TULSA, OKLA. (January 14, 2019) – The most talked about rivalry in the current era of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is Christopher Bell vs. Kyle Larson, and rightfully so. But tonight, with a Tuesday preliminary on the line, a new budding battle takes centerstage. It’s Kyle Larson in the Lucas Oil, iRacing, No. 01 King/Toyota with Paul Silva in his corner vs. Zeb Wise aboard the IWX Motor Freight No. 71 Bullet/Toyota in his Keith Kunz Motorsports debut.
This won’t be the first time that Larson, who accrued the nickname “Yung Money” for his ridiculous resume and talent as a teenage sensation, will do battle with Wise, who has recently been the hottest young commodity in midget racing. In fact, the pair have squared off on multiple occasions.
First, it was an Action Track USA showdown in August that the two delivered an instant classic finish at. Racing toe-to-toe for the win, it all came down to a last-lap slider coming to the checkered flag. With Wise ripping the top, Larson chunked a slider his way and instead of checking up and crossing over, Wise floored it. Staying true to the outside, Wise ever so slightly cleared Larson by inches to drive around him and barely steal a thrilling win at the line.
In September, Wise and Larson again went to battle, this time at the biggest outdoor midget race in the world, the BC39 at The Dirt Tack at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Leading with 10 to go, it was again Wise controlling the pace ahead of Larson. Their fight reached a boiling point when a turn three slider from Larson created contact and put Wise onto the wall. For Larson, a flat left rear sent him to the tail, but for Wise, he held on for the biggest win of his career and another topping of Larson.
Tonight, however, the stage is much different. It’s Chili Bowl, after all. Larson has been the undisputed Tuesday night king through the 2010’s. He is a five-time winner on this night, that says a lot considering nobody else has more than ONE win on Tuesday’s. The kicker is this, he’s got a whole new operation this time around. All five of those wins came with Keith Kunz Motorsports, but tonight he goes for #6 with Paul Silva on the wrenches of his own Kyle Larson Racing No. 01 entry.
To make things all the more interesting in this little rivalry, Larson left KKM and Wise entered the picture. After a phenomenal three-year stretch at Clauson-Marshall Racing, where all of Wise’s victories of Larson came from, the 17-year old Angola, Ind. native made the switch to Toyota’s Keith Kunz Motorsports last month. Tonight at Chili Bowl will be his first official race under the KKM banner.
As much as we can hype up the Larson vs. Zeb battle, there will be a handful of other respectable contenders that could challenge at the front of the field tonight. Among the many challengers? A former Chili Bowl champion, Damion Gardner, who goes tonight in the No. 71G Beast.
Also on the docket is USAC National Midget winner, Tanner Carrick, in a new ride with Petry Motorsports. Jonathan Beason, a former Tuesday night winner, is in his familiar Hard 8 Racing machine. Dillon Welch headlines the Tucker-Boat Motorsports entries tonight with an eye on Saturday’s big dance. Michael Faccinto leads the way for Dave Mac Motorsports in a Tulsa Sod & Mulch No. 08 entry.
Once again, you’ll find extensive Walkapedia coverage of the Chili Bowl presented by WWT Raceway tonight on Twitter. Tuesday’s preliminary coverage is presented by Schure Built Suspensions.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 Schedule of Events:
9 a.m. …………….Building opens
10 a.m.-7 p.m…Trade Show
1 p.m. . …………Clear Building
1:30 p.m. . …… Open grandstands and pits for entry with ticket or pit pass
2 p.m. . …………Drivers draw for heat starting positions at chalkboard
3 p.m. . …………Driver’s Meeting
4 p.m. . …………Hot laps (by heat race group)
5 p.m. . …………Heat races (est. 7-9 races—8 laps each)
6:45 p.m. . …….Vacuworx Race of Champions Hot Laps & Qualifying
7:45 p.m. . …….C Main Races (2 races, Top 4 to back of corresponding B Main)
8:15 p.m. . ….…A Qualifier Races (4 races, top 16 in combined passing points to A, balance to Twin Bs)
9 p.m. . ………….Track Maintenance
9:20 p.m. . …….Vacuworx Race of Champions (30 laps)
9:55 p.m. . ………B Features (Top 4 to A—15 laps each)
10:20 p.m. ………A Feature Start (24 cars—30 laps)
10:30 p.m. ………Curfew
Midnight. ………Building Closes
Tuesday Night Qualifiers:
0G-Gunner Ramey (Sedalia, MO)
00-Rob Yetman (Castleton, NY)
01-Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, CA)
1J-James Reed (Oklahoma City, OK)
1K-Brayton Lynch (Springfield, IL)
2A-Matt Linder (Braselton, GA)
2BX-Brett Becker (Odessa, TX)
2R-Matt Rossi (Glendale, AZ)
2W-Wyatt Burks (Topeka, KS)
3B-Jessie Barber (Napa, CA)
5B-Bobby Brewer (Cabot, AR)
5H-TBA
5HX-Casey Hicks (Westwood, KS)
5J-Jeff Crook (Garden City, KS)
07W-Mitchel Moles (Fresno, CA)
7K-Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, OK)
7U-Kyle Jones (Kennedale, TX)
7W-Brendon Wiseley (Sand Springs, OK)
08-Michael Faccinto (Hanford, CA)
8J-Jonathan Beason (Broken Arrow, OK)
8X-Austin Shores (Atoka, OK)
9JR-Derek Hagar (Marion, AR)
9U-Doug McCune (Ft. Worth, TX)
11F-TBA
11K-Gage Rucker (St. Louis, MO)
11T-Larry Petersen (Wahiawa, HI)
14F-Cameron Hagin (Broken Arrow, OK)
14R-Jake Nail (Muskogee, OK)
15W-Jeff Wimmenauer (Greenwood, IN)
17A-Austin Brown (Belleville, IL)
17C-Jeremy Webb (Canterbury, NZ)
17F-Devin Camfield (Decatur, IL)
17L-Rocky Silva (Kapolei, HI)
19A-Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO)
20H-Noah Harris (Broken Arrow, OK)
21H-Ty Hulsey (Owasso, OK)
21M-Michelle Parson (Abilene, TX)
22L-Lucas Scherb (Decatur, TX)
23P-Brad Wyatt (Kearney, MO)
23X-Travis Scott (Washington, OK)
27B-Jake Bubak (Arvada, CO)
28Q-Sean Quinn (Clovis, CA)
29-Tyler Thompson (Fulton, NY)
Q32-Peter Paulson (Woodlands, CA)
35C-Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, CA)
42-Hank Davis (Sand Springs, OK)
44S-Brandon Akau (Waianae, HI)
45H-Anothony Pope (Winchester, OR)
46-Kenney Johnson (Bethany, CT)
47M-Frankie Guerrini (San Rafael, CA)
51H-Mike Hess (Riverton, IL)
55D-Nick Drake (Indian Trail, NC)
55X-Alex Bowman (Mt. Ulla, NC)
71-Zeb Wise (Angola, IN)
71G-Damion Gardner (Concord, CA)
71X-Presley Truedson (Kennedy, MN)
73X-Tyler Edwards (Salina, OK)
75-Bryan Stanfill (Bakersfield, CA)
81X-Dillon Welch (Carmel, IN)
84M-Alex DeCamp (Locust Grove, OK)
87X-Nick O’Dell (Mooresville, NC)
91A-Chris Andrews (Sandusky, OH)
98-Ryan Padgett (Anadarko, OK)
99-Larry Wight (Fulton, NY)
117-Jack Dover (Springfield, NE)
118-Scott Evans (Rhome, TX)
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