The 2022 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Presented by General Tire take place on January 10-15, pitting some of the best drivers against each other on dirt tracks. There will be several full-time NASCAR Cup Series stars in attendance for the high-profile week of racing, including two-time defending Chili Bowl champion Kyle Larson.
The Chili Bowl Nationals officials released the entry list for the upcoming week of racing, which featured a record-setting 380 competitors. There were several talented dirt racers on the list, along with Larson, Christopher Bell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Newman.
While Larson has won the past two Chili Bowl Nationals, a fellow Cup Series driver has bragging rights in terms of winning frequency. Bell won the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He locked up the prestigious trophies and ended a two-year run by Rowdy Energy athlete Rico Abreau.
The 2019 race featured a wild, last-lap battle between Bell and Larson. It appeared that the future Cup Series champion would win the Golden Driller trophy, but Bell passed him on the last turn and won his third consecutive Chili Bowl Nationals. Larson later told media members that his mistake that delivered Bell’s victory took a few days to get over.
Bowman Showed Off His Chili Bowl Nationals Ride
The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro kicked off the week of Chili Bowl Nationals qualifying by showcasing the race vehicles that his team will use. Alex Bowman Racing will feature white Ally Racing race rigs for USAC National Sprint Car regulars C.J. Leary and Jake Swanson, as well as the Cup Series driver.
The stylized video first showed the name decals on all three race rigs before highlighting some sponsor logos. The came then provided a full look at all three of the vehicles, complete with white bases and Ally colors.
The Chili Bowl Nationals mark Bowman’s first time competing in the prestigious event since 2020, and he will celebrate the occasion by bringing in an updated Ally scheme. The white vehicles will match the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet that Bowman will drive during the 2022 Cup Series season, which will be a significant change from the vehicle that he took to Victory Lane four times in 2021.
Another Cup Series Driver Will Debut a New Scheme
While Bowman will showcase a markedly different Ally Racing scheme, another Cup Series driver will debut a new primary partner. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe will show off the Mahindra Tractors colors while competing in the Chili Bowl Nationals.
The driver of the No. 14 SHR Ford Mustang joined team co-owner Tony Stewart at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on December 10 for a big reveal. They announced that Mahindra Tractors had joined the fold as Briscoe’s primary partner in 2022. There is no set number of races that will feature the red scheme, but Mahindra Tractors will be the anchor partner for the majority of the season.
Briscoe won’t head to the track with his Mahindra Tractors Ford until early February when he competes in the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum. However, he will showcase an alternate version of the scheme during the Chili Bowl Nationals as he faces off with several of his Cup Series peers.
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The Chili Bowl Nationals Will Feature Multiple Cup Series Stars