279 OF THE TOP MIDGETEERS IN THE BUSINESS…INCLUDING…A BUNCH OF …"ZONIES"… DRAGGED THEIR "STUFF"… TO THE 21^ST ANNUAL CHILI BOWL…IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA…LAST WEEK…AND WHEN IT WAS OVER…IT WAS A FAMILIAR NAMED WINNER…ANY MONKEY’S BEST FRIEND…TONY STEWART…TAKING HOME THE 2^ND…"GOLDEN DRILLER"…WINNER’S TROPHY…OF HIS CAREER (ALSO WON IN 2002)

STEWART…WHO BROUGHT 5 MIDGETS TO THE EVENT…PICKED THE RIGHT ONE TO DRIVE IN THE MAIN…AS HE HELD BACK…RR-AZ ALUM…J.J. YELEY…FOR THE WIN…

YELEY…WHO HAD GOT ON HIS HEAD…IN HIS HEAT RACE…FOR THE 2^ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR ONCE AGAIN HAD TO DRIVE THRU THE…ALPHABET MAINS…TO MAKE SATURDAY’S…"A MAIN"…AND IN THE END…CAME UP JUST SHORT OF THE WIN…

JUSTIN ALLGAIER…FINISHED 3^RD…WITH SHANE COTTLE… 4^TH …AND LOCAL ROOKIE DRIVER FROM TULSA, OKLAHOMA … DONNIE RAY CRAWFORD COMPLETED THE FRONT FINISHING 5.

ANYWAY…THIS ONE’S IN THE BOOKS…AND THE 2007 RACING SEASON IS OFFICIALLY… UNDERWAY…

BUT BEFORE WE MOVE ON…WE DO WANT TO APPRISE YOU OF HOW THE ARIZONA "MIDGETEERS" FARED…AND HERE’S THEIR "BEST" INDIVIDUAL FINISH(S)…HEAT & MAIN OVER THE 5 DAYS OF THE 21^ST ANNUAL CHILI BOWL RACES…AS BEST WE COULD DISCERN…IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER…

269 OF THE TOP MIDGETEERS IN THE BUSINESS…A BUNCH OF …"ZONIES"…DRAGGED THEIR "STUFF"… TO THE 20^TH ANNUAL CHILI BOWL…IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA LAST WEEK AND WHEN IT WAS OVER…IT WAS A FAMILIAR NAMED WINNER…BUT NOT A FAMILIAR NAME IN THE MIDGET BUSINESS…TAKING HOME THE …"GOLDEN DRILLER"…WINNER’S TROPHY…

WATERTOWN, NEW YORK…DIRT LATE MODEL DRIVER…TIM MC CREADIE…IN ONLY HIS 2^ND TIME IN A MIDGET…"OUT-PATIENTED" …THE BATTLING…RR-AZ ALUMS…JAY DRAKE AND CORY KRUSEMAN…TO TAKE THE TOP SPOT…35 LAPS IN…AND THEN HELD BACK THE FORMER…MOPAR SPRINT CAR…TEAMATES…TO COLLECT THE WIN…

BRAD KUHN…FINISHED 4^TH…WHILE…JOSH WISE…COMPLETED THE TOP 5…

TUCSON’S…JERRY COONS, JR…WAS THE TOP FINISHING ARIZONA DRIVER IN THE FIELD AS HE BROUGHT IT HOME IN THE 9^TH SPOT… IN THE FINAL…

THE OTHER "BIG" NEWS TO COME OUT OF THE CHILI BOWL WAS THE TOUGH WEEKEND FOR…JOE GIBBS…

TO RECAP…HIS EMPLOYEE…NASCAR CUP CHAMP…TONY STEWART…GOT ON HIS HEAD ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT…AND THEN ON FRIDAY…STEWART DID IT AGAIN…AS DID HIS GIBBS TEAMMATE…ARIZONA’S…J.J. YELEY…

AND IF THAT WASN’T A BAD ENOUGH START TO…GIBBS WEEKEND…HIS WASHINGTON REDSKINS…TOOK IT ON THE CHIN …IN THE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS…WHEN THE WERE ELIMINATED BY SEATTLE…A CITY THAT WILL LIKELY…NEVER…SEE …GIBBS…AT A RACE TRACK…

ANYWAY…THIS ONE’S IN THE BOOKS…AND THE 2006 RACING SEASON IS OFFICIALLY… UNDERWAY…

BUT BEFORE WE MOVE ON…WE DO WANT TO APPRISE YOU OF HOW THE ARIZONA "MIDGETEERS" FARED…AND HERE’S THEIR "BEST" INDIVIDUAL FINISH(S) OVER THE 4 DAYS OF THE 20^TH ANNUAL CHILI BOWL RACES…AS BEST WE COULD DISCERN…IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER…

BEST HEAT BEST "FEATURE"

DRIVER FINISH FINISH

SHON DESKINS 5^TH A-MAIN 11^TH

CASEY SHUMAN 7^TH WIN – LAST CHANCE

JERRY COONS, JR 2^ND WIN – A QUALIFIER

ALEX PRUETT 7^TH 3^RD – LAST CHANCE

JOHN HENRY 9^TH 11^TH – LAST CHANCE

J.J. YEHLEY WIN WIN – A QUALIFIER

LONNIE OLIVER 6^TH 2^ND – K MAIN

BEN LESLIE 4^TH 12^TH – A MAIN

JOHN SARNA 5^TH WIN – LAST CHANCE

R.J. JOHNSON WIN 5^TH – B MAIN

MIKE WELKER 4^TH 2^ND – J MAIN

BUGS NORBURY 3^RD 11^TH – E MAIN

C.J. SARNA 6^TH 5^TH LAST CHANCE

CHAD BOAT 6^TH 2^ND LAST CHANCE

CHARLES DAVIS, JR. 2^ND 11^TH LAST CHANCE

STEVIE SUSSEX III 9^TH WIN – "I" MAIN

CHRIS EDWARDS 9^TH 8^TH – K MAIN

JEREMEY SHERMAN 2^ND 4^TH – B MAIN

AND THAT’S IT FOR THE 2006 CHILI BOWL…

JANUARY 11-14, 2004 (STARTS WEDNESDAY)
20^TH ANNUAL CHILI BOWL NATIONALS - TULSA, OKLAHOMA

20^TH ANNUAL "CHILI BOWL"…BY THE NUMBERS…

• 269 ENTRIES FROM 31 DIFFERENT STATES…SURPASSING LAST YEAR’S RECORD OF 249 COMPETITORS

• ENTRIES REPRESENT NUMEROUS RACING DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING NASCAR, WINGED AND NON-WING SPRINT CARS, MIDGETS, LATE MODELS AND NHRA DRAG RACING AMONG OTHERS

• AT LEAST 31 DIFFERENT SERIES OR TRACK CHAMPIONS ARE ENTERED, WITH A ROOKIE CLASS NUMBERING 72 ENTRIES

• PAST WINNERS: SAMMY SWINDELLL - 4X…CORY KRUSEMAN & DAN BOORSE 2X… TRACY HINES…(LAST YEAR)…TONY STEWART …JAY DRAKE…BILLY BOAT…DONNIE BEECHLER…ANDY HILLENBURG…DAVE BLANEY…LEALAND MC SPADDEN …JON HEYDENREICH…SCOTT HATTON…RICH VOGLER

• PAST WINNERS ALREADY ENTERED INCLUDE TONY STEWART, SAMMY SWINDELL, CORY KRUSEMAN, DAN BOORSE, JAY DRAKE, SCOTT HATTON AND DEFENDING RACE CHAMPION TRACY HINES.

SHON DESKINS…OUT OF GLENDALE

JOHN & C.J. SARNA…SEDONA

JERRY COONS, JR…TUCSON

CHAD BOAT…PHOENIX

STEVE SUSSEX, JR…&…STEVIE SUSSEX, 3^RD…

J.J. YELEY…GLENDALE

R.J. JOHNSON…PHOENIX

JEREMEY SHERMAN…PHOENIX

BUGS NORBURY…PRESCOTT

MIKE LESLIE…LITCHFIELD PARK

LONNIE OLIVER…SURPRISE

CASEY SHUMAN…TEMPE

CHARLES DAVIS, JR…BUCKEYE

ALEX PRUETT…CAREGREE

JONATHAN (IS THIS JEFF??) HENRY…GLENDALE

TRAVIS BERRYHILL…AMERICAN CANYON, AZ…