shootout feature, and two weeks later the Chili Bowl Nationals.

Rico Abreu, St. Helena, CA
The 2017 season saw Rico Abreu run a majority of winged sprint car races, following no true schedule and running wherever he pleased. Including running all of Ohio and Pennsylvania Sprint Speed Week. Abreu also made select USAC midget starts, and his first ever wingless 410 starts at the Louie Vermeil Classic. The season ended early for Abreu as a hard flip at the Four Crown Nationals in the midget resulted in a concussion. Look for Abreu to have a strong 2018 season and be more focused than ever.

Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN
2017 would see Bayston behind the wheel of the Kevin Swindell #39 410 sprint car for a number of events, along with the full USAC Midget schedule where he would be crowned champion. Look for much more of the same in 2018.

Tanner Thorson, Mindnen, NV
The 2016 season saw Thorson be the USAC midget champion and in 2017 the goal was the same. Thorson was unable to win the USAC midget title, but did collect wins with USAC and Powri. Thorson will drive in the Tri C motorsports 410 in California, along with select starts in the Dooling-Hayward-RCR 63 midget.

Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA
The 2017 season saw Bernal take time off to further his career as a fire fighter before returning to the seat of sprint cars in California. Bernal is no stranger to sprint racing, whether it be 410 or 360, winged or non winged. Bernal is currently looking for full time racing opportunities in 2018.

Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA
Sweet is no stranger to midgets and wingless competition and that proved yet again with a solid run in the 2018 Chili Bowl. The 2017 season saw Sweet finish second in WoO sprint points behind Donny Schatz collecting 5 wins in his KKR 49 entry. Sweet and sponsor NAPA Auto Parts will again chase the WoO Sprint car title in 2018.

Justin Grant, Ione, CA
Grant would have a great 2017 winning races in both the USAC national sprint and midget series along with leading the USAC National sprint points until the late stages of the season ultimately finishing second to Chris Windom. For 2018 Grant will pilot the TOPP Motorsports 4 entry chasing the USAC sprint title.

Chase Johnson, Penngrove, CA
Coming off a career best season where Johnson collected six victories in 410 sprint competition in California. Johnson has a new sponsor for the 2018 season in Safecraft Safety Equipment and will chase victories in both wing and non win competition.

Kevin Thomas Jr, Cullman, AL
Thomas Jr became the first Alabama born driver to make the Chili Bowl Field driving for Sean Michael in his potent entry. Thomas was recently named the 2017 Non wing sprint car driver of the year coming off a 20 plus victory season. Thomas will drive the legendary Hoffman Auto Racing 69 in the 2018 season following USAC National Points, and full time for Petry Racing for USAC midget competition.

Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ
Boat had yet another successful tenure on the USAC National Midget tour, and was the 2016 Belleville Midget champion becoming the first ever father and son to win the prestigious event. Look for Boat to again follow the USAC national midget tour.

Ryan Robinson, Foresthill, CA
The veteran outlaw kart driver completed his first full season driving for Keith Kunz on the USAC National Midget tour in 2017. Robinson was one of 6 KKM drivers to make the A Main and will likely follow the tour for KKM again in 2018.

Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, IN
2017 was a break out year for Sunshine, as he collected multiple wins in the USAC National Sprint and Midget series, including a 2 for 3 run at the Kokomo Smackdown. 2018 will see Courtney compete for the USAC title, driving for Clauson-Marshall Racing, with help from Ryan Newman.

Chris Windom, Canton, IL
“The Bear” As he’s affectionately known, was part of one of the closest battles for the USAC title the series has ever seen. A points battle that would come down to the final, night and final feature to be decided with Windom emerging victorious. Windom will again pilot the Baldwin Brothers no. 5 entry in 2018 chasing USAC National Points.

Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA
For the first time in his career Logan Seavey was the Powri Midget champion after overcoming an eventful life challenge that even saw him undergo open hear surgery. The Chili Bowl saw Seavey in a KKM entry, and in 2018 Seavey will pilot the Chase Briscoe 410 sprint car in wing and non wing competition in the midwest.

Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA
Golobic was a top runner yet again in the California 410 “King of the West” series along with select other sprint car starts. Golobic was also the 2017 Indiana Midget week champion driving for Clauson-Marshall Racing. Golobic will drive the Tarlton 21 entry in 410 and 360 competition in California in 2018.

Tom Harris, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK
The briSCA F1 driver and champion would once again be behind the wheel of the Noffsinger-East entry for the 2018 Chili Bowl running the Legendary East number 4. Harris has spent plenty of time in the US over the past few years running sprint cars and midgets for Bobby East. 2018 will again see Harris run his briSCA F1 entry along with winged and non wing racing state side.

Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, IN
After a two year Chili Bowl hiatus, Armstrong was back again running in the Chili Bowl nationals. The long time asphalt midget and sprint driver, followed the All Star Sprint tour in 2017 collecting a outstanding 3rd place points effort. Look for Armstrong to pick and choose what races he will run in 2018 and follow a “true outlaw” type schedule.

Billy Pauch Jr, Frenchtown, NJ
Pauch Jr was another driver that returned to Chili Bowl competition in 2018. Pauch Jr was behind the wheel of a second Alex Bright owned entry and made the A Main by way of the B Main. Pauch the 2017 New Egypt modified champion and Action Track USA Speedstr Champion will return to both speedways to defend his title in both divisions in 2018.

Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA
An unfortunate blown engine while leading would end the Chili Bowl hopes for Larson. Larson was able to collect a number of 410 sprint car wins in 2017 including Ohio and Pennsylvania Speed-Week victories along with at WoO victory. Larson also had a number of Monster Energy Cup wins and will look to build on that success for the 2018 season.

Andrew Felker, Junction, MO
The Powri micro sprint graduate, and regular follower of both the Powri and USAC midget tours did more of the same in 2017. While Felker did not collect any Powri wins, bud did collect six top five finishes and 13 top ten finishes in 2017.

Tyler Thomas, Collinsville, OK
The 2017 season was more of the same for Thomas as he followed the Powri Midget schedule along with select USAC National Shows. While Thomas finished 10th in Powri midget points, he was able collect 4 wins with the tour. Thomas made starts in USAC sprint competition driving the potent Michael Dutcher 17 entry, along with starts in the ASCS 360 sprint series. Look for Thomas to make more starts with his own no.91 winged sprint entries in 2018 along with midget races across the nation.

Tracy Hines, New Castle, IN
The former USAC triple crown champion and now retired driver suffered unfortunate mechanical issues in his no.24 entry. Hines is a competition director for ThorSport racing that fields multiple teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Unlike in his earlier retirement years, Hines ran about 14 Winged 410 sprint car races in 2017 in addition to the Chili Bowl Nationals. Look for him to run about the same amount of shows in 2018.

Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN
“Slammin Sammy” had a more quiet 2017 running for a few different car owners in ASCS and different sanctioned sprint car races. Swindell made an extremely impressive 24th A Main start in the Chili Bowl Nationals but unfortunately suffered mechanical issues ending his chances at another A Main win. Look for Swindells plans to be announced in the coming weeks for his 2018 plans.

Giovanni Scelzi, Fresno, CA
The 410 sprint car rookie was able to qualify for his first Chili Bowl A Main driving for Clauson-Marshall racing coming off an impressive 2017 that would see him win three King of the West 410 sprint car races, and finish second in NARC, KWS Points driving the legendary Roth Motorsports 83 entry for Dennis Roth. Look for Scelzi to have an even better and bigger year in 2018 driving in 410 and 360 sprint car events in the west coast and maybe beyond.