TULSA, Okla. – Clauson-Marshall Racing confirmed a five-driver lineup for the upcoming Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals on Wednesday, with two brand-new faces dotting the roster.
Leading the charge for CMR will be reigning NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series champion Tyler Courtney, who will attempt the Chili Bowl for the ninth time in his career.
The Indianapolis native will drive the No. 7bc Stanton-SR11x-powered Spike, with sponsorship from NOS Energy Drink, which backed him throughout his USAC national midget championship run this past year.
Courtney has made the Saturday A-main in each of the last three Chili Bowls, with a best finish of sixth, earned in both 2017 and again last year.
Joining Courtney as part of the CMR quintet will be a pair of NASCAR stars, both of whom return to the team after racing a month ago at the Gateway Dirt Nationals.
Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman, who will pilot the No. 6n Stanton-SR11x-powered Spike, will carry backing from Aggressive Hydraulics and Coca-Cola as he embarks on his Chili Bowl debut.
On Newman’s open-wheel resume are the 1993 UMARA All-American Midget Series championship, the 1999 USAC Silver Crown Series championship and a runner-up finish in the 1999 USAC National Midget Series points, the latter in a year where he won all three USAC national rookie awards simultaneously.
Meanwhile, JTG-Daugherty pilot Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will return to the seat of the No. 17jr NOS Energy Drink-backed, Stanton-SR11x-powered Spike for his 14th Chili Bowl attempt, all in the last 16 years.
Stenhouse has made the championship feature six times, including three of the last four years, with his best finish of ninth coming in 2012.
Since returning to the Chili Bowl in 2014, Stenhouse has been aboard a Bryan Clauson Inc. or Clauson-Marshall Racing-prepared entry every year.
Cole Bodine comes back to Clauson-Marshall Racing for his third Chili Bowl appearance, fresh off making the Saturday A-main for the first time in his career with CMR last January.
Bodine will step into the seat of the No. 39 Driven2SaveLives-sponsored Spike-Stanton-SR11x vacated by Zeb Wise, who has moved over to Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports for this year’s Chili Bowl.
The Rossville, Ind., pilot started and finished 19th with CMR in the 2019 edition of the Chili Bowl. He’ll race full time in the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series in 2020 alongside Courtney.
Rounding out the five-man lineup, New Zealand’s Jeremy Webb will race with CMR thanks to the Tony Elliott Foundation Scholarship, which is annually presented to a worthy driver looking to move up the racing ladder who might not otherwise have the opportunity to compete at the Chili Bowl.
Webb will drive the No. 17c Tony Elliott Foundation Spike-Stanton-SR11x, joining fellow teammate Newman as a rookie at the Chili Bowl Nationals. It’s his first time joining the team in any capacity.
The Kiwi is a competitor with both the New Zealand TQ Midget Championship and the United Truck Parts Int’l Midget Series. He most recently earned a victory at Huntly Int’l Speedway on Dec. 21.
Practice for the 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals kicks off Jan. 13 inside the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla.
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!
