The Chili Bowl Nationals has rewritten its own history. FloRacing on Instagram confirmed that 400 drivers have entered for the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals, marking the largest entry list in the event’s history and underlining the series’ ever-growing popularity across grassroots and professional motorsports.
Held annually in January at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma, the event has long been considered one of the most prestigious and greatest midget races of the year. The 2026 entry list surpassed the previous record of 381 set in 2022 and reflects how the event, which started in 1987, has evolved from a niche winter showcase into a Super Bowl of midget racing.
One of the key reasons behind the Chili Bowl Nationals’ continued growth in recent years is its unique ability to attract drivers from various motorsports disciplines across the world. The 400-car field includes a mix of full-time USAC and POWRi competitors, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series drivers, ARCA, IndyCar talent, grassroots heroes, and international entries.
For many drivers, simply qualifying for the feature race is a major achievement given the depth of the field. Around 74 of them are currently signed up for their first try at the world’s biggest midget race of the year.
A week-long 40th Chili Bowl event will begin on January 11, 2026, with a practice session and conclude on January 17, 2026.
Which NASCAR drivers are in the stacked 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals?
A number of NASCAR drivers are competing in the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals, and several of them have won the event multiple times.
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, Joe Gibbs Racing star Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs’ grandson Ty Gibbs, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular Sheldon Creed, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series rookie Corey Day, Josh Bilicki, and JJ Yeley.
The 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love is the new entrant in the 2026 Chili Bowl, who will compete in a car owned by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Blake Harris.
NASCAR drivers who have won the prestigious “Golden Driller” trophy are Larson (2020, 2021, and 2025), Bell (2017, 2018, and 2019), NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart (2002 and 2007), and Ryan Blaney’s father, Dave, who won the Chili Bowl in 1993.
Kyle Larson, known as Yung Money, is the defending winner of the Chili Bowl Nationals.
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