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2026 Chili Bowl Nationals Saturday Lineups: Where Every Driver Starts
FloSports ^ | January 17, 2026

Posted on 01/17/2026 6:47:20 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701

After five nights of preliminary action at the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink, the lineups are set for Saturday's Driller Day in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On Friday night, Chili Bowl officials released the lineups for every race that will be held on Saturday.

The "alphabet soup" will begin at 9 a.m. CT with Q-Features. From there, we will move one letter up the alphabet until we arrive at the 55-lap A-Feature on Saturday night.

Drivers who finished first or second on their prelim night will participate in the pole shuffle on Saturday evening to determine the top 10 starting positions.

(Excerpt) Read more at floracing.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: chilibowl; midgets; oklahoma

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The longest day in motorsport is here. 377 cars will battle for 14 spots in tonight's 55-lap A Main that has had 10 cars qualify through the five previous days of features.

Starts at 10 AM with the Q Main, where 14-car fields will battle for six transfer positions. 70-year old Sammy Swindell, a former champion of this race, who crashed out of his heat race and did not make the D Main for his night, will be in the Q. New Zealand Midget Champion Michael Pickens, who has raced at Indianapolis' Bryan Clauson Classic in one of the most controversial final laps in history, will be in the O Main. INDYCAR star Santino Ferrucci will be in the J Main. Kaylee Bryson (multiple disciplines) will be in the H Main. Dirt star Casey Shuman (Ron's son) will be in the F Main. Current O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Sheldon Creed will be in the E Main. The D Main has NASCAR broadcaster Dillon Welch, and dirt stars Ricky Thornton Jr, "The Law Firm" Parker Price-Miller, C Main has dirt stars Ronnie Gardner, Brady Bacon, NASCAR Cup driver Ty Gibbs, the B Main has NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, dirt stars Shane Golobic, Spencer Bayston, Kevin Thomas Jr, Justin Peck, Chris Windom (husband of INDYCAR pit reporter Georgia Henneberry), Daryn Pittman, Thomas "T-Mez" Meseraull, Jerry Coons Jr, Giovanni Scelzi (son of NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car champion Gary; Gio is planning a High Limit season in 2026), and Corey "Pay" Day.

In the Pole Shuffle are reigning and 2-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle "Yung Money" Larson, two drivers from the Kevin Swindell Speedlab team in Emerson Axsom and Logan Seavey, Blake Hahn (grandson of the race founder), former NASCAR Truck Series champion and Cup star Christopher Bell, Daison Pursley, Hank Davis, USAC champion Justin Grant, and two drivers from NASCAR Cup driver Alex Bowman Racing in Briggs Danner and CJ Leary.

Chili Bowl features
Ten Laps (top six advance):
Q Main: Positions 7 and worse in their night's D Main.
P Main: Positions 5-6 in their night's D Main.
O Main: Positions 3-4 in their night's D Main.
N Main: Positions 11-12 in their night's C Main.
M Main: Positions 9-10 in their night's C Main.
L Main: Positions 7-8 in their night's C Main.
K Main: Positions 5-6 in their night's C Main.
J Main: Positions 15-16 in their night's B Main.
I Main: Positions 13-14 in their night's B Main.
H Main: Positions 11-12 in their night's B Main.
G Main: Positions 9-10 in their night's B Main.


15 Lap Features (top five advance):
F Main: Positions 6-8 in their night's B Main.
E Main: Position 5 in their night's B Main AND 21-24 in their night's A Main.
D Main: Positions 15-20 in their night's A Main.
C Main: Positions 9-14 in their night's A Main.

20 Laps (top seven advance):
B Main: Positions 3-8 in their night's A Main.

55 Laps:
A Main: Positions 1-2 in their night's A Main, grid determined by Pole Shuffle.

1 posted on 01/17/2026 6:47:20 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
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To: WhiteHatBobby0701

By the third paragraph, I finally realized this was about cars, not Tex Mex stews…


2 posted on 01/17/2026 6:52:00 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (islam v. communism: Which is worse for mankind? Discuss…)
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To: WhiteHatBobby0701

Chili Bowl-—
Let’s Go Racin’!


3 posted on 01/17/2026 6:54:14 AM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Oh yeah, I live close enough that I could drive to Tulsa to go see it if I wanted to.

Nah, thanks though. I hope everyone has a blast though and tips the waiters and bartenders well.

4 posted on 01/17/2026 6:56:52 AM PST by OKSooner (Susie is Rasputin.)
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To: OKSooner

A good friend in Tulsa may Go.
I scrapped clay off rear tires at
Manzanita in Phoenix.
Open Wheel Racing is Always
A Good Time !


5 posted on 01/17/2026 7:02:41 AM PST by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: Big Red Badger

Updates: The Q Main was cancelled. The 10 drivers who did the practice session (12 would advance).

They’ve listed “soup trackers” if a driver makes up two letters or more. Honestly, I think the Global Pathway to Formula 1 would be better if drivers in series with at least 30 cars (Italian F4) were cut in half with soup runs similar to dirt cars. Give drivers more chances to drive during a meeting.


6 posted on 01/17/2026 8:16:20 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
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To: Uncle Miltie

The first thing that came to mind was have the chili cook off and put the nearest restrooms 2 miles away.
Instant drag racing!!!


7 posted on 01/17/2026 9:44:42 AM PST by DannyTN
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