Cypress, CA – January 13, 2026 — For the first time since 2022, Brody Roa, the 2023 USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion and 2019 USAC Southwest Series titleholder, will return to the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As he has in previous appearances, Roa will drive for Texas-based car owner Kevin Ramey. He is scheduled to compete in his preliminary night on Friday, January 16, with the all-important finals taking place 24 hours later.
Roa and his wife, Tailor, flew to Oklahoma on Wednesday morning in preparation for the event. For the talented Garden Grove, California, racer, this year marks his sixth career appearance at what has grown into the largest and most competitive midget race in the world. Roa will be one of 406 drivers all chasing the iconic prize — the coveted Golden Driller Trophy.
Work obligations prevented Roa from arriving earlier in the week, forcing him to miss Sunday’s pre-race practice. In his absence, Ramey’s 22-year-old son Dylan shook down the car and helped get the #7N dialed in ahead of Roa’s arrival.
“It has been a few years,” Roa chuckled about returning to the Chili Bowl. “Kevin Ramey called and asked if I wanted to go racing. He put another car together. He has six cars running, and I am one of his fleet.
A past USAC Southwest Series champion, Roa understands that success at the Chili Bowl often hinges on a strong preliminary night. A solid performance can position a driver well for Saturday’s alphabet soup of mains, while a tough night can mean starting deep in the program early Saturday morning.
“With that many cars on hand, it is always important to go forward every time you are on the track,” Roa said. “The heat race is important to keep your nose clean, pass cars, and have a decent race to get yourself in a qualifier. That is the name of the game on the prelim. night. If you get yourself in a C Main, that is a lot of cars to pass on a prelim night. I think it was the last time I was there driving for Ramey; we had a terrible heat race. We had to go from the C, to the B, and to the A that night.”
“I think my worst year was the D main on Saturday,” Roa recalled. “When I first went there, I said, ‘If I still have my suit on when they went to live TV, I am good.’ (MAVTV would go live about the D main time).”
Looking ahead to Saturday, Roa is aiming to maximize the opportunity in what he believes is the best equipment he has had at the event.
“I would like to get as far as I can on Saturday,” Roa enthused. “Have a good prelim night. I would like to run top 10 on our prelim night. That is doable for us. Put us in a B or C on Saturday and see what we can do there. The A would be ideal on Saturday.”
Roa feels confident heading into the week, believing this year’s entry gives him his strongest chance yet at the Tulsa indoor classic. He will pilot a Spike chassis powered by an Ed Pink Ford engine.
“This is the best midget program Ramey has had since I began driving for him. I think this is the seventh different engine I have run in a midget,” Roa laughed. “And I am pretty sure I have only ran about 10 different midget races. I have been through a bunch of engine packages.”
Preparation for the race has gone beyond equipment, as Roa has also focused on his physical conditioning.
“I have lost about 20 pounds since I got the call from Ramey,” Roa enthused. “Just to try and be my best version of a midget driver.”
Fans can hear more from Roa in a recent interview on Racer Radio Show with Dave Stall, where he discussed his return to the Chili Bowl:
http://www.perrisautospeedway.com/radio26/RACERRADIO260104.mp3
(Roa’s segment begins around the 25-minute mark).
For fans unable to attend in person, every night of the Chili Bowl will be streamed live on FloRacing.
Roa would like to thank Kevin Ramey and his entire crew for the opportunity to compete in the Chili Bowl, along with the marketing partners supporting the effort: Precise Racing Products, Smiley’s Racing Products, American Fire Extinguisher, Jambo Barbeque Pits, Kiwi Landscaping, HWY 360 Pawn, Bluemax Pay, The BLRH Group, Mow Time, Graham’s Wrecking Service, Ten Hagen Excavating, and Big Dog Printing.
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