It’s the most wonderful time of the year; as the holiday season means prelim nights, alphabet soup, and Golden Drillers are right around the corner in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Set for January 12-17, 2026, we finally have our first look at entries for the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy as the 2026 edition has climbed north of 100 cars. It’s worth noting that the iconic indoor event held inside the SageNet Center has surpassed 300+ entries for 11 consecutive years with the all-time mark being 381 cars in 2022.

Headlining the initial launch of entries is California-based Matt Wood Racing, a team that dominated headlines at the 2025 event – finishing a career-best third and supplying three of the top-five finishers in Saturday’s now-40-lap main event. All five drivers from last year will return with a star-studded cast headlined by Shane Golobic (third last year), Ryan Bernal (fourth last year), Landon Brooks (fifth last year), Daryn Pittman (an eight-time A-Main starter), and Colby Copeland (a six-time A-Main starter). New in 2026, a sixth slot will be added to NOS Energy Drink-backed stable with up-and-coming teenager Austin Wood joining the team.

NASCAR Cup Series competitor for Hendrick Motorsports, Alex Bowman, will continue fielding multiple Chili Bowl entries in 2026. The Ally machines currently offer entries for five-time A-Main starter C.J. Leary and Briggs Danner, who contended for a preliminary win a year ago in his ABR debut.

Tulsa’s own Trifecta Motorsports has confirmed a No. 5U entry for Californian Michael Faccinto, a POWRi winner in the Sooner State 55, and a No. 9U entry for Missourian Kameron Key, an Xtreme Ironman 55 winner, along with a third TBA slot for the No. 7U house car. Both Faccinto and Key are former Chili Bowl Championship A-Main starters.

Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports will return the same trio from last year with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular season champion Ricky Thornton Jr., USAC National Sprint Car championship runner-up Mitchel Moles, and USAC Midget 4-Crown winner Hayden Reinbold. Notable for that week, RTJ will split time racing at the Chili Bowl Nationals and Wild West Shootout at Central Arizona Raceway, both streaming live on FloRacing.

4-Kings Racing, a consistent staple in the USAC Midget ranks, has five machines entered for the likes of five-time A-Main starter Matt Westfall, three-time A-Main starter Kevin Thomas Jr., reigning Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year Gunnar Setser, Jakeb Boxell, and Brandon Mattox.

 Matt Seymour Racing will again bring back Hank Davis and Tim Buckwalter to drive the No. 29 machines in the Expo. Davis, the new full-time pilot of the Dutcher Motorsports No. 17GP Sprint Car, has made three-straight Championship A-Mains and most notably won a Tuesday night prelim in 2023. Buckwalter is up to three Championship A-Mains with a career-best of ninth in 2023.

Another notable team entered is Six8 Motorsports, bringing a pair of Tulsa Shootout notables in T.J. Smith and Jake Andreotti to complete an all-California crew.

Frank Flud, a legend of the micro sprint ranks and multi-time Tulsa Shootout champion, will return with owner Jody Rosenboom after they together qualified for their first Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main last year.

A host of other former Championship A-Main starters are entered including Jason McDougal in the Dan Binks No. 4P, Kyle Jones and Thomas Meseraull both driving for Tim Engler, Andrew Felker in his family-owned No. 11A, Corbin Reuschenberg in his family-owned No. 26, Daniel Adler in his family-owned No. 50, Joe B. Miller in the Lewis No. 51B, and Dillon Welch in the John Levecque No. 60X.

A list of 17 rookies are currently signed-up for their first try at the Chili Bowl with notables including Indiana’s Parker Perry, Florida’s Danny Sams III, Indiana’s Jakeb Boxell, California’s Broedy Graham, Oklahoma’s Seth Shebester, and South Dakota’s Kaleb Johnson.

While a past champion has not entered as of yet, the current list of entries includes 18 past feature starters and 17 event rookies with a diverse lineup of drivers from 82 cities, 20 states, and four countries (USA, AUST., NL, NZ).

With several teams focusing their attention out west with the USAC NOS Energy Midget National Championship, the list of drivers will expand quickly in the coming weeks, especially as the early entry deadline comes into focus in December.

Keep in mind, entries are nowhere near finalized with mountains and mountains of more drivers expected to put their names on the list in the coming months.

FloRacing is the official live streaming partner of the Chili Bowl Nationals, which officially begins on Monday, January 12 and continues all the way through Saturday, January 17. If you’re not a FloRacing subscriber, click here to become one today. For $150/year, you get full access to the Tulsa Shootout, Chili Bowl Nationals, High Limit Racing, Lucas Oil Late Model Series, USAC Racing, and so much more.

2026 Chili Bowl Nationals Entry List

(As of November 18)

1M (R)-Dodge Carlbert-Palmetto, FL

1Z-Justin Zimmerman-Athens, TX

2AZ (R)-Grant Schaadt-San Tan Valley, AZ

2F-Casey Friedrichsen-Arthur, IA

2MD-TBA

3 (R)-Gage Trube-Blue Springs, MO

3D-Darin Naida-Adrian, MI

4K-Gunnar Setser-Columbus, IN

4P-Jason McDougal-Broken Arrow, OK

4X-TBA

4Y-Jett Yantis-Bakersfield, CA

5U-Michael Faccinto-Hanford, CA

6G-Ethan Mitchell-Mooresville, NC

7-Shannon McQueen-Bakersfield, CA

7B-TBA

7D-Michelle Decker-Guthrie, OK

7G (R)-Parker Perry-North Vernon, IN

7TX-Kyle Jones-Kennedale, TX

7U-TBA

7X-Thomas Meseraull-San Jose, CA

7ZP (R)-Zoe Pearce-Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

9B-Brian Schwabauer-Hastings, NE

9U-Kameron Key-Warrensburg, MO

10K (R)-Jordan Knight-Wright, KS

11A-Andrew Felker-Carl Junction, MO

14E-Kris Carroll-Claremore, OK

14F-TBA

14K-Kevin Thomas Jr-Cullman, AL

14L-TBA

14J-Wout Hoffmans-Boxmeer, NB (Netherlands)

15V-Cole Vanderheiden-Papillion, NE

17A-Austin Wood-Sacramento, CA

17DC (R)-Drake Cardey-Riverside, CA

17W-Shane Golobic-Fremont, CA

19A-Hayden Reinbold-Chandler, AZ

19R-Ricky Thornton Jr-Chandler, AZ

19S-TBA

19T-Mitchell Moles-Raisin City, CA

20-Tadd Holliman-Murray, NE

21-Daryn Pittman-Owasso, OK

21D-Justin Dickerson-Pittsboro, IN

22M-TBA

22X-Steven Shebester-Mustang, OK

23S-Kyle Simon-Covington, OH

26-Corbin Rueschenberg-Mesa, AZ

27G-Steve Gresham-Seymour, IN

27X-Kalib Henry-Sacramento, CA

27W-Colby Copeland-Roseville, CA

28B-Brandon Mattox-Terre Haute, IN

28J-Joe Perry-Billings, MT

29-Tim Buckwalter-Douglassville, PA

29S-Hank Davis-Sand Springs, OK

30 (R)-Matt Johnson-St. Peter, MN

32A-Alex Sewell-Broken Arrow, OK

32J-Jason Tessier-Broken Arrow, OK

40-Max Adams-Loomis, CA

40B-Josh Bilicki-Menominee Falls, WI

40M-TBA

40S-Jace Sparks-Crystal Lake, IL

40X-TBA

41AU-John Murdie-Darwin, NT (Australia)

42K-Kevin Battefeld-Lewistown, IL

44 (R)-Danny Sams III-North Port, FL

44K (R)-Jakeb Boxell-Zanesville, IN

44R-Branigan Roark-Lincoln, MO

45B-Bradley Cox-Burkburnett, TX

50-Daniel Adler-St. Louis, MO

51B-Joe B. Miller-Millersville, MO

51F-Braden Chiaramonte-El Cajon, CA

51T-Cole Tinsley-Bonne Terre, MO

54-Matt Westfall-Pleasant Hill, OH

54C (R)-Seth Shebester-Pauls Valley, OK

55B (R)-Ryan Bowers-Nowthen, MN

55i-Briggs Danner-Allentown, PA

55X-C.J. Leary-Greenfield, IN

56-Bill Johnson-St. Peter, MN

57K-Kevin Studley-Plainfield, IN

57W-Landon Brooks-Rio Oso, CA

60C-TBA

60X-Dillon Welch-Carmel, IN

65 (R)-Ben Covich-Auckland, NZ

66B (R)-Broedy Graham-Bakersfield, CA

68T-TJ Smith-Fresno, CA

68W-Jake Andreotti-Castro Valley, CA

72W-Tye Wilke-Detroit Lakes, MN

75-Mario Clouser-Auburn, IL

75W-Will Armitage-Athens, IL

75X (R)-Kaleb Johnson-Sioux Falls, SD

77A (R)-Preston Norbury-Chino Valley, AZ

77S (R)-Dayton Shelton-Prescott, AZ

81F-Frank Flud-Pryor, OK

87W-Ryan Bernal-Hollister, CA

88P (R)-Tony Penick-El Reno, OK

91-Jeff Stasa-Kingman, KS

91B-Kevin Bayer-Bixby, OK

91X-Danny Wood-Norman, OK

94-Hayden Wise-Huntersville, NC

95-Chris Andrews-Tulsa, OK

97B-Brandon Lewis-Broken Arrow, OK

97P-Ryker Pace-Collinsville, OK

118-Tyler Hewitt-Marion, IN