USAC Champ Gardner Pilots Leffler’s Midget To Chili Bowl Victory

TULSA, Okla. — Less than 24 hours after winning his first midget feature, Damion “The Demon” Gardner captured Saturday night’s 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
The 2005 USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series champion led the final 39 laps, driving Jason Leffler’s No. 71g Stealth/Ford-Esslinger before a standing-room-only crowd of 16,329 and an HBO Pay-Per-View audience.

UNDER CONTROL: Getting into the cushion during a restart, Damion Gardner bicycles the No. 71g Stealth/Ford-Esslinger high on two wheels. Gardner recovered and went on to take the 22nd Chili Bowl. (Hein Brothers Photo)

Polesitter Josh Ford jumped into the lead, setting a torrid pace, and began lapping the tail of the star-studded field by lap nine of the quarter-mile indoor dirt track. One lap later, Gardner rode the cushion exiting turn two, passing Ford for the lead. Thursday night feature winner Brad Kuhn passed Ford for second one lap later, but made contact with a lapped car on the 13th lap, spinning to a stop.
Gardner and Ford quickly pulled away from the field, but their half straightaway lead was erased when Kasey Kahne suffered engine failure on lap 17.
Four additional cautions between laps 20-28 for stopped cars kept the field tightly bunched. Ford, winner of the Wednesday-night feature, saw his victory hopes end when he jumped the cushion on lap 24. Ford restarted and finished 14th.
During each restart, Dave Darland and Shane Cottle tried to remain close to Gardner, but excellent restarts gave Gardner a comfortable lead each time. Running the cushion, Gardner did a masterful driving job. The tricky track saw Gardner jump the cushion a few times, giving competitors their only hope of catching him. 
“I tried to run good, smooth laps instead of fast laps,” said Gardner afterward.
A three-car accident with eight laps remaining saw pre-race favorite Jerry Coons, Jr. flip, and set up one last chance for Darland and Cottle to make a run at Gardner. Gardner executed one last perfect restart and was never challenged over the final eight laps.
Darland, driving the Nine Racing Toyota, finished second, followed by Cottle, Bryan Clauson and Jon Stanbrough.
Second B feature winner Kevin Swindell, Brady Bacon, who spun on the opening lap, defending race winner Tony Stewart, 2005 winner Tracy Hines and Nathan High completed the top 10. Leffler finished 17th in the feature. 
“Jason is really excited. Three weeks ago we weren’t even going to do this and hopefully we can take this momentum and continue on through the year,” said Gardner, who drives for Leffler’s team in the USAC National Sprint Car Series. Gardner’s previous best Chili Bowl finish was 10th in 2003.
A record 274 drivers competed in the five-day event. Saturday’s racing activities saw 20 features run, starting with two K features.
Levi Jones and Terry McCarl both advanced the farthest to make the championship feature, coming from the second C feature. Fifty-nine drivers flipped during the week. There were no reported injuries.
The summary:
First K Main: Steve Davis, Kellen Conover, Randy Josett, David Burdes, Cameron Beard, Jonathon Halford, Scott Crystal, Danny Burke, Garrett Hood, T.J. Smith, Trish Dover, Brandon Knupp, Scott Walton, Scott Fennell, Chris Burns, Don Hammer, Mike Fulper.
Second K Main: Larry Campbell, Kurt Davis, Jay Mounce, Eric Young, Doug DeWitt, Dan Mecum, Doug Nunes, Lee Beckwith, Brian Harvey, James Sweeney, Dave Scroggs, Lee Little, Brian Carter, Kirk Kubik, Tyler Robbins, Rafe Essary, Don O’Keefe, Jr.
First J Main: Joey Fabozzi, Todd McVay, Justin Mallo, Colby Copeland, Billy Mentgen, Andrew Deal, Jeff Griffin, Bobby Ross, S. Davis, Conover, David Budres, Brent Camarillo, Doug Frye, Dalton Cole, Kelly Ferrell, Robby Josett.
Second J Main: Samantha Taylor, Cole Peard, Kurt Blackaby, Joe Duvall, Justin Hendricks, Nathan Smith, K. Davis, Ricky Williams, Brandon Wagner, Eric Young, Jay Mounce, Austin Smith, Brian Camarillo, Derrick Myers, Will Pierce, Larry Campbell.
First I Main: Jonathan Hendrick, Travis Berryhill, Copeland, Chris Coers, Randy Timms, Shane Carson, French Grimes, Mark Bush, Brian Portschy, Johnny Murdock, Jody Rosenboom, Kyle Rayburn, Fabozzi, McVay, Mallo, Joey Moughan.
Second I Main: Wayne Johnson, Garry Lee Maier, Johnny Rodriguez, Brett Miller, Tim Noble, Floyd Alvis, Tadd Holliman, Taylor, Brent Rees, Matt Johnson, Paul Perkins, Duvall, Blackaby, Eric Todd, Kyle Robbins, Peard.
First H Main: Andy Martin, Hendrick, Tracy Miller, David Cardey, Hunter Schuerenberg, Alan Ballard, Copeland, Chad McDaniel, Coers, Berryhill, Nick Lundgreen, Gary Scelzi, Nick O’Neal, Matt Covington, Cruz Pedregon, Brady Short.
Second H Main: Justin Henderson, Chris Sheil, Rodriguez, Bart Hartman, Terry Goodwin, Ryan Kaplan, Rick England, Jack Dover, Lee Grosz, W. Johnson, Maier, Brent Beauchamp, Tony Roney, Brett Miller, Shon Deskins, Josh Most.
First G Main: Thomas Meseraull, Brandon Waelti, Glenn Carson, Bud Kaeding, Ryan Cole, Glenn Styres, Michele Miller, Ryan Smith, Hendrick, Doug McCune, Cardey, Donnie Lehmann, Stewart, Friesen, Blake Fitzpatrick, T. Miller, Martin.
Second G Main: Coleman Gulick, Kevin Olson, Johnny Heydenreich, Hartman, Sheil, Mike Spencer, Paul White, Henderson, Scott Winters, Rodriguez, Tommy Bryant, Bill Allen, Jessica Zemken, Jason Dull, Nick Wean, Derek Hagar.
First F Main: Casey Shuman, Kevin Ramey, Joe Walker, Shane Hollingsworth, Tony Rossi, Kaeding, Gary Wright, Andrew Felker, Kyle Larson, G. Carson, Allgaier, Waelti, Kenny Morris, C.J. Sarna, Meseraull, Stevie Sussex.
Second F Main: Dustin Morgan, Justin Melton, Daniel Adler, Anthony Peterman, Darren Stewart, Chett Gehrke, Gulick, Joe Cleveland, Delphos, J. Heydenreich, Jasiel Randolph, Hartman, Olson, Steve Newman, Kenny Brown, Joey Montgomery, Jimmy Light.
First E Main: J.J. Yeley, C. Shuman, Josh Richards, Randi Pankratz, Shane Hollingsworth, Shannon McQueen, Jerrod Wilson, Joe Walker, Mike Hess, Blake Miller, Johnathon Henry, Eric Heydenreich, Russ Harper, Ramey, Bob Ream, Jr., Bayer.
Second E Main: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Jason Holt, Eddie Martin, David Prickett, Shane Golobic, Austin Mero, Jason Meyers, Zach Daum, Adler, Morgan, Peterman, Melton, Michelle Decker, Tony Beaber, Troy Rutherford, Mike Leslie.
First D Main: Scott Pierovich, Jeff Bland, Jr., Mason Moore, Frank Polimeda, R.J. Johnson, Danny Sheridan, Dex Eaton, Pankratz, Ray Bull, Rich Camfield, Billy Pauch, Jr., Shuman, Chad Kemenah, Richards, Yeley, Matt Streeter.
Second D Main: P.J. Jones, Brad Sweet, Randy Monroe, Jr., Stenhouse, Justin Grant, Holt, Tyler Brown, Chad Boat, Jerry Higbie, Jr., Sam Hafertepe, Randy Prickett, Darrin Bolton, Martin, Jeff Davis, Critter Malone, Rick Hendrix.
First C Main: Don Droud, Jr., Josh Wise, Travis Rilat, Matt Sherrell, Shane Stewart, Jonathan Beason, Bland, Chris Rahe, Pierovich, R.J. Johnson, Matt Westfall, Polimeda, Cody Brewer, Randy Hannagan, Danny Ebberts, Darren Hagen, Cory Kruseman, David Gough, Moore, Greg Bragg.
Second C Main: Terry McCarl, Levi Jones, Mark Brown, Ryan Durst, Sweet, Armstrong, Dennis Rodriguez, Stan Yockey, Monroe, Donnie Ray Crawford, P.J. Jones, Joey Saldana, Rex Norris III, Justin Grant, Matt Mitchell, Dakoda Armstrong, Chad DeSelle, Joe Boyles, Stenhouse, George White.
First B Main: Tony Stewart, Bobby Michnowicz, Jesse Hockett, Davey Ray, Brady Bacon, Billy Wease, Ron Shuman, Gary Taylor, Brad Loyet, Droud, Wise, S. Stewart, Rilat, A.J. Fike, Sherrell, Tim McCreadie, Tony Elliott, Steve Buckwalter, Danny Stratton, Nick Knepper.
Second B Main: Kevin Swindell, Tracy Hines, McCarl, Gary “Bubba” Altig, L. Jones, Nathan High, Danny Lasoski, M. Brown, David Camfield, Jr., Tim Siner, Sweet, Chris Windom, Mat Neely, Trey Robb, Austin Brown, Mike Goodman, Garrett Hansen, Bobby East, Sammy Swindell, Durst.
Feature: Damion Gardner, Dave Darland, Shane Cottle, Bryan Clauson, Jon Stanbrough, Kevin Swindell, Brady Bacon, Tony Stewart, Tracy Hines, Nathan High, Levi Jones, Jesse Hockett, Cole Whitt, Josh Ford, Davey Ray, Aaron Fiscus, Jason Leffler, Jerry Coons, Jr., Terry McCarl, Billy Wease, Bobby Michnowicz, Kasey Kahne, Brad Kuhn, Gary “Bubba” Altig.