2023 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals

A Look Back At The Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Through The Years

A Look Back At The Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Through The Years

Before the 37th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals begins next week, take a look at the event's history through the years.

Jan 6, 2023 by FloRacing Staff
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TULSA, OKLA. – Before the 37th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals goes green next week, let’s look back on the entire history of what they call “The Super Bowl of Midget Racing.”

You can now watch every single Chili Bowl A-Main in history on FloRacing. The 2023 edition of the event begins with the first of five preliminary nights on Monday, January 9 and concludes with the next Golden Driller being given away on Saturday, January 14.

1987 – Advancing from 13th, Rich Vogler drives through an all-star cast of Midget competitors to become the first-ever winner of the Chili Bowl. The event required only six heat races to set the A-Main lineup – compared to 2023, which now requires six complete nights of racing. Relive the historic first-ever Chili Bowl here.

1988 – Taking the lead on Lap 16, Scott Hatton holds off Danny Frye, Gene Gennetten, Mike Gregg and Mel Kenyon to score the second Golden Driller. Watch the second Chili Bowl here.

1989 – From the outside pole, Sammy Swindell leads every lap as he earns the first of what will become an unprecedented five Chili Bowl Nationals titles. Watch the 1989 Chili Bowl here.

1990 – Stuck in a sandwich with World of Outlaws legends, Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell, John Heydenreich was proudly in the middle of the podium after outlasting the two giants in the closing stages to become the fourth different Chili Bowl winner in four years. Watch the 1990 Chili Bowl here.

1991 – Delivering a Golden Driller to Andy Bondio, Lealand McSpadden controls all 40 laps and holds off a ferocious Sammy Swindell to win the fifth Chili Bowl. Relive the 1991 Chili Bowl here.

1992 – The first 50-lap finale in Chili Bowl history also marked the first occurrence of a repeat winner as Slammin’ Sammy Swindell triumphed over Lealand McSpadden, who fell just short of completing some last-lap heroics for a back-to-back run. Watch the 1992 Chili Bowl here.

1993 – World of Outlaws regular and eventual NASCAR star Dave Blaney adds conquering the Chili Bowl to his long list of accomplishments – battling Ken Schrader and Brent Kaeding before ultimately beating Ron Shuman to the stripe. Watch the 1993 Chili Bowl here.

1994 – Remembered for featuring one of the greatest battles in Chili Bowl history, the turning point was when brothers Page and P.J. Jones were eliminated from the lead during a late-race wreck. Assuming the lead and assuming the Golden Driller was Oklahoma’s own Andy Hillenburg, marking the first home state win in event history. Relive the 1994 Chili Bowl here.

1995 – All the way from the 16th starting position, nobody in Chili Bowl history has won it from farther back than Donnie Beechler did in 1995. Driving for Gary Zarounian, the Illinois native came from the B-Main and then drove by Ron Shuman on Lap 44 of the A-Main to seal his date with destiny. Watch the 1995 Chili Bowl here.

1996 – There was trouble at the front in this one as Billy Pauch (flat tire on Lap 8) and Billy Boat (wreck on Lap 44) were both eliminated from the lead due at no fault of their own. Benefitting from their trouble was Slammin’ Sammy Swindell, who assumed the lead and added a third Golden Driller to his mantle. Watch the 1996 Chili Bowl here.

1997 – Driving for the legendary John Lawson, ninth-starting Billy Boat battled forward and made his mark when it counted, soaring around the outside of Danny Lasoski with six laps left and hanging on to add his name to the list of Chili Bowl champions. Watch the 1997 Chili Bowl here.

1998 – After taking the lead from Jason Leffler and Jay Drake, Sammy Swindell survives a few more bump in the roads to land his fourth Golden Driller at the Chili Bowl – at this point in time, nobody else has even won two. Relive the 1998 Chili Bowl here.

1999 – The Wisconsin faithful were awful passionate on this night as Dan Boorse takes the lead over from Kevin Doty and then becomes the first driver to deliver a Golden Driller back to “The Badger State.” Watch the 1999 Chili Bowl here.

2000 – While Cory Kruseman leads all 50 laps for his first Golden Driller, there is plenty of racing behind him as Shane Cottle becomes the highest-finishing rookie in event history (2nd) and Bud Kaeding completes an impressive 18th-to-3rd rally. Relive the 2000 Chili Bowl here.

2001 – Outrunning Aaron Fike through the middle stages, USAC star Jay Drake drives the Keith Kunz owned No. 67 to the lead and never looks back as the Californian collects his first-career Golden Driller in Tulsa. Relive the 2001 Chili Bowl here.

2002 – One of the most exciting battles in Chili Bowl history saw Tony Stewart and Kevin Doty exchange the lead seven times over the final 16 laps. The soon-to-be NASCAR Cup Series champion ultimately took the lead for good on Lap 49 and survived one more circuit to get his first Golden Driller. Watch the 2002 Chili Bowl here.

2003 – After Cory Kruseman’s mechanical problems end his domination, Dan Boorse blows by Jay Drake to complete the first-ever last-lap pass for the win in Chili Bowl history. Sammy Swindell’s hopes of a fifth Golden Driller are dashed when he’s eliminated while running 2nd from the E-Main. Watch the 2003 Chili Bowl here.

2004 – Cory Kruseman gets by Jason Leffler and Danny Lasoski at halfway, then survives five caution periods to claim his second Golden Driller with iconic car owner, Andy Bondio. The talk of town, however, is JJ Yeley, who pulls off the most epic alphabet soup run in Chili Bowl history – advancing 69 positions from the F-Main to finish 3rd in the A-Main. Watch the 2004 Chili Bowl here.

2005 – There was not stopping Tracy Hines on this night as he leads all 50 laps over Cory Kruseman to deliver the first Chili Bowl crown to the famed Wilke-Pak team. Watch the 2005 Chili Bowl here.

2006 – In a shocking upset, Late Model ace Tim McCreadie of Watertown, New York drives from 10th to win the Chili Bowl over Tulsa heroes Jay Drake and Cory Kruseman. He perfected the bottom and led the final 16 laps to add a Golden Driller to his collection and has since become a consistent contender in the Expo. Watch the 2006 Chili Bowl here.

2007 – Returning to Chili Bowl victory lane for the second time, and first in his own car, Tony Stewart used the patented low-line to add another Golden Driller to his collection. “Smoke” fended off countless challenges from fellow NASCAR star J.J. Yeley and teenage hotshot Justin Allgaier. Watch the 2007 Chili Bowl here.

2008 – Working by polesitter Josh Ford, fellow Californian Damion Gardner drives the Jason Leffler owned #71 to the lead on Lap 11 and never looks back – earning his first-career Golden Driller ahead of Indiana Sprint Car legends Dave Darland and Shane Cottle. Watch the 2008 Chili Bowl here.

2009 – Earning “one for the thumb,” Sammy Swindell adds to his unparalleled Chili Bowl legacy with a fifth Golden Driller – becoming the oldest driver to win the event at 53 years, 2 months. Slammin’ Sammy had to work past early leaders Jerry Coons Jr. and Tracy Hines to get the job done with his infamous square tail tank. Watch the 2009 Chili Bowl here.

2010 – On the opposite end of the spectrum compared to 2009, it was Sammy’s son Kevin bursting onto the scene and becoming the youngest winner in Chili Bowl history at 20 years, 10 months. The young prodigy battled by Darren Hagen & Cory Kruseman, ultimately winning it over Cole Whitt and hard-charging dad from 25th-to-3rd. Watch the 2010 Chili Bowl here.

2011 – The closest championship finish in Chili Bowl history comes down to father vs. son on the 50th and final lap. Kevin Swindell jumps the cushion in turn four allowing Sammy Swindell to make a big run on the bottom, but the new kid on the block hands on to beat dad to the stripe by a matter of inches. Watch the 2011 Chili Bowl here.

2012 – In the first event honoring Donnie Ray Crawford with a 55-lap A-Main, it’s another Swindell 1-2. This time it’s not as close, though, as Kevin leads every single lap from the pole position for his third-straight score at the Chili Bowl. It was the last time a driver led every lap of the Championship A-Main. Watch the 2012 Chili Bowl here.

2013 – A race that featured one of the most iconic battles in Chili Bowl history saw a young Kyle Larson go head-to-head with the daunting Swindell duo. Kyle, Kevin & Sammy shared three-wide shots, sliders to the wall, and all kinds of bumping and banging while sending the Expo crowd bonkers before a Larson spin ended it all. From there, Kevin cruised away from dad to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Golden Driller. Watch the 2013 Chili Bowl here.

2014 – Overcoming a decade worth of close-calls and heartbreaks, Noblesville, Indiana’s Bryan Clauson – forever known as the man that broke the Swindell’s five-year stranglehold – finally broke through for his first-career Golden Driller. He led the final 50 laps in a chaotic race before parking Rusty Kunz’s No. 63 in Chili Bowl victory lane. Watch the 2014 Chili Bowl here.

2015– Pursuing back-to-back Chili Bowl titles, Bryan Clauson led the opening 26 circuits before a new name emerged on the scene when Rico Abreu slid by on Lap 27. The lovable St. Helena, California native brought Keith Kunz back to Tulsa victory lane with Toyota’s first Golden Driller and the Expo lit up with “RICO” chants. Watch the 2015 Chili Bowl here.

2016 – After early leader Christopher Bell fell victim to lap traffic trouble, Bryan Clauson commanded the following 35 laps until the same story played out for the second year in a row. Rico Abreu mounted another late-race charge and whipped by Clauson with 11 to go, then stormed off to his second-straight Golden Driller. In BC’s final Chili Bowl, the ultimate sportsman was there to catch Rico when he leapt from the car. Watch the 2016 Chili Bowl here.

2017 – Ending a 23-year streak, Norman’s Christopher Bell became the first Oklahoma native to win the Chili Bowl since Broken Arrow’s Andy Hillenburg did it in 1994. CBell drove to the lead by Justin Grant on Lap 26 and never looked back, fending off Owasso’s Daryn Pittman to make it a “Sooner State” 1-2 for the first time in event history. Watch the 2017 Chili Bowl here.

2018– A back-and-forth battle between Keith Kunz Motorsports teammates ensued before more Tulsa tragedy struck Kyle Larson, blowing a motor while leading on Lap 41. His heartbreak spelled glory for Christopher Bell, who assumed the command and was never seriously challenged en route to a second-straight Chili Bowl title. Watch the 2018 Chili Bowl here.

2019 – One of the most dramatic finishes in Chili Bowl history. After leading 34 laps, including the white flag, Kyle Larson saw his Golden Driller dreams shattered on the 55th and final circuit. Slipping off the bottom and opening the door, Christopher Bell took full advantage of Larson’s biggest mistake and nudged his way through for a third-consecutive championship – marking only the second last-lap pass for the win in event history. Watch the 2019 Chili Bowl here.

2020 – After 365 days of nightmares, Kyle Larson returned to the building that had haunted him for 13+ years and finally stood atop the podium as a Chili Bowl champion – claiming “this is the biggest effing race I’ve ever won.” Driving for his own team with Paul Silva on the wrenches, Larson went head-to-head with the man who stole his glory the previous year, Christopher Bell, and beat him by leading the final 17 laps. Watch the 2020 Chili Bowl here.

2021 – Scoring his second-career Golden Driller, Kyle Larson joined Kevin Swindell (2010-13), Rico Abreu (2015-16), and Christopher Bell (2017-19) as the fourth man to earn back-to-back Chili Bowl titles. It was a wire-to-wire win in the 55-lapper, but Larson was constantly hounded by challengers like Christopher Bell and Justin Grant, both of whom were bit by the cushion and flipped out of the race. Watch the 2021 Chili Bowl here.

2022 – After seven previous A-Main starts, Minden, Nevada’s Tanner Thorson finally broke through for his first-career Golden Driller at the 36th running of the Chili Bowl. Settling into second for much of the race, Thorson slid by his former KKM teammate Christopher Bell on Lap 37 and fended off a frantic rally in the closing stages to deliver the gold to Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports. Watch the 2022 Chili Bowl here.