Kyle Larson Set To Run Chili Bowl and Tulsa Shootout

Elk Grove, California, December 26, 2009. As the song says, 17 year old California sprint car driver Kyle Larson will be “Living on Tulsa Time” for two of the next three weeks. Larson is ready to embark on two separate trips to the Oklahoma wintertime hotspot and compete on the legendary Tulsa Expo Center racetrack. Although the 2009 Golden State Challenge Series 410 sprint car Rookie of the Year is stepping down a bit in the size of the race cars, he will be on a very big stage nevertheless.

This coming January 12-16 Larson will be making his third consecutive attempt in the 24th running of the Chili Bowl, albeit under much different circumstances than the 2009 event. After arriving at the prestigious event last year with the intention of just being a spectator and unbelieveably landing a last minute ride in one of the Corey Tucker/ Bryan Clauson Inc. mega-team cars, the Elk Grove, California resident will return this time in a much more relaxed situation, while again piloting a Tucker/ Clauson car with primary sponsorship from Rich Stadelhofer Construction.

Last January, with no practice laps on the qualifying night, and dealing with the hardship of not being able to earn passing points in his heat race due to the driver substitution necessitated by the illness of scheduled driver Jerry Higbie, Jr., Larson made an impressive run and put the car in Saturday’s D main event, where he finished eighth.

Larson is scheduled to take to the track on Thursday of that week in his quest to make Saturday’s 50 lap A-main, won last year for the fifth time by winged sprint car icon Sammy Swindell. Over 250 cars and drivers will be on hand to put their name on the Golden Driller Trophy.

“Last year was almost dreamlike how it all came together”, Larson began. “To be standing in the grandstand while the National Anthem was playing and then getting a call on my cell phone to hurry down to the pit area to race was what I first thought a joke. The scramble to get me fitted to the car and find a uniform and safety gear was just a blur. In about 15 minutes I was out on the track racing.”

“I’m really looking forward to this year’s race. I’m real glad to be back with Corey and Bryan because I know the equipment that I will be in is second to none. Also, I really appreciate the faith they had in me last year and hope to repay them this time with a berth in Saturday’s feature”.

Prior to the Chili Bowl Larson will first hit the track while taking part in the 25th running of the Tulsa Shootout, December 31- January 2. Running in two classes, he will be making his second consecutive start in the 600cc Winged Outlaw Micros, and will also return to his roots and compete in a Winged 500cc Outlaw Sprint Kart.

Larson stepped into a 600cc Winged Micro for the first time at last year’s event and made it seem as if he was an old hand of that form of open wheel race car. At the end of the preliminary qualifying day Larson had earned enough points to line up on the outside of the front row, next to the defending event champion, USAC veteran and ASCS sprint car competitor Brady Bacon. Despite a midrace tangle with another driver while running third in the feature race Larson was able to fight back to seventh at the finish.

“The Shootout is a real fun race also. It may not be quite on the level as the Chili Bowl but it is a huge event with competition that is unmatched for this kind of racing. Having some success in my first ever race in a Micro last year only made me want to come back and try again. The guys that run them all the time are tough and it would be a big highlight to get the win.”

Larson will also make a return foray in the Winged Outlaw Sprint Kart division at the Shootout. Two years ago the class was added to the Shootout format and Larson was there to run his last race in the family owned equipment, which was sold after the event. A second place finish was one place away from what he wanted, but he will get another chance to redeem himself this year.

While Larson has become one of the hottest prospects in west coast sprint car racing he has managed to jump back into an outlaw kart a handful of times over the last three years. Larson’s outlaw kart career produced 510 starts with 129 A-main event wins, 10 track and series championships, and 4 National championships, including both the 125cc and 500cc division championships at the 2005 Knoxville Outlaw Kart Nationals.

“Getting back in an outlaw kart is always fun. They are so powerful and quick reacting that they demand your attention. I still say that they are harder to drive than a sprint car or midget because they don’t have power steering or suspension, and they can beat your body up pretty good too. But, I’m really looking forward to it as there will be quite a few cars from California coming. I will be in a team car to QRC house kart driver “Pistol” Pete Johnston and I should have just as good a shot as anyone.”