Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Okla., only resembles NASCAR’s paved oval inside the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in one way — they’re both quarter-mile tracks.
While there’s no comparison between the No. 55x midget and the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that Alex Bowman will wheel at the respective locations, the full-time Cup Series driver still views his Chili Bowl run as an advantage.
“I think it’s good to stay in the seat that little bit,” Bowman said. “Any time you’re in a race car is a beneficial thing.”
He’s two months deep into his NASCAR offseason and with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum right around the corner, the Chili Bowl was the perfect opportunity to snag some extra track time. However, Bowman’s visit to the Chili Bowl shouldn’t be misconstrued as a one-off thing — he’s made his January appearances in Tulsa a regular happening in recent years. He launched onto the Oklahoma dirt for his debut in 2010 and has returned five times since then.
But in all of his attempts, Bowman has yet to lock it in to Saturday’s coveted A-main.
“We’ve been doing this quite a while,” Bowman said. “Just being in this building for a week, hanging out with my friends and, hopefully, being successful is a lot of fun.”
In addition to chasing a Golden Driller in the No. 55x, Bowman is also fielding midget cars for C.J. Leary and Jake Swanson under the Alex Bowman Racing banner. Leary took a DNF during Thursday’s preliminary B-feature, while Swanson claimed ninth in the A-feature on Wednesday night.
Team owner Bowman received a DNF result during his preliminary run on Tuesday due to an early incident with Daison Pursley. Bowman will return to the track in one of Saturday’s E mains. While he isn’t happy with his results and takes the competition seriously, Bowman also acknowledges he doesn’t have much dirt or midget experience to employ when he’s out on the track.
“For me, I run dirt a little bit, but I’m still learning every time I’m in a midget,” Bowman said.
It’s his love for the straight-up racing, the “no rules” and the task of building “super-light race cars” that keeps him coming back year after year. And now, if running the quarter-mile can give him an edge when he arrives at the Coliseum in February, there’s even more of a reason to return.
“It’s as different a race car as you could possibly get, but it’s about the same size track,” Bowman said with a smile. “It’s always good to be in a race car.”
Chase Briscoe is the only other full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver entered in the Chili Bowl.