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The 2025 Chili Bowl has a lot in store for NASCAR fans next week, including the debut of Kyle Busch in the prestigious racing series. More than 380 drivers will grace the event, which should make up for the high-octane racing action ahead of the NASCAR season.
For the uninitiated, the Chili Bowl is an indoor racing series deemed the "Super Bowl of Midget Racing." Inaugurated in 1986, the event is annually held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, fielding midget cars similar to the ones in the USAC Midget National Championship.
The upcoming 39th edition will see drivers from different racing series, including NASCAR, IndyCar, and High Limit Racing, among others. They will try to win the coveted Golden Driller trophy and dethrone two-time defending champion Logan Seavey.
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The race week starts on Monday, January 13, for the first of five-day qualifying sessions (including heat races) until Friday. The drivers with the most "passing points" will earn a better starting position for the qualifying night A-Main.
Only 24 drivers will make the A-Main on Saturday after a series of qualifiers and preliminary events, including the so-called "alphabet soup," where drivers have the chance to race their way up to the main event.
The features will begin at 9:00 a.m. CT on Saturday, January 18, ahead of the 40-lap championship event at 6:00 p.m. CT.
High-profile NASCAR drivers to race in 2025 Chili Bowl
As mentioned, Kyle Busch will try his luck in his debut entry in the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals. Busch finally agreed to race in the midget racing series after getting more in touch with dirt thanks to several reasons such as running alongside his son, Brexton. The Chevrolet pilot will drive the No. 51K Kyle Busch Motorsports midget car.
Renowned dirt racer Kyle Larson will also join the party next week. Driving the No. 1K Silva Motorsports car, Larson will look to add a third Golden Driller trophy to his collection. He previously won the championships in 2020 and 2021.
After Joe Gibbs Racing allowed its drivers to race outside NASCAR, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs penned their names to the Chili Bowl entry list.
Bell will be a serious competitor to watch following his victory at the Tulsa Shootout last week. He is also a three-time Chili Bowl champion (2017, 2018, and 2019). His ride will be the No. 71W KKM - Curb-Agajanian midget car.
Meanwhile, JGR teammate Ty Gibbs will look to secure his first Golden Driller trophy in the No. 81 CB Industries.
One of the latest entrants is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who will drive the No. 86X CB Industries. Out of 17 previous appearances, Stenhouse Jr. made the championship race eight times. His best finish was a P7 in the 2021 edition.
After the upcoming indoor midget racing event, the drivers will prepare for the 2025 NASCAR season. The season-opening race will be the Daytona 500 on February 16.
