 TULSA,
OK (January, 9, 2008) -- For the past 22 years, the Tulsa Expo Center has been
transformed into an indoor, quarter-mile dirt track for the annual Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals. Last year, the huge number of teams on hand forced organizers
to add a fifth night of racing. This year, another record was set with 286
drivers making the trip to Oklahoma for their chance at winning the world's
biggest midget race. On Wednesday, 75 drivers had their first chance to qualify
for Saturday's finale. When the 25-lap race was over, California's Josh Ford
was the winner riding on Hoosier tires. More importantly, however, Ford is now guaranteed
a starting spot in Saturday's big race.
Wednesday's action featured 10 heat races, four last chance races, four
qualifying races and two B Mains. All needed to whittle the 75-car field down
to 24 for the night's feature race. The top four finishers on Wednesday also
lock in a starting spot in Saturday's finale.
The 25-lap feature found Davey Ray on the pole after accumulating the most
points during the heat and qualifying races. Josh Ford started alongside Ray in
the front row.
Ray took the lead from the drop of the green flag using the low line, but
Ford had the high line working and took the lead from Ray on lap 8. Ford would
lead the rest of the way to capture the 25-lap win. Back in 2005, Ford also won
the opening night of qualifying en route to a career-best fourth place finish
in the final that year.
Aaron Fiscus fought his way to finish in second place followed by Jerry
Coons, Jr., Bryan Clausen and Davey Ray to round out the top five.
All 75 teams in competition on Wednesday rode on Hoosier tires. The top five
finishers in the feature race each ran the Hoosier RD12 compound as their
right-rear tire selection.
Hoosier Open Wheel Dirt Product Manager Neil Cowman is in Oklahoma and
provided details used in this report. Cowman is also joined by Hoosier's Irish
Saunders.
Cowman commented, "This event just seems to get bigger every year and
we (Hoosier) are proud to be a part of it."
Although the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is an "open" race with no
rules regulating parts and components, Hoosier was the only tire manufacturer
on hand providing sales and service to the 286 race teams.
Racing resumes tonight with last year's Chili Bowl champion, Tony Stewart,
slated to be among the drivers competing for a spot in Saturday's race. Stewart
has won the event twice (2002, 2007) and has a chance at becoming the event's
first repeat winner.
The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the brainchild of Emmett Hahn and Lanny
Edwards.
For more information about the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals visit their
website at www.chilibowl.com.
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