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NASCAR fans will get a chance to see some of their favorite drivers race starting this weekend at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Which drivers will be in the field, and how can NASCAR fans watch the race?
The entirety of the Chili Bowl Nationals will be broadcast on FloRacing. With such a massive entry list, the Chili Bowl is a weeklong show.
Qualifying starts on Sunday, January 7th, but, FloRacing’s coverage will start on January 8th. Qualifying is from January 8th until January 12th, with the feature being on January 13th. Coverage begins at 10 a.m. each day with the main features happening in the evening.
The Chili Bowl is a very complicated race with many entrants and many races throughout the week. Here is a breakdown of how the event has worked in the past based on the 2021 event.
The qualifying days leading up to the main event are for drivers to make Saturday’s big “A Main”. Essentially, the goal for a driver is to get into an A Feature on a qualifying night. The top two drivers in that feature on each qualifying night qualify for the A Feature on Saturday night.
The results of the qualifying nights determine all of the different races on Saturday. If a driver does not qualify for the A-Main, they will qualify for one of the other features throughout the day on Saturday, otherwise known as the “Alphabet Soup”. Drivers can work their way up to the A-Main on Saturday, but, that means finishing up front in any of the other races they participate in throughout that day. The winner of the A-Feature on Saturday night wins the “Chili Bowl”, and they get the “Golden Driller Trophy.
Chase Briscoe
Chase Briscoe is competing in the race as both a driver and a team owner. He will drive the 5 car with his drivers being Karter Sarff in 5CB and Kyle Strickler in 14P. Briscoe narrowly missed the Championship Feature in 2023.
UPDATE: Briscoe finished fourth in his Monday night preliminary A-Main. This means he will be in the B-Feature on Saturday, and a top 7 finish in that feature gets him into the 55 lap main event for the Golden Driller on Saturday night.
Josh Bilicki
Josh Bilicki will drive the 7D car for RAMCO Speed Group. This is his second Chili Bowl start after racing in 2023.
J.J. Yeley
J.J. Yeley will drive the 15 car for Petty Performance Racing. This is his 28th Chili Bowl start of his career. In 2023, Yeley advanced all the way from the F-Main to finish third in the A-Main.
UPDATE: Yeley finished 9th in his Preliminary B-Feature on Thursday night. This puts him into the “Alphabet Soup” on Saturday.
Jesse Love
Jesse Love will drive the 84 car for CB Industries. It will be his third career Chili Bowl, with his most recent start coming in 2022.
UPDATE: Love Finished 5th in Thursday’s Preliminary B-Main, just narrowly missing out on the A-Main by one spot. Now, Love is in the “Alphabet Soup” on Saturday
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson fielded a surprise final entry through Keith Kunz Motorsports. Larson was going for his 3rd Chili Bowl win. However, Larson had to make the A-Feature on Saturday on his preliminary night, or he would not race on Saturday due to racing in the Wild West Shootout.
UPDATE: Larson made a spirited run, overcoming a flip to get into the Thursday Preliminary A-Main. However, another flip in that Main ended his Chili Bowl run
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fielded another surprise entry with Keith Kunz Motorsports. This will be Stenhouse’s 17th entry, but, he has never won the main event.
Who will be the drivers to watch for as the Chili Bowl goes on? Could another NASCAR driver win the main event?
