By Dave Argabright

TULSA, Okla. — Brad Kuhn out-dueled a pair of Indiana sprint-car heavyweights here at the Tulsa Expo Raceway Thursday night, capturing the round two 25-lap qualifying feature event at the 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals.

Kuhn, a two-time National Midget Driver of the Year, started on the pole and took an early lead, trailed by Kokomo, Ind.’s Shane Cottle and Tony Stewart. The race was slowed by just one caution, allowing an intense pace that carried the lead cars through dense traffic for much of the race.

Kuhn held off Cottle throughout the early stages, running to perfection on a quick racing surface. He built a lead of several lengths, but stumbled coming off turn two near the midway point, allowing Cottle to draw close behind his rear bumper. But Kuhn regained his rhythm and Cottle was unable to get alongside.

Jon Stanbrough, a 30-race winner in the Hoosier State in 2007, moved past Stewart to take third on lap 10. Stanbrough then dogged Cottle, finally taking second as the laps counted down. Stanbrough and Cottle could only chase Kuhn home from that point.

Cole Whitt edged Stewart in the late stages to take the fourth and final transfer spot to Saturday’s main event, relegating Stewart to a B-main start.

“I know the right people were here tonight, so this was the right time to shine,” said Kuhn of Brownsburg, Ind. “I was trying to run 25 laps with no mistakes, because last year a mistake cost me a win on my preliminary night.

“I did mess up one time in the middle of the race, and I thought Shane was going to get by me, but it was just one mistake and it didn’t cost me after all.”

Kuhn was aboard Dr. Kenneth Love’s Mopar/Spike machine.

Stanbrough was aggravated with a lapped car that he felt got in his way in the waning laps.

“He should have got out of the way, his race was over,” Stanbrough insisted. “I love coming here and I’m really excited to be in the show, but I’m gonna have to go back to the pits and control myself because I really want to go punch him in the mouth.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve finished second in a midget and I’m dying to get a win. I think we might have had an opportunity tonight.”

Cottle continues his strong showings at the Chili Bowl, and he was asked what it is that he finds so agreeable here.

“I guess it (Tulsa Expo Raceway) kinda suits my driving style,” he mused. “Back in 2000 it was kinda neat to be a rookie here and finish second, and ever since then I’ve liked it here.”

The summary:

First Heat: Chris Rahe, Ryan Durst, Shane Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Kevin Bayer, Mike Leslie, Nick O’Neal, Brandon Waelti.

Second Heat: Tony Stewart, Critter Malone, Jon Stanbrough, Mike Hess, Russ Harper, Jimmy Light, Justin Henderson, Thomas Meseraull.

Third Heat: Shane Cottle, Gary Taylor, Shane Golobic, Justin Grant, Tony Beaber, Tommy Bryant, Tony Roney, Floyd Alvis.

Fourth Heat: Bobby Michnowicz, Nathan High, Justin Allgaier, Joe Walker, Nick Lundgreen, Jessica Zemken, Alan Ballard, Jody Rosenboom.

Fifth Heat: Brady Bacon, Chad DeSelle, Austin Brown, Gary Wright, Nick Wean, Frank Polimeda, Stewart Friesen, Johnny Heydenreich.

Sixth Heat: Scott Pierovich, Kenny Brown, Dennis Rodriguez, Danny Sheridan, Sammy Swindell, Lee Grosz, Tadd Holliman, Johnny Murdock.

Seventh Heat: Billy Pauch, Jr., Matt Sherrell, Matt Mitchell, Tyler Brown, Joey Montgomery, Bud Kaeding, Eric Todd, Garry Lee Maier.

Eighth Heat: Jerry Higbie, Jr., David Gough, Garrett Hansen, Chett Gehrke, Cole Whitt, Jonathan Beason, Cruz Pedregon, Jonathan Hendrick.

Ninth Heat: Brad Kuhn, George White, Chris Windom, Joe Cleveland, Brad Loyet, Michelle Decker, Bart Hartman, Brent Rees.

First Last Chance Race: Loyet, Bayer, Meseraull, Zemken, Grosz, Roney, Murdock, Todd.

Second Last Chance Race: Decker, Leslie, Wean, Kaeding, Pedregon, Ballard, Maier, Alvis.

Third Last Chance Race: Polimeda, Harper, Friesen, Bryant, Henderson, Hartman, Hendrick, Rosenboom.

Fourth Last Chance Race: Beason, Light, Heydenreich, Waelti, Lundgreen, O’Neal, Rees, Holliman.

First A Qualifier: Stanbrough, Kuhn, Mitchell, A. Brown, Loyet, S. Stewart, Walker, Durst, Grant, Montgomery, Bayer, Pierovich.

Second A Qualifier: Cottle, Michnowicz, Taylor, White, Malone, Wright, Gehrke, Golobic, Decker, Leslie, Beaber, Pauch.

Third A Qualifier: High, Whitt, Swindell, Rodriguez, Rahe, Bacon, Yeley, Harper, Sheridan, Polimeda, Sherrell, Allgaier.

Fourth A Qualifier: Hansen, T. Stewart, DeSelle, Windom, Higbie, Beason, Gough, Hess, T. Brown, Light, K. Brown, Cleveland.

First B Main: Rahe, Bacon, S. Stewart, Beason, Pierovich, Malone, Polimeda, T. Brown, Harper, Decker, Hess, Leslie, Walker, Gehrke, Allgaier, Light.

Second B Main: Loyet, Gough, Durst, Sherrell, Grant, Sheridan, Higbie, Pauch, Beaber, Bayer, Golobic, Yeley, K. Brown, Wright, Montgomery, Cleveland.

Feature: Kuhn, Stanbrough, Cottle, Whitt, T. Stewart, Hansen, Michnowicz, Swindell, Taylor, High, Loyet, Windom, Bacon, A. Brown, Rahe, Mitchell, Sherrell, Rodriguez, Beason, DeSelle, S. Stewart, Durst, Gough, White.