Chili Bowl 2026: Schedule, entry list, results and more for this year’s Nationals in Tulsa

The 2026 Chili Bowl has arrived.

Considered the Super Bowl of midget car racing, the Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink attract more than 300 competitors from across the United States and the world to compete at Tulsa Expo Raceway, a temporary circuit constructed inside the SageNet Center at Tulsa’s Expo Square in Oklahoma.

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This year marks the 40th running of the event, which began in 1987 and has continued to grow in prestige each year since.

A number of NASCAR drivers have made their way to the Chili Bowl through the years, and select handful have won the prestigious Golden Driller trophy. Among them is two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, the three-time and defending Chili Bowl winner. Christopher Bell is also three-time Chili Bowl champion. Three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart has won the Chili Bowl twice, and Dave Blaney, a veteran of more than 450 Cup races, won the Chili Bowl in 1993.

Five drivers who competed in the Cup Series last year are entered in the 2026 Chili Bowl: Larson, Bell, Ty Gibbs, J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki.

Jesse Love, the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion and 2023 ARCA Menards Series champion, will compete in a car owned by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Blake Harris. Corey Day, who is set to embark upon his first full O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season in 2026, is also scheduled to compete. Sheldon Creed, an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular and 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, will make his Chili Bowl debut this year.

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The NASCAR Regional level is also well represented at the Chili Bowl. Jake Johnson, a winner on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, will make his Chili Bowl debut. Gavan Boschele, who recently signed with Nitro Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series, will drive a car owned by Kyle Busch. ARCA Menards Series regular Brayton Laster will compete for the first time in Tulsa, as will ARCA competitor and active duty U.S. Air Force pilot Ryan Roulette.

Below is everything to know about the 2026 Chili Bowl, including the schedule, the entry list and the results from the event’s 39-year history.

What TV channel is the Chili Bowl on in 2026?

The 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa will be shown live in its entirety on FloRacing, the streaming home for all NASCAR Regional action. The event will not be shown on a traditional television network.

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FloRacing’s race coverage begins Monday, Jan. 13 and includes all five qualifying nights as well as the championship finale on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Below is the breakdown of the TV and live streaming schedule for the 2026 Chili Bowl.

Chili Bowl schedule

Entry list

Two NASCAR Cup Series winners are among the nearly 400 drivers entered in the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals.

As of Jan. 7, the entry list had reached 385 drivers. The all-time record for Chili Bowl entries was set in 2022 with 381 competitors.

Kyle Larson headlines the list of NASCAR competitors entered to compete in the Chili Bowl. He captured back-to-back Chili Bowl titles in 2020 and 2021 and added his third Golden Driller trophy last year.

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Also entered is Christopher Bell, a three-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion who won the event in three consecutive years from 2017-19.

Additional entries include 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ty Gibbs, 2020 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed, Cup veterans J.J. Yeley and Josh Bilicki, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner Jake Johnson and ARCA competitors Gavan Boschele, Brayton Laster and Ryan Roulette.

The entry list features drivers from 36 states and five countries (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands).

The complete 2026 Chili Bowl entry list can be viewed here.

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Chili Bowl results

Kyle Larson added another trophy to his legendary collection with his third Chili Bowl Nationals victory last year. After taking consecutive Chili Bowl crowns in 2020 and 2021, he earned his third with an epic drive in the 40-lap main event in 2025.

Legendary sprint car driver Sammy Swindell, a three-time World of Outlaws champion, holds the record with five Chili Bowl A-Main victories (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009). He is once again entered in 2024.

Swindell’s son Kevin ranks second in Chili Bowl A-Main victories with four (all in a row from 2010-14), though injuries sustained in a 2015 crash ended his driving career.

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Below is the complete list of Chili Bowl winners from 1987-2025.

NASCAR drivers at the 2026 Chili Bowl

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will make his 18th Chili Bowl Nationals attempt this year. A three-time (2020-21, 2025) Chili Bowl Nationals champion, Larson has made the championship feature 12 times during his career.

One season ago, he won the Monday preliminary night feature and he followed that with his third victory in the Saturday championship feature.

For the second consecutive year, Christopher Bell will be back in the SageNet Center for the Chili Bowl Nationals. The native of nearby Norman, Oklahoma will be making his 13th Chili Bowl attempt. He won three consecutive Chili Bowl championships from 2017-19.

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Last year he returned to the Chili Bowl after a two-year hiatus, finishing 10th in the Saturday finale.

Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, is making his return to the Chili Bowl Nationals after making his debut in the event one season ago. In his first Chili Bowl attempt last year, he finished sixth in an F-Main on championship Saturday.

Reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love is making his return to the Chili Bowl after last competing in 2024. He’ll be driving a car owned by Blake Harris, crew chief for Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Of his three previous Chili Bowl attempts, Love’s best finish came in 2021, when he finished 13th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.

A legend inside the SageNet Center, veteran NASCAR star J.J. Yeley returns to the Chili Bowl Nationals for his 30th attempt to capture the prestigious Golden Driller trophy. In his 29 previous attempts, Yeley has made the championship feature eight times, including a runner-up finish in 2007.

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Yeley made history during the 2004 running of the event, advancing a stunning 69 positions from his F-Main to finish third in the Chili Bowl championship race.

Journeyman NASCAR competitor Josh Bilicki returns to the SageNet Center for the fourth consecutive year to take part in the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals.

His best effort in his previous three starts came last year when he made it to a G-Main on championship Saturday.

Corey Day, who was recently confirmed for his first full NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, is back for his fifth attempt at the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2026.

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In four previous attempts inside the SageNet Center, Day has made the championship feature three times. His best effort came in 2024, when he finished third in the Saturday night main event behind winner Logan Seavey and runner-up Buddy Kofoid.

Sheldon Creed, who races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the Haas Factory Team, is scheduled to make his Chili Bowl Nationals debut this year.

Creed is no stranger to dirt racing. He’s been a regular competitor at North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for years and previously competed in the Tulsa Shootout, the annual precursor to the Chili Bowl inside the SageNet Center.

Gavan Boschele, who is joining Nitro Motorsports this year for most of the ARCA Menards Series schedule, is returning to Tulsa for his fourth Chili Bowl attempt. He’ll do so aboard a Midget car owned by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

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His best effort inside the SageNet Center came in his debut in 2022, when he finished 14th in a B-Main on championship Saturday.

Three other drivers competing at NASCAR’s Regional level are slated to make their Chili Bowl debuts this year. They include NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race winner Jake Johnson, as well as ARCA Menards Series racers Brayton Laster and Ryan Roulette. All three will look to turn heads during one of dirt racing’s most prestigious events.

Where is the Chili Bowl?

Each January, a carefully constructed quarter-mile dirt oval graces the floor of the SageNet Center at the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The temporary indoor circuit is known as Tulsa Expo Raceway.

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The same dirt used for the inaugural Chili Bowl in 1987 forms the track each year.

“The Chili Bowl’s key ingredient is the clay which once covered the adjacent fairgrounds,” the event’s website reads. “Without sun or wind to harm it, the indoor garden (roughly a quarter-mile circle) is heavily saturated so that the boldest dirt track artists of our time can truly shine.”

Located outside the Tulsa Expo Center is the famous golden driller statue, a massive figure depicting an oil worker. That is why the driver who wins the Chili Bowl A-Main on championship Saturday will receive a Golden Driller trophy, one of the most sought after trophies in all of motorsports.

Format

Below is the Chili Bowl format as outlined on ChiliBowl.com. One major change for the 2026 edition of the event is the length of the championship main event on Saturday night, which returns to a 55-lap distance after being 40 laps last year.

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Qualifying Nights (Monday-Friday)

Heat Races

• Drivers draw for heat racing starting position at 2 p.m. at chalkboard each day

• The driver who draws lowest number will start on the pole of Heat 1, second lowest number on the pole of Heat 2, etc.

• Number of heats decided by number of cars – 7-10 cars per heat race (8 Laps)

• Advancement from heat race to features is based upon passing points earned in heat race and qualifying races. Passing points are based upon car starting position when the yellow light goes out prior to the initial start of the heat or qualifying race.

C Mains/Qualifying Races/B Mains/A Main

• The 40 drivers earning the most passing points advance to Four “A” Qualifying Races; drivers in passing points positions 41-68 will go to two C Main races. The two C Main races will have 16 cars 12 laps in length.

• The top four cars in each C Main race will advance to the back of the B Main races, going 15 laps. (Top four from first C Main to back of first B Main, top four from second C Main to back of second B main)

• The lineup of each “A” Qualifying race will include an inversion of six cars. The top 24 cars in passing points will make the inversion. (The top point driver will start on row 3 of the first qualifying race, the No. 2 driver on row 3 of the second qualifying race, etc.)

• The four qualifying races will have 10 cars each with the top 16 in combined passing points from the heats and Qualifying races advancing to the A Main.

• The balance of the cars (24) from the “A” qualifying races will advance to two 16 car B Mains. The top four in each B Main will advance to the A Main, going 30 laps.

• There will be 24 drivers in each Preliminary Night A Feature

• The top two drivers in the Preliminary A qualify for Saturday‘s A Main.

Saturday Night Features

A Feature

The lineup for the top 10 cars in the A feature will be determined through the Chili Bowl Pole Dash.

The five A feature winners will draw 1-5, followed by the five drivers who finished second drawing 6-10 to seed the Pole Dash.

Pole Dash Procedure

• Each of the races will have four cars and be four laps.

• Preliminary Night Winners will draw for positions 1st – 5th, Runner up will draw 6th – 10th

• First Race will be drivers who draw 7th – 10th, lined up in that order. Top 2 will advance.

• Second Race, front row will be drivers who draw 5th & 6th, with the two drivers moving on from the first race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).

• Third Race front row will be drivers who draw 3rd & 4th, with the two drivers moving on from the second race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).

• Fourth Race front row will be drivers who draw 1st & 2nd, with the two drivers moving on from the third race in Row 2 (Winner inside, 2nd outside).

• Winner of the fourth race will earn the pole in Saturday’s A-Feature.

(Note: All positions in races other than Saturday’s A-Main will line up upon the originoal draw of the winners prior to the pole dash. Example: If the Friday winner draws number 1, the Wednesday winner draws number 2, Tuesday winner draws number 3, Thursday winner draws number 4, and the Monday winner draws number 5, all positions in all races will be based on Friday first, Wednesday second, Tuesday third, Thursday fourth, and Monday fifth.)

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• Seven drivers will advance from each B main to the A for a total of 24 cars with Provisionals set aside for the defending Chili Bowl Champion and previous year’s Race of Champions Winner should they not transfer.

B Mains (20 Laps)

• There will be two B mains, with 20 drivers in each B main.

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature in position 3-8 will qualify for the B mains

• Five drivers will advance from each C main to the B mains (1st C to 1st B, 2nd C to 2nd B)

C Mains (15 Laps)

• There will be two C Mains, with 20 drivers in each C

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 9-14 will qualify for the C mains

• Five drivers will advance from each D main to the C Mains

D Mains (15 Laps)

• There will be two D mains, with 20 drivers in each D

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary A feature positions 15-20 will qualify for the D mains

• Five drivers will advance from each E main to the D mains

E Mains (15 Laps)

• There will be two E mains, with 20 drivers in each E

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night A features 21-24 and B features 5th will qualify for the E mains

• Five drivers will advance from each F main to the E mains

F Mains (15 Laps)

• There will be two F mains, with 20 drivers in each F

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 6-8 will qualify for the F mains

• Five drivers will advance from each G main to the F mains

G Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two G mains, with 16 drivers in each G

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 9-10 will qualify for the G mains

• Five drivers will advance from each H main to the G mains

H Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two H mains, with 16 drivers in each H

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 11-12 will qualify for the H mains

• Six drivers will advance from each I main to the H mains

I Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two I mains, with 16 drivers in each I

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 13-14 will qualify for the I mains

• Six drivers will advance from each J main to the I mains

J Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two J mains, with 16 drivers in each J

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night B features in positions 15-16 will qualify for the I mains

• Six drivers will advance from each K main to the I mains

K Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two K mains, with 16 drivers in each K

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C features in positions 5-6 will qualify for the K mains

• Six drivers will advance from each L main to the L mains

L Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two L Mains, with 16 drivers in each L

• Drivers finishing in their Preliminary night C feature in position 7-8 will qualify for the L Mains

• Six drivers will advance from each M main to the L mains

M Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two M Mains, with 16 drivers in each M

• Drivers finishing in C feature positions 9-10 will qualify for the M Mains

• Six drivers will advance from each N main to the M mains

N Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two N Mains, with 16 drivers in each N

• Drivers finishing in C feature positions 11-12 will qualify for the N Mains

• Six drivers will advance from each O main to the N mains

O Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two O Mains, with 16 drivers in each O

• Drivers finishing in D feature positions 3-4 will qualify for the O Mains.

• Six drivers will advance from each P Main to the O Mains

P&Q Mains (10 Laps)

• There will be two P Mains and possibly two Q Mains, with the number of drivers TBA in each.

• Drivers finishing in D feature positions 4 on back will qualify for these race, and lineup position will be determined by finish on qualifying night and number of cars.