Buddy Kofoid passed Kyle Larson on the high side in turn two on lap 25 and went on to win Tuesday night’s 30-lap Warren CAT Qualifying Night feature and advance to Saturday’s A Main feature event at the 36th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals with Larson placing second and Chris Windom coming home third.
It marked Kofoid’s first Chili Bowl preliminary night feature victory and his 26th national midget feature win since the start of 2020. Toyota-powered drivers have now won seven consecutive Chili Bowl qualifying night feature events.
Not far behind the top three, Kaylee Bryson made history with the best preliminary night showing ever by a woman with a sixth-place finish, eclipsing Harli White’s tenth in 2016. She is one of just three women to advance as far as Saturday’s B Main and can become the first woman ever to make a Saturday A Main feature by finishing seventh or above.
Overall, six Toyota drivers advanced to Tuesday’s A Main with each placing in the top-eight finishing positions with Thomas Meseraull finishing fifth and Jonathan Beason coming home in eighth. After the first two preliminary night qualifiers, three Toyota-powered drivers have advanced directly to Saturday’s A Main.
This year’s Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals features 395 entries – each fighting for one of the 24 openings in Saturday night’s “A Main” feature event. Qualifying continues for each of the next three nights.
Quotes:
Buddy Kofoid, Keith Kunz Motorsports Toyota: “I was trying to stay close to Kyle in traffic and you have to pick your way through. The opportunity never really came in traffic. I decided to roll the bottom and was able to gain a little bit. Eventually we just started running high through one and two and rolled the bottom in three and four. This win is huge. It’s one of the most fun races I’ve ever had and one of the toughest I’ve ever been a part of. It’s great to be locked in for Saturday.”
Chris Windom, CB Industries Toyota: “I feel our car is good and I think we’ll be there Saturday. We passed Kyle on the last lap, but then just left the door a little too open at the end and you can’t do that with Kyle.”
Kaylee Bryson, Keith Kunz Motorsports Toyota: “It feels pretty good. I’m out here racing with the best of the best. We’re starting pretty high up in the B feature on Saturday night and the goal is to make the feature and I think we can get it done. We went third to first in the heat race. This James Hodge Toyota Keith Kunz Motorsports car was ripping. They gave me the car I needed to do well tonight. We went from fifth to second in the qualifier and that started us third in the feature. Racing with the very best, it’s humbling me. I think these guys are teaching me something. I’m racing hard every lap and I can’t ask for anything more.”
Toyota Tuesday Results |
Finished |
Buddy Kofoid |
A Main – 1st |
Kyle Larson |
A Main – 2nd |
Chris Windom |
A Main – 3rd |
Thomas Meseraull |
A Main – 5th |
Kaylee Bryson |
A Main – 6th |
Jonathan Beason |
A Main – 8th |
Brayton Lynch |
B Main – 11th |
Chris Andrews |
B Main – 13th |
Carson Sousa |
B Main – 15th |
Steven Snyder Jr. |
B Main – DQ |
Anthony Pope |
C Main – 7th |
TRD PR
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