TULSA, Okla. — Drivers from 29 states, Canada and Australia competed in the 22nd Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Sixty-five drivers, including winner Damion Gardner, listed California as their home state to lead the list.
The field contained 31 champions from the 2007 season: 14 from sprint cars series, 11 from various midget series, and six track champions.
There were 45 multi-car teams at the event with  Keith Kunz Motorsports fielding eight cars.

• Dan Esslinger, who built the winning Ford-Esslinger engine, reported that the same engine was in the Jason Leffler-owned No. 71 car when Bud Kaeding won the Knoxville Midget Nationals in 2006 and Leffler’s Turkey Night Grand Prix victory in 2005.
Before Leffler acquired the engine, it also recorded victories at Belleville in 2005 with Jerry Coons, Jr. and wins by Danny Lasoski and Michael Lewis.

• Brad Sweet advanced the farthest on Saturday, bettering his 66 other rookie competitors. Sweet, who will drive full-time in USAC this year for Kasey Kahne Racing, finished 11th in the second B feature. Eight drivers made their initial championship feature start led by sixth-place finishing Kevin Swindell. Others were Brady Bacon, Nathan High, Levi Jones, Jesse Hockett, Terry McCarl, Bobby Michnowicz and Billy Wease.

• The biggest story of the week was the comeback of Ron Shuman. The 55-year old driver last raced in 1997. Two weeks prior to the Chili Bowl, he hot lapped a midget at Manzanita Speedway (Phoenix) for about 20 laps. With power steering problems on Friday night, Shuman carried a can of fluid in the cockpit and could be seen filling up the power-steering canister during cautions.
He held the final transfer until being passed by Kasey Kahne on the white- flag lap. Shuman recorded runner-up finishes at the event in 1993 and 1995.

• Jerry Coons, Jr. received his championship trophy and record point fund check during opening ceremonies Saturday for capturing the 2007 National Midget Driver of the Year Championship presented by Chevrolet, Ford, Mopar and Toyota Racing Development.

• It will be a short week for many teams as they prepare for the Jan. 19 O’Reilly POWRi National Midget Series event indoors at the Southern Illinois Center (DuQuoin, Ill.).

• Thursday feature winner Brad Kuhn hopes his victory will help him secure a ride for the 2008 season. Kuhn reported his car owner Michael Quin has closed his team down and will not compete this year. The pair combined for the 2007 Badger Midget Championship, and scored nine victories in USAC National and Badger events.

• The date for the 23rd annual Chili Bowl will be Jan. 6-10, 2009.