Helgevold: Chili Bowl Brings Big Names to Grassroots Racing

Helgevold: Chili Bowl Brings Big Names to Grassroots Racing
Kyle Larson races during Indiana Midget Week 2020. Photo Courtesy USAC / Ryan Sellers Photo

If you’re A.J. Foyt or Tony Stewart, racing anything and everything is a way of life. Two guys who would drive literally anything and win it it.

Both started their careers in similar manners, first crafting their skills in grassroots racing.

More recently, the dirt scene has gotten bigger and Kyle Larson is to thank for some of that. Larson could be argued as the most famous dirt to NASCAR driver even over Stewart and Foyt.

Even in his time at the top level Larson would drive anything with four wheels that would go fast. Following his dismissal from Chip Ganassi Racing this past year Larson took to the dirt tracks of America and tore those up.

His visibility on the dirt tracks have brought NASCAR fans closer to the dirt scene. Then when success followed Larson this year, his former and now current fellow drivers paid more attention.

With his hiring at Hendrick Motorsports, the question was raised if he would be able to race any of his dirt schedule. That answer was a quick yes, which prompted Chase Elliott, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, to want to race other events.

More and more drivers are getting into the grassroots scene and it’s all for the better. The upcoming Chili Bowl in Tulsa is a prime example of that. Something I call the ‘Kyle Larson Effect.’

NASCAR Success at the Chili Bowl

Every year there is a large amount of drivers who try to qualify for the main show in Tulsa. All with the same goal of winning the Driller, the trophy given to the winner.

Former Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart is a two time winner of the Chili Bowl. His success really started the trend for the NASCAR stars to give it a go.

Larson along with fellow Cup Series driver Christopher Bell and former Truck Series driver and now World of Outlaws participant Rico Abreu compete on a regular basis in the famous indoor event. Their success at the event has put the NASCAR world closer to this event.

Larson is the defending winner of the event. Bell won the prior three years to Larson’s victory and was in the running for his fourth straight before Larson got the job done. Abreu won the two years prior to Bell’s victories. All of their success has shined the light the brightest on them and NASCAR.

But what does this mean?

Big Time Meets Grassroots

Out of the drivers entered in this year’s version of the Chili Bowl, 12 are former or current NASCAR drivers in one of the three national series’, six regulars on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car tour, one IndyCar driver and NHRA driver also have entered.

Current NASCAR series drivers entered include Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.,  Justin Allgaier, Chase Briscoe, Brett Moffitt and JJ Yeley. Then throw in a name like Kasey Kahne who started his racing career on dirt as well. All coming in from the NASCAR world.

Santino Ferrucci, a Connecticut native, will make an appearance in the event. He is the driver for Dale Coyne Racing in the NTT Data Indycar Series and will try his hand at the dirt event.

Austin Prock is the current Top Fuel driver for John Force Racing in the NHRA. Prock has decedied to make a return to the Chili Bowl as he enters for the fifth time. His racing career started on dirt in midgets and non-wing sprints before making the transition to the 300-mph dragster.

Motorsports Helping Motorsports

Seeing all these names enter an event like this is huge. Yes, there have been big names run and even win the Chili Bowl.

To me, though, the magnitude of the names running are unlike any in the previous versions of this race. Plus, it’s not just NASCAR drivers that are giving it a shot. IndyCar and NHRA drivers getting in on the mix helps motorsports as a whole.

Fans will see names like Prock and Ferrucci and want to follow them into their everyday jobs. While fans of the drivers will follow their success in the event.

It’s the same at the NASCAR level. A Ryan Newman or Brett Moffitt fan is going to want to see how he does on dirt and they could make some new fans from the dirt scene.

We have seen it for years where dirt and asphalt fans have bickered at one another. Sure there will be the few who don’t agree with it but overall this is good. An event with drivers of all different divisions coming together will help motorsports, in my opinion.

There have been drivers who crossed over before but Kyle Larson has really embraced being the bridge between the two. It’s making motorsports as a whole better. Fans are watching World of Outlaws on DirtVision on Saturday nights and Cup races on Sunday.

That’s the Kyle Larson Effect.