The 2022 Chili Bowl Nationals race of champions field has been released, with a new set of qualification standards making its debut this year.
The field was originally set to see 15 drivers compete during the Monday night portion of the action in Tulsa, however, the new criteria sees an additional three drivers qualify for the race, including veteran fan favorite Sammy Swindell.
“When we changed up the VIROC, and adjusted the qualification standards in 2020, we said then that we would adjust if we saw a need, and we are taking the opportunity to change up and add drivers that deserve to be in the Race of Champions,” Chili Bowl Nationals Director Matt Ward said in a press release. “It’s something every year that we’ll do is look through the entry list once we get closer to the event and see if there is anyone that’s not already in that we feel deserves to be.”
The additional changes include giving past champions of the NASCAR Cup Series (Chase Elliott), Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series (Tim McCreadie) and Chili Bowl Nationals (Swindell).
Criteria for the race includes 2021 champions from the World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of Champions, ASCS 360’s, NASCAR, USAC and POWRi National Midget tours.
On top of the most recent year’s champions, it takes the previous year’s five prelim night winners, and any driver who has podiumed in the last five Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main as well as any driver who has finished in the top two spots of the last five VIROC’s.
“Sammy needed to be in,” Ward said in the release. “You don’t win this race once, much less five times by luck. He’s part of what made the Chili Bowl. That was the first one. Tim McCreadie winning the Lucas Oil Late Model Championship, plus being a Chili Bowl needed to be in, and since the current NASCAR Cup Series Champion is the defending Chili Bowl Champion, we went to back 2020 since Chase Elliott is part of this year’s event.”
No substitutions will be allowed and the staff has the ability to add a champion from a tour not listed at its discretion.
The field will be set by group qualifying with two warmup laps and three green flag laps with an invert of the top 8 starters for the 25-lap race.
2022 VIROC Entry List
• Blake Hahn-ASCS National Tour Champion
• Brad Sweet-World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion
• Brady Bacon-USAC Sprint Car Champion
• Bryant Wiedeman – POWRi National Midget Champion
• Buddy Kofoid-USAC National Midget Champion
• Cannon McIntosh-Monday Night Winner
• Chad Boat-VIROC 2018
• Chase Elliott-2020 NASCAR Champion
• Christopher Bell-Champion – 2017, 2018, & 2019
• Daryn Pittman-2017, Runner-up
• Justin Grant-Friday Night
• Kyle Larson-Champion – 2020 & 2021
• Rico Abreu-2020 VIROC, Runner-up
• Sammy Swindell-Five-Time Chili Bowl Champion
• Spencer Bayston-2018, third
• Tanner Thorson-2021, third
• Tim McCreadie-2021 Lucas Oil Late Model & Chili Bowl Champion
• Tyler Courtney-2021 All Star Circuit of Champions Champion
