The 40th Chili Bowl Nationals presented by NOS Energy Drink continued Wednesday night with the third of five preliminary nights. Emerson Axsom, driving the Swindell SpeedLab No. 39A, drove to victory lane for the second straight Wednesday preliminary night. 

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Axsom, who started on the outside pole, dropped back early while Colby Copeland set the early pace. As the leaders encountered lapped traffic, Axsom closed in on Copeland and took the lead back with 11 laps to go to score the victory. 

Daison Pursley, who was in the mix throughout the race, used a pass on Copeland with five laps to go to secure the second lock-in spot. Copeland finished third, while Thomas Meseraull and polesitter Kevin Thomas Jr. completed the top five. 

Full results from Wednesday's Chili Bowl preliminary feature and Race of Champions can be viewed below. 

The 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals continues with the third night of preliminary action on Thursday. Every lap of the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals will be streamed live on FloRacing. 

2026 Chili Bowl Wednesday Prelim Feature Results