– Among this year’s 61-driver Chili Bowl rookie class are sprint car star Kyle Hirst and U.S. Legend Cars International graduate Austin Langenstein.

Hirst is driving for the potent Josh Ford Motorsports team, which is also fielding entries for Jac and Sheldon Haudenschild this year, and took a moment between the two practice sessions on Monday to soak in the atmosphere.

“It’s like nothing else I’ve ever done in my career … and this place is like no other,” Hirst said. “This has always been on my bucket list to come and do, and not going to Australia (to race sprint cars) gave me the chance to come over here and do this. I’m glad I’m here; it’s truly a special place and a special race.”

Meanwhile, Langenstein is driving for Tucker-Boat Motorsports, and said he accomplished his biggest goal very quickly after going out in group four of 35 for practice in the morning session.

“I didn’t crash coming up the ramp!” he laughed. “The team told me that was one of the hardest parts of coming here … with getting out of gear and all the little things you need to do when you’re coming off the track, so that was a goal accomplished there.”

“Now the next project is running all the laps I can during my qualifying night (Tuesday) and not tearing this piece up,” he added. “If we do that, I’ll feel really good about everything here for my first attempt.”

In addition to racing during Chili Bowl week, Langenstein will be working his day job as well, selling safety equipment for HMS Motorsport at their booth in the Expo Center midway when he’s not behind the wheel.

– Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year Hudson O’Neal is making his Chili Bowl debut this week for car owner Jim Neuman, but the highlight of his Monday was a meeting with two-time Chili Bowl champion Abreu after first practice.

Abreu aided in the design of the helmet O’Neal is wearing during this week’s Chili Bowl, and met with the 17-year-old to admire the final product.

The blue-and-purple lid will stay with O’Neal until it gets sufficiently broken in during race season, when he will return it to Abreu for the California driver’s personal collection.

“I’m so thankful for the relationship that Rico and I have as friends and I’m so honored to be able to work with him on something like this,” said O’Neal. “As drivers, we hate to give up our helmets … they’re a part of us, but I know this one is going to a good place later on and that’s special for me.”

– Though the Chili Bowl started from humble beginnings, with only 35 cars at the debut edition, it has now grown to a point where it’s nearly larger than the building that houses it.

Asked if the event would ever move from the Tulsa Expo Center, co-founder and promoter Emmett Hahn simply chuckled.

“We’re busting at the seams, but we’re grinning while we’re doing it,” Hahn said. “There’s not another place you can go and (run) this the way we do here.”

– One interested onlooker on Monday was 15-year-old Zeb Wise, who is not yet old enough to compete in Tulsa’s biggest racing event despite having won rookie of the race honors at the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November.

Wise admitted that working on the eight-car Clauson-Marshall Racing fleet, but not being able to drive one himself, was something that bugged him all day as he listened to cars practicing behind the pits.

“I’ve thought about being out there every time they fire cars off,” said Wise. “Next year, it’ll happen.”

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.

Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.

The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: editor@racechaseronline.com

Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77

Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com

Follow RCO on Twitter: @RaceChaserNews