2018 Chili Bowl Statistics, Night 1 (January 9, 2018)

The 32nd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire at Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Raceway begin Tuesday night, January 9, with the first of four preliminary/qualifying race nights heading into Saturday’s big event, the 55-lap A Main.

In parenthesis, following the name of the winning driver, is the number corresponding to the number of heats/qualifiers/features they’ve won during this event heading into Saturday’s A Main.

Here is a quick recap of the first night of action in the Chili Bowl.

Chili Bowl Statistics, After Night One

-       - Car Count: 86

-       - Heats: 11 (each totaling 8 laps)

o   Heat Winners: Logan Seavey (1), Kyle Jones (1), Dillon Welch (1), Kevin Bayer (1), Chris Andrews (1), Brad Loyet (1), Travis Rilat (1), Zach Daum (1), Brad Sweet (1), Alex Bright (1), Tyler Courtney (1)

-       - D-Features: 2 (each totaling 10 laps)

o   D-Feature Winners: Wyatt Burks (1), Kyle Clark (1)

-       - C-Features: 2 (each totaling 12 laps)

o   C-Feature Winners: Jonathan Beason (1), Travis Scott (1)

-       - Qualifiers: 4 (each totaling 10 laps)

o   Qualifier Winners: R.J. Johnson (1), Tyler Courtney (2), Giovanni Scelzi (1), Kyle Larson (1)

-       - B-Features: 2 (each totaling 15 laps)

o   B-Feature Winners: Scott Evans (1), Kyle Hirst (1)

-       - VIROC X: 1 (totaling 20 laps)

o   VIROC X Winner: Chad Boat (1)

-       - A-Feature: 1 (totaling 25 laps; top three advance to Saturday’s A-Feature)

o   A-Feature Winner: Kyle Larson (2)

o   Laps Led: Kyle Larson (18), Zach Daum (7)

o   Hard Charger: Tom Harris (+9)

-       - Number of Races Held (all heats/features): 23

-       - Number of Laps Completed: 247

-       - Number of Flips: 12

Notes of Interest:

-       - Kyle Larson has already advanced to Saturday’s A-Main, one in which he did not qualify for in 2017 (though he did win the VIROC race). Larson now has four Preliminary Night feature wins, tying him for third all-time with Bryan Clauson.

-       - Larson will be making his seventh Chili Bowl Saturday A-Main feature start. His best career finish was third in 2012 (first race in 2010; missed 2011 and 2017 A-Mains).

-       - Larson was one of two drivers to take the checkered flag first in multiple events Tuesday evening. He also won his 10-lap qualifier race. Tyler Courtney won his heat as well as his qualifier.

-       - Tuesday’s A-Main runner-up, Brad Sweet, is locked into his fourth career Saturday A-Main feature and first since 2013, when he finished third. He has finished in the top 10 in each of his previous three Saturday A-Main features.

-       - Tuesday’s A Main third-place finisher, Tyler Courtney, will compete in his second Saturday A-Main. He finished sixth in last year’s 55-lapper.

-       - Alex Bright earned his fifth career Chili Bowl heat race victory, all in the last six years (exception being 2016). He becomes the 32nd driver to win at least five heat races.

-       - Dillon Welch, Brad Loyet and Zach Daum each scored their career fourth Chili Bowl heat victories, while Kevin Bayer, Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney won their third career Chili Bowl heat races, and Kyle Jones his second.

-       - Logan Seavey, Chris Andrews and Travis Rilat were all first-time Chili Bowl heat winners. A total of 332 drivers have now won at least one heat race, with Sammy Swindell and Dave Darland holding the record with 12 heat wins.

-       - Chad Boat won the 20-lap VIROC X race, becoming the sixth driver to win the race (Sammy Swindell [4]; Kyle Larson [2]; Brad Loyet [1]; Kevin Swindell [1]; Tanner Thorson [1]).