What Is The Format For Chili Bowl Nationals In 2026?
What Is The Format For Chili Bowl Nationals In 2026?
Chili Bowl Nationals is back in 2026 and will take place Jan. 12-17. It is considered the “World’s Greatest Midget Race,” but what is the format?
The turning of the calendar to a new year means different things to everyone, but for fans of midget racing, it means the next edition of Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink is right around the corner.
Everywhere you look when it comes to Chili Bowl Nationals, the first words that come to mind are prestige and tradition, and that will be especially true when the six-day racing extravaganza takes over Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the SageNet Center at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Jan. 12-17.
The host city is race-crazy. The venue and quarter-mile clay track are iconic. The atmosphere is electric. Oh, and the Chili Bowl Nationals will be celebrating its 40th edition in 2026.
Another tradition that will continue is that fans who can’t make it to Oklahoma will be able to catch all the action live on FloRacing and the FloSports app!
- More Info About How To Watch The 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals
- When Is The Chili Bowl 2026?
- Larson, Bell, Seavey Headline Latest Batch Of 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals Entries
- Chili’s Grill & Bar Partners With FloRacing For Chili Bowl Coverage In 2026
First held in 1987, Chili Bowl Nationals has grown to now feature hundreds of entries, and that will be no different in 2026, with more nearly 250 names on the list by the first week of December 2025 and over 340 by Christmas.
Among them, are defending champion and race-it-all superstar Kyle Larson, who also won in 2020 and 2021, three-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner Christopher Bell (2017, 2018, 2019), two-time champion Logan Seavey (2023, 2024) and one of the event’s legends in Sammy Swindell, who has won five times and will be racing for the 36th year.
As always, each driver will participate in one of the five nights of qualifying, hoping to earn a spot in the championship A-Feature on the final night.
One major change to the finale, which determines who takes home the coveted Golden Driller Trophy, is that the race will go back to its previous 55 laps, after cutting back to just 40 in 2025.
The Golden Driller is one of the most recognizable trophies in racing and the crown jewel of midget action – and it all happens at the Mecca of open-wheel dirt racing.
Read More: What Makes A Golden Driller Trophy So Special?
But What Is The Format For Chili Bowl Nationals?
Each driver will compete in one of the five nights of preliminary action – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday – with the goal of earning maximum passing points during their races. The more passing points they earn, the better starting position they’ll have for that night’s A-Main feature.
Each preliminary night will feature heat races, qualifying races, C-Mains, B-Mains and a 30-lap A-Main.
The following chart explains how passing points are determined for heat races and qualifying races. 
The 40 drivers earning the most passing points in heat races will advance to one of the four “A” qualifying races.
Those who finish 41st through 68th will move on to one of the two C-Main races. There are 7-10 cars per heat race, with each being eight laps. The C-Main races will be 16 cars and 12 laps.
The top four cars in each C-Main race will cycle back in for the 15-lap B-Main races (more below).
For the qualifying races, the top 24 in points (six in each qualifier) will be inverted to give them a chance to race for more passing points.
At the end of qualifiers, the top 16 in combined passing points between their heat and qualifying race will advance to the night’s A-Main feature. Those who do not advance to the A-Main after qualifiers will be placed in B-Mains.
The top four finishers in each C-Main will be added to the back of the B-Mains and the top four finishers in the B-Mains will be added to the rear of the starting lineup for the A-Main.
Then, it’s time for 30 laps of racing with only the top two finishers qualifying for Saturday’s A-Main. Everyone who does not qualify will be placed in the “alphabet soup” on Saturday.
What Happens Saturday At Chili Bowl Nationals?
The long day of racing Saturday at Chili Bowl Nationals begins with either P-Main or O-Main races, depending on the number of cars that enter.
Drivers will attempt to work their way up through the alphabet one step at a time, with hope of making the A-Main.
There will be two B-Main features, with the top seven finishers advancing to the A-Main, finalizing the 24-car field for what will return to being a 55-lap final feature for the Golden Driller.
The lineup for the top 10 cars in the A-Main 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.
All of the action from the SageNet Center from Jan. 12-17 will be broadcast live on FloRacing.
How To Watch The 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals
Chili Bowl Nationals is streaming on FloRacing and the FloSports app.
Non-subscribers interested in watching the race can become FloRacing subscribers by clicking here.
Fans can watch on their SmartTVs, mobile phones or tablets, as well as computers on FloRacing.com.
The FloSports app is available on Roku, FireTV, Samsung, LG, Google Play Store and the Apple Store.
Replays of the event, breaking news and every qualifying race also will be on both platforms.
Those who would like to watch the action in person can find spectator and ticket information here.
40th Annual Chili Bowl Nationals Event Schedule
All Times Listed Are Central Standard Time
Sunday, Jan. 11
- 7 a.m. - Building/Pit Pass Booth Open
- 9 a.m. - Practice
Monday, Jan. 12
- 9 am. - Building Opens
- 11 a.m. - Pit Pass Booth Open
- 1 p.m. - Building Secured
- 2 p.m. - Draw For Lineups
- 3 p.m. - Drivers’ Meeting
- 4 p.m. - Hot Laps
- 5 p.m. - Races
Tuesday, Jan. 13
- 9 a.m. - Building Opens
- 11 a.m. - Pit Pass Booth Open
- 1 p.m. - Building Secured
- 2 p.m. - Draw For Lineups
- 3 p.m. - Drivers’ Meeting
- 4 p.m. - Hot Laps
- 5 p.m. - Races
Wednesday, Jan. 14
- 9 a.m. - Building Opens
- 11 a.m. - Pit Pass Booth Open
- 1 p.m. - Building Secured
- 2 p.m. - Draw For Lineups
- 3 p.m. - Drivers’ Meeting
- 4 p.m. - Hot Laps
- 5 p.m. - Races
Thursday, Jan. 15
- 9 a.m. - Building Opens
- 11 a.m. - Pit Pass Booth Open
- 1 p.m. - Building Secured
- 2 p.m. - Draw for Lineups
- 3 p.m. - Drivers’ Meeting
- 4 p.m. - Hot Laps
- 5 p.m. - Races
Friday, Jan. 16
- 9 a.m. - Building Secured/Pit Pass Booth Open
- 2 p.m. - Draw for Lineups
- 3 p.m. - Drivers’ Meeting
- 4 p.m. - Hot Laps
- 5 p.m. - Races
Saturday, Jan. 17
- 7:30 a.m. - Building Secured/Trade Show
- 8 a.m. - Pit Pass Booth/Pit Gate Open
- 8:15 a.m. - Racers For Christ Service
- 9 a.m. - Feature Hot Laps
- 6:30 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies
What Kind Of Cars Race At Chili Bowl Nationals?
Chili Bowl Nationals features Midget cars, which are small vehicles with a high power-to-weight ratio and open wheels, all of which results in speedy and physical racing with banging wheels and flipping cars.
The cars, sometimes mistaken for go-karts, weigh less than 1,000 pounds, including the driver, and while they're small, they're also mighty, featuring four-cylinder engines and 300-400 horsepower. They can accelerate quickly and reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
Who Is Racing At Chili Bowl Nationals In 2026?
Chili Bowl Nationals now attracts 300-400 entries each year, and the list for 2026 was closing in on 350 as Christmas approached.
The star-studded field will include drivers from across the globe and throughout the world of motorsports.
To see the current list of entries, which is updated regularly, click here.
Check Out The Highlights From The 2025 Chili Bowl Finale
To get you in the mood for this year’s event, rewatch the highlights from the Saturday night A-Main race from the 2025 edition of Chili Bowl Nationals.
Seeking his third Chili Bowl Nationals title, Kyle Larson starts on the pole in the 40-lap finale and gets the job done!
How To Watch Every Chili Bowl
With the help of MAVTV and Greg Stephen’s Motorsports Video, FloRacing has assembled every championship feature event replay from the inception of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in 1987!
Fans can watch all 39 main events from the Chili Bowl Nationals (1987-2025) on FloRacing by clicking here.
Archived Footage On FloRacing
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