The racers have been heard.
The Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, considered one of the most prestigious non-mainstream races in the world, has now doubled what it pays to win from $10,000 to $20,000.
For the non-initiated, the Chili Bowl is a Midget Car race held annually in the second week of January inside the Tulsa Expo Center that features some of the most popular and successful drivers in the world competing on a makeshift dirt track.
Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, JJ Yeley, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet are amongst those with national cache that traditionally enter the race each season.
But that has changed in recent years as event promoter Emmett Hahn has come under fire from his participants over the size of the purse in comparison to other marquee events given that the Chili Bowl also has a national television deal on MAVTV and a streaming partner in FloRacing and that’s to say nothing of the mass exodus of humanity that walks through the gates every year.
Larson missed the race for the first time this year and isn’t expected back next year as he has found more enjoyment racing a Dirt Late Model for five digit figures five days in a row in the Wild West Shootout at Vado Speedway Park.
“I’m just at the point where I want to see the purse grow a lot. So, for the time being, and unless that happens, I won’t be running it this year and I know there are a lot of racers that feel the same way.”
It’s true.
In addition to Larson, others who did not attend due to the purse was Stenhouse, Sweet, Schatz, Daly, and Elliott. Bell missed the race, and while he was also critical of the purse, he is also not permitted to run open wheel dirt cars right now under the orders of NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs Racing.
Now, with the purse increases, Hahn is hopeful some of that star power responds to the additional cash.
The A-feature on Saturday night will also pay $2000 to start. The 55-lap race will pay $150 per lap leader and $50 a lap to run second. The winner could potentially walk away with $28,250.
Along with adding money to the 55-lap affair, payouts throughout Saturday’s alphabet soup will also increase, along with preliminary nights getting a bump to $3,000 to win, $300 to start.
Looking through Saturday’s alphabet payout, the first non-transfer in the B-Features will get $800, with the two consolation races paying $600 to start. C-Features will start at $500 for the first non-transfer. D-Features start at $400. E-Features are $200 for all non-transferring teams. F-Features are $150 to all who don’t advance, G-Features are $125, with H-Features and beyond receiving $100 to non-transferring teams.
Transferring drivers will also receive bonus money in addition to money earned in the next race. That goes for preliminary nights as well.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.