The Story Behind This Year's Larger Chili Bowl Golden Driller Trophy

A larger Golden Driller trophy will be awarded to the winner of the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink.

Jan 14, 2026 by Lee Spencer

The Golden Driller is synonymous with the Chili Bowl Nationals.

This January, more than 400 drivers from around the world have converged on Tulsa Oklahoma for the chance to capture the iconic prize.

But for the 40th anniversary of the Mecca of Midgets, Ashleigh Ward wanted to supersize the trophy to commemorate the event’s longevity and magnitude.

“Matt (Ward, husband) and I have an “adopted son” who worked for a drag racing team in NHRA,” Ward said. “He would bring home different Wallys when they won championships, and they were really big. In my mind, they were monumental.

“So, I thought for the 40th, ‘Why not make a bigger driller?’”

The Wallys, named for NHRA founder Wally Parks, are awarded to national winners at drag racing events. Wally’s stand 18 inches tall and weight 12 pounds, similar to the original drillers.

The 2026 Golden Driller weighs 32 pounds and measures just over 30 inches. Both statues represent the 76-foot, 43,500-pound statue of an oil worker which has greeted guests to the Tulsa Expo Center since 1953 when it was erected for the International Petroleum Exposition.

When the Chili Bowl debuted in 1987, Rich Vogler received a plaque for the victory, as did Scott Hatton in 1988. The Driller tradition started a year later, with the only exception coming in 2012 for the 25th running when Kevin Swindell received a silver statue.

Defending Chili Bowl Nationals winner Kyle Larson, who will attempt to win his fourth Golden Driller on Saturday, appreciates the effort and the sentiment in acknowledging the 40th Chili Bowl run.

“I like it,” Larson said. “I do. Sure, you can come at it from the traditionalist side of things, and like, ‘Aw, they shouldn’t change this.' But I think it deserves to be big and be a relevant-sized trophy. I guess it’s quite a bit taller than my other ones, so I’d have to find a new spot for all of them, if I happen to win, because I’m all about symmetry.

“Ashleigh and Matt do a great job, and they continue to add little touches to the event each year. And I think with this being the 40th running of it, it was a good time for an upgrade to the trophy.”

Only two 40th Anniversary drillers will be awarded on Saturday, one to the driver, the other to the car owner. This year’s victor will also receive a ring to commemorate his or her accomplishment.

“I think it’s awesome,” said three-time Chili Bowl and Monday’s Race of Champions winner Christopher Bell. “It’s just another staple of this event, trying to grow and move forward.

Everything is trending up.

“I’m thankful that they keep investing in the sport, trying new things, doing new things. Making a new trophy is just another symbol for what they're doing here at the Chili Bowl.”

While Ward doesn’t have an official title, her husband Matt is director of operations for the Chili Bowl Nationals and grandson of the event’s co-founder, Emmett Hahn. Ward had never been to a race before she walked into the Expo Center in 2009. There, she met Matt, who was organizing programs in the media center.

What attracted Ward to the motorsports lifestyle?

“Love, realistically, love,” Ward said. “I fell in love with Matt, and I’m the type of person, we like to do things together. We do it hand-in-hand—and with our son as well. I have an immense amount of love for my husband, and I’m privileged to be able to do it with him.”

Over the past 17 seasons, Ward has grown into an integral role in the family’s motorsports endeavors. Once the Tulsa Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals end, the Wards’ attention turns to managing Creek County Speedway, a 1/4-mile oval 30 minutes southwest of the Expo.

“I remember when Matt and I started dating, it was the 23rd Chili Bowl, and for the 25th, just shortly after we started dating, it was silver,” Ward said. “That was really cool. And then for the 30th, it was a little bit different, so for the 40th I thought I would make it a surprise and a little bit bigger—something they could hoist above their heads and feel substantial.

“It’s the 40th annual Chili Bowl. Not a lot of races continue onto the 40th. You think of the Knoxville Nationals, the Chili Bowl, the Shootout, that’s about it.”

Every driver who enters the building from practice on Sunday until the checkers fall on Saturday has dreamed of holding a driller in the infield of Tulsa Expo Raceway. But only one will be able to claim the oversized, treasured prize.

“This year will be the only year it looks like this,” Ward said of the trophy. “After some backlash, unfortunately, online I found out they missed the old driller. We’ll bring back the smaller driller.”