The Golden Driller is Clauson’s for 2014
After a decade of trying Indiana’s Bryan Clauson earns his maiden Golden Driller after cleaning up the 24 car field during the 55 lap Final.
The winning team Clauson ,Dooling .Kunz and Team
Starting from position three Clauson followed Bell and Pole sitter Beason across the stripe and the charge for the Golden Driller on was.
In the early laps Caleb Armstrong looked comfortable, if you can with Clauson and Bell hard on your tail…
First Clauson found the way past Armstrong then Bell made his move wanting keep Clauson in check. All week Clauson’s Dooling /Rusty Kunz Esslinger has been hooked up and Clauson was able to keep Oklahoma‘s young USAC Champ behind and stamped his authority over the race at an early stage.
Cautions were out early when Thomas Messerull blew his motor and stopped on lap 13 a further 7 cautions followed bringing Larson, Kevin Swindell and Abreu right into race contention.
Clauson was on the money at every restart, first running the bottom then moving to the top to keep Bell and the charging pack under control.
Kyle Larson from position 15 and Kevin Swindell from 14 were both on the charge, Larson wanting his first win and Swindell not wanting to lose his title.
Larson was tearing up the track and soon had monstered his way into 5th and was looking like he might be a serious threat to Bell and possibly Clauson.
Luck in any race can be cruel, Larson would find himself in a Swindell sandwich and got caught up with Sammy, the contact forced Sammy off the track and he raced across the infield rejoining the race on the opposite of the track, one lap down. The contact for Larson seemed to hurry up the massive engine failure that ended his charge shortly after.
Later in the infield Sammy Swindell would have a confrontation with Keith Kunz and later at the press conference Swindell gave his view. , “It was nothing that bad. I think all the people, aside from me and Christopher made it a bigger deal than what it really was. I was just a little frustrated.”
The third Kunz/Toyota driver Abreu had also made up ground and like his teammate was looking like a chance until a spin ruined his chance of glory.
There was a number of rollovers one particular nasty one for Damion Gardiner the other for New Zealand’s Michael Pickens, both were unhurt thankfully.
As the laps counted down Kevin Swindell’s car started to work a treat and a late pass on Bell had him in sight of Clauson and a 5th successive Title . A strong as Swindell was Clauson’s concentration, totally focused and he never lost control of the race and greeted the white flag with a clear lead
One circuit of the Tulsa track and the Golden Driller would be Clausons!
The flagman showed Clauson the chequered flag and the Golden Driller was his, Kevin Swindell put a masterful display to come from position 14 to take the runner up position ahead of Christopher Bell.
55 spectacular laps of midget racing was over and a new Chili Bowl National Champion crowned .When BC stepped from the Dooling Car the crowd erupted with applause , Clauson was a popular Champion at the 28th Chili Bowl nationals.
The Chili Bowl Champion
Bryan Clauson
In the post race interview Clauson said “I’m just really relieved I didn’t throw it away because these guys are really good,” said Clauson. “I said it last night in the Press Conference that I felt like I had a car that could compete for the win tonight from the time we unloaded the car. It was really going to be a matter of not burying ourselves.”
A Feature (55 Laps): 1. 63-Bryan Clauson[3]; 2. 39-Kevin Swindell[14]; 3. 97-Christopher Bell[2]; 4. 77-Alex Bright[12]; 5. 17R-Dave Darland[10]; 6. 47X-Tim McCreadie[8]; 7. 21-Daryn Pittman[17]; 8. 8J-Jonathan Beason[4]; 9. 3-Chris Windom[9]; 10. 15X-Chad Boat[18]; 11. 67K-Rico Abreu[13]; 12. 24-Tracy Hines[22]; 13. 5D-Zach Daum[5]; 14. 1-Sammy Swindell[6]; 15. 05-Brad Loyet[20]; 16. (DNF) 7M-Kevin Ramey[24]; 17. (DNF) 17K-Alex Schutte[19]; 18. (DNF) 5-Jerry Coons Jr[21]; 19. (DNF) 7C-Caleb Armstrong[1]; 20. (DNF) 63NZ-Michael Pickens[11]; 21. (DNF) 56L-Danny Stratton[16]; 22. (DNF) 71K-Kyle Larson[15]; 23. (DNF) 47-Damion Gardner[7]; 24. (DNF) 16-Thomas Meseraull[23]
Lap Leader(s): Caleb Armstrong (1-5), Clauson (6-55)
