Newman to Race in Prelims Wednesday Night Ahead of Saturday’s Mains
CONCORD, N.C., (January 13, 2021) – While most of the NASCAR industry continues prep for the Daytona 500 and 2021 season coming up in just a month, Ryan Newman is set for his second-straight appearance at the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Midget car racing, after all, is where Newman – the now 20-year NASCAR veteran – got his start as a young racer. This week’s action from Tulsa, Oklahoma is known as the “Super Bowl of Midget Racing,” with more than 300 competitors on the entry list. Newman is one of a handful of drivers from the NASCAR ranks to make the trek West, in hopes of claiming the coveted trophy Saturday night.
“There’s a little bit of everything here, and that’s one of the things that makes it so special,” Newman said of the Chili Bowl. “One of the things that make it so special is the guys from the different ranks that show up here, and it’s amazing to know you’re one guy competing against all those guys from NASCAR, IndyCar, USAC and other ranks.”
The 1999 USAC Silver Crown Champion will drive the 00C as one of five entries for Clauson-Marshall Racing, a two-time National USAC Champion team. The 43-year-old also drove for the Indiana-based organization at the 2020 Chili Bowl.
“We had a good run a year ago and are excited to be back,” Newman said. “We have a great team and great sponsor this year with Driven2SaveLives. My car number will be 00C, which is in honor of a young man who lost his life and donated his organs. Driven2Save and the Indiana donor network are great partners of Clauson-Marshall Racing, and proud to run his name on the car. And the fact he saved five lives with his organ donation gives me chills, because here’s someone that raced ¼ midgets like I did and in the end he became a hero.”
Newman’s night of heat races and qualifying action is set for Wednesday. The top two finishers in the qualifying night’s feature event progress into Saturday’s main show, while the remainder of the entries from the respective qualifying night will attempt to race their way in through a series of additional races.
“It’s just fun to be here, and so many different people from so many different types of racing at an indoor venue on dirt, it’s awesome,” Newman added.
Among the list of entries along with Newman on Wednesday include fellow NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott and Brett Moffitt, and former Chili Bowl Champion Rico Abreu. Stay tuned to Roush Fenway on social media (@RoushFenway, @Roush6Team) for coverage throughout the week.
The Chili Bowl will be shown online on www.floracing.com through the qualifying events. Saturday’s final features will switch to the MAVTV Motorsports Network. For a complete listing of channels and to request MAVTV, log onto www.mavtv.com.
All official news regarding the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl National presented by General Tire can be found at www.chilibowl.com.
