Story presented by the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League
TULSA, OKLA. (January 15, 2020) – It’s a loaded night chalked full of star power in Wednesday’s preliminary program at the Chili Bowl. Walkapedia’s night three of Chili Bowl coverage is presented by Clem’s Helmets!
Entering as a four-time Wednesday night winner, including the last two years, Rico Abreu of St. Helena, Calif. has to be given the slight edge in tonight’s show. After all, the driver of the Keith Kunz Motorsports, Safelite Auto Glass No. 97 Bullet/Toyota did run from 14th-to-2nd in a stacked Race of Champions last night. A win for Abreu would equal him with Christopher Bell at fourth on the all-time Chili Bowl preliminary wins list at five prelim night victories.
Returning to Wednesday night for the first time since 2011 and hoping to play spoiler tonight is the reigning World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion, Brad Sweet. Piloting an RMS Racing, Envirofab No. 1R Spike/SR-11, Sweet will aim for his seventh career preliminary feature start at the Chili Bow. Amazingly enough, in the Grass Valley, Calif. racer’s six previous prelim starts he has yet to finish worse than sixth-place while recording results of 5th, 6th, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd.
Another World of Outlaws Sprint Car contender on the docket tonight is Jason Johnson Racing pilot, David Gravel. Aboard an FMR Racing No. 76G Beast/Toyota this week at the Chili Bowl, Gravel guns for his sixth prelim start tonight. His career-best showing came just last year, when he chased Abreu to the line and locked-in for Saturday’s main event in second-place.
Gio Scelzi encounters a new night this go round as he begins his sophomore attempt at the Chili Bowl tonight. The former Rookie of the Year placed sixth on Tuesday night in 2018, but now he switches to Wednesday in a ride with Tucker-Boat Motorsports driving the Pristine Auction No. 84 Bullet/Toyota.
Sammy Swindell, a winner of eight Chili Bowl preliminary features, three of those on Wednesday’s, will look to extend his record tonight and match Abreu at four Wednesday wins.
However, Abreu’s most consistent challenger on Wednesday over the years has come in the form of Collinsville, Okla. native Tyler Thomas. Driving his family-owned BT Machine No. 91T Spike/Toyota, Thomas has qualified for every feature since moving to Wednesday in 2015 and has recorded four top-ten efforts. Most notably, Thomas and Abreu dueled in 2016 and 2018, thrilling fans with sliders galore both times. Although TT fell short in second, he’s more than proven his Wednesday worth.
Former Chili Bowl champion, Tim McCreadie, goes tonight in pursuit of a second Golden Driller. Colby Copeland, who ran third on Wednesday in 2017, debuts with Matt Wood Racing tonight. The NASCAR representation brings us J.J. Yeley and Ryan Newman on tonight’s entry list.
Also included in tonight’s show is the likes of Parker Price-Miller, Ronnie Gardner, Jake Swanson, Tom Harris, Robert Dalby, DJ Netto and Karsyn Elledge, among others.
Tune into @Walkapedia_ on Twitter for extensive live coverage of the third preliminary night presented by Clem’s Helmets!
Wednesday, January 15 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. ………….C Main Races (2 races, Top 4 to back of corresponding B Main)
7:45 p.m. ………….A Qualifier Races (4 races, top 16 in combined passing points to A, balance to Twin Bs)
8:30 p.m. ………….Track Maintenance
9:15 p.m. ………….B Features (Top 4 to A—15 laps each)
10 p.m. ……………..A Feature Start (24 cars—30 laps)
10:30 p.m …………Curfew
Midnight ……………Building Closes
Wednesday Night Qualifiers:
0-Billy VanInwegen (Port Jervis, NY)
1-Sammy Swindell (Germantown, TN)
1P-Holly Porter (Dorchester, ONT)
1R-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA)
2D-Matt Sherrell (Owasso, OK)
2G-J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ)
2L-Landon Simon (Avon, IN)
2M-Colby Stubblefield (Seagoville, TX)
2T-Keith Martin (Burleson, TX)
3W-Brandon Waelti (Sun Prairie, WI)
4D-Robert Dalby (Anaheim, CA)
4F-Chad Frewaldt (Kansas City, KS)
6-Bill Rose (Plainfield, IN)
6N-Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN)
7-Shannon McQueen (Tehachapi, CA)
7J-Shawn Jackson (Bear, DE)
08K-Karsyn Elledge (Mooresville, NC)
8B-Colin Deming (Hobbs, NM)
8W-Mark Lowrey (Concord, NC)
9-Tim McCreadie (Macedon, NY)
11C-Michael Woodruff (Santana, KS)
11E-Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, CA)
13B-Johnny Brown (Mauriceville, TX)
13G-TBA
13X-TBA
14-Jesse Colwell (Red Bluff, CA)
14E-Jake Neal (Omaha, NE)
14J-Matt Streeter (Galt, CA)
14S-TBA
15A-Harley Hollan (Tulsa, OK)
15F-Kinzer Edwards (Bartlesville, OK)
16C-David Camfield (Monticello, IL)
17K-Michael Koontz (Bloomington, IN)
17T-TBA
18K-Tony Gualda (Fremont, CA)
22C-Charlie Crumpton (Bixby, OK)
22X-Steven Shebester (Mustang, OK)
25C-Chase Johnson (Penngrove, CA)
27W-Colby Copeland (Roseville, CA)
35X-Tyler Robbins (Collinsville, IL)
40-Eric Wilkens (El Mirage, AZ)
45X-Parker Price-Miller (Kokomo, IN)
47-Alex Bright (Collegeville, PA)
50-Daniel Adler (St. Louis, MO)
54G-Trey Gropp (Lincoln, NE)
54W-Matt Westfall (Ludlow Falls, OH)
57D-Daniel Robinson (Ewing, IL)
67J-Chase Jones (Indianapolis, IN)
68-Ronnie Gardner (Riverside, CA)
68C-Corby Scherb (Decatur, TX)
71R-Robby Josset (Costa Mesa, CA)
73T-Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA)
75X-Mike Griffiths (Melbourne, VIC)
76G-David Gravel (Watertown, CT)
77J-John Klabunde (Ft. Calhoun, NE)
81S-Chad Shields (Independence, MO)
85-Matt Moore (Edmond, OK)
84-Gio Scelzi (Fresno, CA)
88N-D.J. Netto (Hanford, CA)
91-Jeff Stasa (Kingman, KS)
91T-Tyler Thomas (Collinsville, OK)
97-Rico Abreu (St. Helena, CA)
97K-Tom Harris (Banbury, OXF)
97X-Austin O’Dell (Rochester, IN)
99K-Robert Carson (Concord, CA)
99R-Brad Bowden (Hernando, MO)
101-Chuck McGillivray (Madison, SD)
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