The final night of Chili Bowl qualifying featured a deep field of drivers fighting for the final three automatic qualifying positions tonight's championship feature.
Bryan Clauson has accomplished a lot at the age of twenty-four. He is still looking for his first Chili Bowl victory though but he put himself in prime position to win later tonight by winning Friday's A-Main. Clauson won his heat and qualifier last night but started second as 2006 Chili Bowl winner Tim McCreadie accomplished the same feat and started on pole for the A-Main. Clauson got by McCreadie and took the win while the New Yorker had to battle with Dave Darland and Daryn Pittman. Darland was able to hold off the 2013 World of Outlaws champion to get the final qualifying position.
Joining Pittman as drivers who will need to qualify Saturday is Chad Boat who had to transfer for the second B-Main and start twentieth in the A-Main. Boat advanced thirteen positions and finished seventh. 2013 USAC National Midget Pavement champion Darren Hagen finished tenth, Dillon Welch finished eleventh and two-time Chili Bowl winner Cory Kruseman finished thirteenth. Jon Stanbrough retired from the A-Main and finished twenty-first.
Kasey Kahne will have a long road to the championship feature. He finished fourth in his heat, fourth in his qualifier and started second in his B-Main. The Hendrick Motorsports driver retired from his B-Main and finished thirteenth.
The draw for the starting order of the twelve automatic qualifiers to the championship feature took place last night.
Caleb Armstrong drew pole with Oklahoman Christopher Bell joining him on row one. Clauson will start third next to the other Oklahoman Jonathan Beason. Zach Daum and Sammy Swindell make up row three. Former Chili Bowl champions Damion Garnder and McCreadie start on row four with Chris Windom and Dave Darland rounding out the top ten. The only foreign driver to automatically qualify, New Zealand's Michael Pickens will start eleventh with Alex Bright on the outside of row six.
The first B-Main sees Rico Abreu and Daryn Pittman on row one, Steve Buckwalter and Kyle Larson on row two and Shane Golobic and Alex Schutte on row three. Andrew Felker, Thomas Meseraull, Jerry Coons, Jr., Matt Mitchell, Andrew Deal, J.D. Black, Travis Berryhill and Darren Hagen round out the line up.
Kevin Swindell will start on pole for the second B-Main. Gary Taylor will join him on row one. Brad Loyet and Ryan Bernal start on row two with Danny Stratton and Shane Cottle on row three. Brad Kuhn and Chad Boat make up row four with 2005 Chili Bowl winner Tracy Hines and R.J. Johnson rounding out the top ten. Payton Pierce, Mike Spencer, Kevin Ramey and Brady Bacon round out the second B-Main starting grid.
Other notable drivers starting positions Saturday:
C-Main 1- Brandon Waelti starts on pole with Dillon Welch second and Cory Kruseman sixth.
C-Main 2- Dustin Morgan on pole, Shane Cockrum third, Chase Stockton fifth and Joey Saldana sixth.
D-Main 1- J. J. Yeley is on pole, P.J. Jones starts twelfth.
D-Main 2- Taylor Simas on pole, Jon Stanbrough starts eighth.
E-Main 1- Matt Westfall on pole, Sheldon Haudenschild starts sixth.
E-Main 2- Brad Noffsinger on pole, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. starts second, Bobby East fourth, Kyle O'Gara sixth and Hunter Schuerenberg eighth.
F-Main 1- Hannah Adair on pole, Dakoda Armstong stats sixth.
F-Main 2- Sean McClelland on pole.
G-Main 1- Danny Burke on pole, Nick Drake starts twelfth.
G-Main 2- Chris Guinn on pole, A.J, Fike starts eleventh, Kasey Kahne twelfth.
There are two mains all the way to the letter K and one L-Main scheduled for tonight.
Coverage of the Chili Bowl begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on MAVTV, channel 214 on Directv and channel 248 on Dish.
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