Rico Abreu, JJ Yeley, and Flo50 driver Ryan Smith are among those highlighting the practice sessions at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, OK, on Monday afternoon, as fast drivers are seeded throughout the entire schedule.

Session 24

No. 05L Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO)

One “Hunter Percent” Schuerenberg is driving for Missouri-based Loyet Motorsports and is a multifaceted driver who competed in Winged Sprints, Non-Winged Sprints, and Silver Crown cars in 2017. This will be his seventh Chili Bowl attempt.

Session 25

No. 77 Alex Bright (Collegeville, PA)

Bright made the show in 2014 and 2016. His best effort came in 2016 when he made the Feature by winning Tuesday’s Prelims over the likes of Joey Saldana and Kyle Larson. Even more impressively, he started eighth that night. In 2017, Bright ran the Eastern USAC tour. Bright is also an owner this year with another entry for East Coast Sprinter Billy Pauch Jr.

Session 26

No. 67 Logan Seavey (Sutter, CA)

Seavy is another Keith Kunz racer based out of California. Last year, he competed in the Chili Bowl for the first time after undergoing open-heart surgery a few months earlier. Seavey finished seventh in the B during his qualification night last year.

Session 27

No. 77P Billy Pauch Jr. (Frenchtown, NJ)

Pauch is coming off of a track championship at New Egypt (NJ) Speedway, where he pulled double duty between his Sprint and Modified.

Session 28

No. 47X Tim McCreadie (Watertown, NY)

Twelve years ago McCreadie was already known as an accomplished racer in Late Models and Dirt Modifieds. He added to his legend by entering the Chili Bowl with little experience in a Midget. He provided the upset of the year by winning the whole thing. That victory was a sign of good things to come as McCreadie would go on to win the 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship the same year. This past season, McCreadie scored his biggest win when he took home the hardware in the Silver Dollar Nationals and a check for $53,000.

No. 67K Holly Shelton (Gold River, CA)

Shelton is a Keith Kunz Motorsports and Toyota Racing Development driver. Shelton ran her first Chili Bowl last year and finished 18th in the A on her qualification night. She made it to the C-Main on Saturday night. Shelton also narrowly missed her first National USAC win this season on June 11 when Rico Abreu passed her with two laps remaining at Lawrenceburg (IN) Speedway. Shelton ended up finishing third behind Kunz teammates Abreu and Spencer Bayston.

Session 29

No. 67Z Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA)

Kahne has more flexibility following his move to Leavine Family Racing for the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series. Kahne skipped the 2017 Chili Bowl to focus on the start of the NASCAR season, but with his move from Hendrick Motorsports to a smaller, family-run team, he’ll be able to return to his dirt roots more often. The Chili Bowl will be the first indicator of the level of success Kahne can accomplish.

Session 30

No. 5CB Chase Briscoe (Mitchell, IN)

When fellow Midget graduate Christopher Bell took the NASCAR Truck Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he wasn’t the only dirt driver to get an award. By winning his first NASCAR Truck race, Briscoe wrapped up the Rookie of the Year honors in the swan song for Brad Keselowski Motorsports, which shuttered its operation at the end of the season.

No. 97 Rico Abreu (Rutherford, CA)

Abreu is the only back-to-back winner entered in the event and only the second driver in the 37-year history of the event to win two in a row. Kevin Swindell won four in a row from 2010-14. You can bet he will race hard to keep Bell from winning two consecutively.

Session 31

No. 14JR Holley Hollan (Tulsa, OK)

Holley Hollan, 16, is entered in her first Chili Bowl alongside her dad, Harley Hollan. The fast femme has been racing since she was 5 and is a fourth generation Oklahoma racer, but Hollan has not been allowed to race in the Chili Bowl in the past.

Session 32

No. 2R JJ Yeley (Charlotte, NC)

Yeley is returning to his Midget roots after climbing as high as the top rung on both the NASCAR and IndyCar ladders. Yeley got his start in Quarter Midgets before moving on to Silver Crown and Sprint Car racing. In 2003, Yeley joined Tony Stewart as only the second driver to win the USAC Triple Crown: the Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown championships in a single season. Yeley has competed in the Chili Bowl 10 times from 1999 to 2001 and from 2011-17.

No. 21 Daryn Pittman (Owasso, OK)

Pittman was the first man to cross behind Bell last year in Saturday’s feature and moved eight positions to finish within striking distance of the win. Pittman was fourth this year in World of Outlaws Sprint car points. This will be Pittman’s eighth Chili Bowl.

Session 34

No. 21K Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA)

Kruseman is a two-time Chili Bowl champion. He won the Main Event in 2000 and 2004. His success in Midget racing landed him an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series and the Firestone Indy Racing League in 2002, sandwiched between his Chili Bowl victories. Kruseman is fielding five additional cars in this year’s Bowl.

Session 35

69F Ryan Smith (Kunkletown, PA)

Smith is competing in his fifth Chili Bowl after a breakout season. He scored three wins in a 410 Winged Sprint including two on the same day in a double feature at Mansfield (Ohio) Raceway. Smith’s back-to-back wins place him in an elite club of All-Star Circuit of Champions drivers — that includes Dave Blaney, Sammy Swindell, and Bobby Allen — who also performed the feat. Last year, Smith made it to the B Saturday night but finished 13th, seven spots below the transfer position.

Practice Session Groups 1-11 
Practice Session Groups 22-23