A new victor entered the history books at the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink on Saturday night. Emerson Axsom of Franklin, Indiana took the lead from defending winner Kyle Larson early in the race and held off the field on a green-white-checkered restart to win the 55-lap main event. 

The win for Axsom is his first career Chili Bowl Nationals win and the biggest win of his career. To score the victory, Axsom had to fend off challenges from teammate Logan Seavey and Justin Grant throughout the race. 

From his 18th starting position, Kevin Thomas Jr. came out of nowhere late in the race to pass Seavey and claim runner-up honors. Hank Davis also made a pass on Seavey late to complete the podium. Logan Seavey and Briggs Danner completed the top five. 

Full results from the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals can be viewed below. 

2026 Chili Bowl Nationals Results