TULSA, Okla.—Entering the 40th running of the Chili Bowl Nationals, the buzz has surrounded the race to four Golden Drillers by defending winner Kyle Larson and rival Christopher Bell.

And the NASCAR Cup drivers have delivered. Not surprisingly, both Bell and Larson won their prelim nights—a record nine qualifying features for each. 

Before handing either one of them the Golden Driller, however, don’t discount two-time Chili Bowl victor Logan Seavey.

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Not only is Seavey the last driver to win consecutive Chili Bowl National Saturday features, but his Kevin-and-Jordan Swindell-owned team propelled Emerson Axsom to a win in Wednesday night’s qualifier and placed 14-year-old Jett Barnes on Tuesday’s preliminary podium. Teammate Kyle Cummins finished fifth on Thursday.

On Friday, Seavey will battle for his fourth-straight Friday night and fifth overall preliminary win. But what would it mean for the USAC Triple Crown winner to join Larson and Bell in the triple Driller Club?

“That would be cool,” Seavey said. “Right now, I’m just kind of taking it one day at a time, just focusing on our team at the moment. It's great to start the week like this, with Jett running so well and then Emerson winning (Wednesday) night. 

“So, like I said, to win another one alone would be awesome for me, and this whole team. But then you kind of throw in that talk of potentially beating them to four—and getting close to the top of the list of really anybody who's ever raced here.

“But for now, we’re at two, and I'm just trying to really focus on the next one.”

When Seavey reflects on the difficulty of winning back-to-back Golden Drillers, he refers to the accomplishment as “the highlight” of his career. Racing with the Swindells at the Chili Bowl Nationals is a rare treat for Seavey, who has driven for Abacus Racing on the USAC since 2022.  

Seavey had enjoyed a competitive run with the Swindells at Tulsa Expo Raceway prior to 2023. Yet claiming his first Golden Driller with Kevin—and then a second in 2024—were milestones for the Sutter, California, racer.

“Just having one is cool, but to show up that next year and win it again with me and Kevin was really, really special for both of us,” Seavey said. “Not only to come that first year with a brand new car and beat everybody was cool, but to come back the next year with some confidence and to follow it up with another one was tough to describe what that means to myself, and I'm sure everybody involved with that team.”

Larson broke Seavey’s streak in 2025, but that only provided a heightened sense of motivation for Seavey and Swindell.

“This last year we showed up hoping to go for three in a row and it didn't work out for us,” Seavey said. “But it's no momentum loss for any of us. We're doing what we always do. We’ve been working all year to think about how we can be a little bit better. 

“It makes it tricky because I only get to run this car one time a year. But it's cool that we only race one time a year and when we show up, we can compete with all the best teams in the world.”

Clearly, the Swindell operation is regarded among the best in the business. Between Kevin Swindell and Seavey, the racers share six CBN drillers combined. When Seavey initially joined the fold in 2020, he could also lean on all-time Chili Bowl victor Sammy Swindell, whose five Golden Drillers have yet to be equalled. 

The same is true of Kevin Swindell’s four consecutive Saturday feature wins. Seavey feels Kevin’s influence on him and the organization is huge.

 “It's just so nice to work with him and race with him,” Seavey said. “Obviously, he brings some of the fastest cars in the building.

“He will probably go down as the best ever here—to win four in a row. To win two in a row seems statistically impossible. One is hard enough, and then, to win back-to-back like that is tough.”

Still, Seavey admits that after winning the first Golden Driller, the experience helps a driver find his groove.

“That's exactly what it is,” Seavey said. “Just kind of momentum and confidence. When you win this race for the first time and it's like, man, it's such a weight off your shoulders. You come back the next year and you're just kind of free. 

“You see it a lot lately, the last 10 or so years, a lot of these guys win and then they win again and again. You get on a little bit of a run, which sounds impossible, but somehow it works out here.” 

This week, in addition to his own driving duties, Seavey has mentored his younger teammates Axsom and Barnes. Axsom credited Seavey and Swindell with building his confidence en route to his second prelim win. He called their support “a game-changer.”

“There’s no one in this building that has been better in recent years than Kevin and Logan,” Axsom said. “Over the past couple of years, the only guy that has been better, maybe, is Kyle (Larson). But Logan has been so consistent 

“They’ve got something awesome going on over there and I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”

At 28, Seavey holds a deep appreciation for the magnitude of the Chili Bowl Nationals. Sure, he would love to add a third Golden Driller to his trophy case and join the likes of Bell and Larson. But, ultimately, Seavey is grateful for the opportunity to race with the Swindells in Tulsa.

“I just try to soak in every moment I get racing inside that building,” Seavey said. “It's a special race and you never know how long you're going to be able to do it—at least at a high level. 

“And hopefully for me, I've got a lot more life left in me in there. But yeah, I just soak it in as much as I can when I'm there and try to perform when it's time to perform.”