A Relaxed Start to Championship Day
Saturday was the big day at the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals, and thankfully all our buddies made it to the afternoon races. That meant we didn't have to rush out of the hotel too early—a nice change of pace after a long week of racing.
We linked up with Brad Wyatt and Kyle Steffens at breakfast to fuel up before heading to Tulsa Expo Square. After some good food and even better racing talk, we rolled into the SageNet Center around noon, ready for what promised to be an incredible day of action.
Kenny Wallace Visits the Pits
One of the highlights of the day came early when racing legend Kenny Wallace made his way through the pit area. Kenny stopped by Kyle's pit stall and conducted an interview—pretty cool to see one of racing's most beloved personalities taking time to talk with the grassroots guys. Kyle handled it like a pro, representing the team and sponsors well.
Saturday Race Results
The 40th Chili Bowl Nationals featured a record-breaking 387 entries, and Championship Saturday was all about survival. Here's how our guys finished:
Alex Midkiff (#05)
- F-Feature 2: 11th place
- Alex gave it everything he had, but the competition at the Bowl is fierce. F-Features are stacked with talented drivers all fighting for limited transfer spots. A tough result, but making it to Saturday at the Chili Bowl is an accomplishment in itself.
Kyle Steffens (#8S)
- E-Feature 1: 15th place
- Kyle battled hard all week and left everything on the track. The E-Feature is no joke—every position is earned through wheel-to-wheel combat. Great effort from Kyle and the entire team.
Brad Wyatt (#41W)
- E-Feature 1: 16th place
- Brad's week was defined by that incredible Thursday night B-Main charge. While Saturday's result wasn't what he hoped for, the memories from this week will last a lifetime.
The Drive Home
As soon as our guys wrapped up their day, we hit the road for the 4-hour drive back to Kansas City. But the racing wasn't over—we tuned in and followed along as the day progressed through the alphabet soup of features.
We made it home just in time to catch the 55-lap A-Main on the big screen! What a finish: Emerson Axsom became the 40th different winner in Chili Bowl history, holding off a hard-charging field. The drama peaked when Kyle Larson, the defending champion, flipped out of the lead on lap 16 after contact with lapped traffic. Racing is cruel sometimes, but that's what makes the Chili Bowl so special.
Final Thoughts
What a week. From the chaos of Friday night in Turn 2 to watching Kenny Wallace interview our buddy Kyle, the 40th Chili Bowl Nationals delivered everything we love about grassroots racing. The pit atmosphere, the incredible racing, the new friendships formed—this is why we do this.
Congrats to everyone who competed. Making it to Tulsa is an achievement. Making it to Saturday is special. And for our guys—Brad, Kyle, and Alex—we couldn't be prouder of the effort.
Until next year, Tulsa.
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