TULSA, Okla. – For the first time in its 34-year history, action for the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals kicked off on Sunday going into race week inside the River Spirit Expo Center.
Granted, it wasn’t the on-track kind of action, but there was plenty of bustle going on inside the 10.2-acre building nevertheless.
Sunday’s festivities kicked off with a three-hour Fan Fest, designed to allow those who got into Tulsa a day early a chance to get up close and personal with both the cars in the pit area and with the drivers who will wheel them prior to Monday’s opening act.
In addition, several interactive question-and-answer sessions were held throughout the afternoon on a stage set up just behind turns three and four of the fifth-mile temporary dirt oval.
Most of the 359 drivers on the entry list for this year’s Chili Bowl were in the building at some point during the day, including three-time defending winner Christopher Bell, who joined his team owner Chad Boat and former teammate Karsyn Elledge for one of the stage sessions around mid-afternoon.
The night was capped off by a concert from the Blake Turner Band, which ran from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
– Bell is seeking to tie Kevin Swindell’s Chili Bowl record four-straight wins this week, and if he’s successful, would be the first driver to win four in a row for more than one organization.
The Norman, Okla., native’s first three Golden Drillers were earned with Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, which has won the last five Chili Bowl Saturday A-mains in succession.
– For fans trying to traverse the pit area, there have been several “traditional” spots where certain teams have occupied year after year.
However, with an immense number of driver and team changes over the winter, several teams are in new places this year.
The KKM operation still looms large in its traditional space on the front of the first aisle, just behind turns three and four and overlooking the fan stage, but next to them are some new neighbors.
The Matt Wood Racing operation has taken over the second aisle end cap, where Brad Loyet’s team sat for many years before his retirement after last year’s Chili Bowl, while the Clauson-Marshall Racing squad still sits in the middle of the second aisle, but in a more condensed space with only five cars.
The RMS Racing team has also moved up this year, from the back of the building to now be in line with the remainder of the Rusty Kunz-prepared cars toward the race track.
– Speaking of Clauson-Marshall Racing, one of their five cars this week will be piloted by New Zealander Jeremy Webb, a surprise addition to the powerhouse team for many.
Team co-owner Tim Clauson said that Webb’s addition is one that he’s “really looking forward to” and noted that Cindy Elliott – wife of the late Tony Elliott – was key in pulling the deal together.
“She wanted to give back (through the Tony Elliott Foundation) because New Zealand does so much in inviting our (American) drivers over there to race in the winter and this is an opportunity to bring that full circle and kind of repay that, if you will,” Clauson explained. “We’re really excited to have Jeremy onboard with us this week. He’s a great shoe in the TQ midgets over there and had some top-five runs in the International Midget Series recently too that really showcased what we feel he’s capable of.
“He’ll have a little bit of a learning curve inside here, but most everyone does and I think he’ll adapt pretty quickly and have a good showing for us through the week.”
– This writer got a bit of a treat before things even got going on Sunday afternoon.
While walking over from where I was staying for the week to the Expo Square, a well-marked Chili Bowl truck rolled up alongside and as the window rolled down, a familiar voice asked, “You need a lift?”
The owner of the voice was Tom Hahn, son of event founder and promoter Emmett Hahn and father of Blake Hahn, and the truck happened to be the Chili Bowl pace truck for the week.
It was one of those moments you can’t quite script, and certainly one of those “little things” that sticks with you about an event.
After all, how many people can say they’ve gotten a ride in the Chili Bowl pace truck, right?
How to Watch the Chili Bowl:
LIVE From the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Presented by MyRacePass – Story Index Page
News, analysis, interviews, behind-the-scenes and more – updated throughout each day.
LIVE PPV Streaming Broadcast – Racinboys.com
Monday – Saturday coverage
LIVE Television Broadcast – MAVTV.com
Saturday, Jan. 18th at 8:30pm EST
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SPEED SPORT’s Chili Bowl coverage is presented by MyRacePass, the official timing and scoring app of the 2020 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Fans can download the MyRacePass app on their phones to follow all the action during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. For more information on MyRacePass, visit www.myracepass.com and use the hashtag #GetTheApp on Twitter!
