Ladies and Gentlemen, start your pencils. Lonnie Wheatley’s famous Chili Bowl Pool sheet is out in all of it’s glory. My annual cash dump and donation to everyone who wins each year.
Most notably Stewart Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe has found loads of success in the annual Pool Pick’em Challenge. For the past couple years Briscoe has joined us on “Rip the Fence” for the Chili Bowl Selection show that Dillon Welch and I host, to give people advice on their pool.
I say advice a little tongue and cheek, I’ve never had a ton of success, but Dillon has. And I’m feeling confident about this season, but who am I kidding, I’m always confident if any of you know my fandom towards the Cleveland Browns.
If you don’t know what the Pool Sheet is I suggest you reach out to Lonnie Wheatly by following him on Twitter and asking for it to be emailed to you.
Thousands of people each year flock to the Tulsa Expo Center to witness one of dirt racing’s crown jewels, the Chili Bowl Nationals. Among those thousands are hundreds with pen and paper in hand following along with the pool sheets to see if they’re winning money.
You make your picks group by group for each night of the racing action in Tulsa, and the picks are submitted before hot laps on Monday. As an example Monday’s Group 1 features USAC Midget Champ Tyler Courtney, New Zealand Champ Micheal Pickens and Oklahoma dirt open wheel star Brady Bacon.
Other Notables racing on Monday are NASCAR Xfinity star Chase Briscoe who is featured in group 2, along with Zach Daum a former prelim night winner, Alabama’s Kevin Thomas JR who is a popular face on the USAC Scene, Cannon Mcintosh and Gio Scelzi. I think you get the idea now.
Each driver is seeded by past performance, evaluation, and well, whatever Lonnie Wheatley thinks you are worth at the time.
Tuesday’s Group 1 features Cup Series driver Kyle Larson who has been red hot in a midget since the NASCAR season ended. Our very own MRN pit reporter, and host of Rip the Fence Welch is featured in Group 2 on Tuesday.
Wednesday sees the World of Outlaw Sprint Car champion Brad Sweet in Group 1 along with All-star champ Aaron Reutzel and former Chili Bowl Winner Rico Abreu.
The three-time reigning Chili Bowl Champ Christopher Bell headlines a Group 1 on Tuesday with California shoe Logano Seavey driving for the Swindell’s and CJ Leary who is driving for Alex Bowman.
Friday is stacked, with Ione, California’s Justin Grant returning in the 4a to lead group 1, with Tanner Thorson and Daryn Pittman joining him.
Group 2 features Multi-time World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series Champion Donny Schatz, Cup Series Veteran and dirt ace Ricky Stenhouse Jr and the talented Chris Windom.
There are plenty of newcomers on the pool sheet this year. Some of the more intriguing, the 18s of Santino Ferrucci who made waves in the Indy Car Series this past season, he is an at-large pick. You only get to choose one.
Indy Car Star Conor Daly returns with Petry Motorsports, he’s in Group 6 on Friday, while James Davidson who announced he was racing the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 will try to make a Chili Bowl A Main Start from Group 5 on Friday.
So many talented race car drivers, so hard to choose. My best advice would be to gain as many points as you can and prepare to lose your money. Good Luck.
