TULSA, Okla. – A stacked field of 76 first-time entrants will look to tame the 35th Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals this week, all vying for the prestigious title of Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year.

Headlining the list of rookie competitors at the Super Bowl of Midget Racing is reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, who will wheel the No. 9e owned by Paul May and DiaEdge Racing.

Elliott’s rookie attempt at the Chili Bowl marks the first time since 2012 (Tony Stewart) that the reigning champion in NASCAR’s premier series has participated at the event.

Two of the favorites for the award this year come out of the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports stable, in the form of 16-year-olds Daison Pursley and Jesse Love.

Pursley, from Locust Grove, Okla., picked up his first national midget win with POWRi at the end of last season. Love is the defending ARCA Menards Series West titlist with Bill McAnally Racing in stock cars.

Past NASCAR Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt is entered in the Chili Bowl for the first time with Bundy Built Motorsports, while 2019 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Carson Macedo hopes to add a second “top rookie” title to his resume during this week’s Chili Bowl.

Other notable names on the rookie roster include dirt modified ace Nick Hoffman, in a RAMS Racing entry; California outlaw kart star Carson Sousa, in a Jack Yeley-owned ride; Indiana young gun Emerson Axsom, in a Petry Motorsports car; and Pennsylvania sprint car racer Anthony Macri, in for Chris Dyson.

The highest-finishing rookie driver during Saturday’s alphabet soup program will be awarded the 2021 Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year title.

Past Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year honorees include Buddy Kofoid (2020), Zeb Wise (2019), Gio Scelzi (2018), Donny Schatz (2017), Spencer Bayston (2015), Tyler Courtney (2011) and Brad Sweet (2008), among others. The award was instituted during the 2004 Chili Bowl Nationals, won by Danny Stratton.

The full list of rookie competitors for the 35th Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, Jan. 11-16 inside the River Spirit Expo Center, can be viewed below.

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Rookie Entrants

Car No. – Driver – Hometown (Entrant)

0fg – Kevin Quinn – Fresno, Calif. (Drea Pricket Motorsports)
0g – Steven Russell – Springfield, Ill. (Jack Yeley)
1x – Anthony Esberg – Kelseyville, Calif. (T&A Automotive)
2c – Trevor Casey – Altoona, Iowa (Casey Racing)
2h – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, N.C. (RAMS Racing)
2r – Carson Sousa – Red Bluff, Calif. (Phil Rossi)
2s – Cole Scott – Goldsby, Okla. (Steve Scott)
2t – Tanner Allen – Springville, Iowa (Mark Bush)
4 – Mike Ducharme – Ash Fork, Ariz. (Beast Enterprises)
4cm – Cody Jessop – Madera, Calif. (Morgan Frewaldt)
4r – Scott Towslee – Manchester, Vt. (Morgan Frewaldt)
4u – Jeremy Hill – Stahlstown, Pa. (MSW Motorsports)
5o – Chase Howard – Nesbit, Miss. (Hagar-Proctor Racing)
6s – Tyler Slay – Watsonville, Calif. (Chris Slay)
7g – Jimmy Glenn – Middletown, Pa. (Glenn Motorsports)
7k – Kolton Gariss – Owasso, Okla. (Wayne Simmons)
7w – Steve Young – Truth or Consequences, N.M. (Rick Horn)
8b – Brock Berreth – Tulsa, Okla. (Beason Holdings)
9e – Chase Elliott – Dawsonville, Ga. (Paul May-DiaEdge Racing)
9j – Anthony Nicholson – Bartlett, Tenn. (Hagar-Proctor Racing)
9p – Daison Pursley – Locust Grove, Okla. (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian)
10j – Lane Goodman – Broken Arrow, Okla. (Hunt Brothers)
10p – Dylan Postier – Stillwater, Okla. (Postier)
11s – Stephen Schnapf – Newburgh, Ind. (Martin Motorsports)
11w – Aaron Werner – Colman, S.D. (Metalworx Motorsports)
12h – David Raquenio – Ventura, Calif. (Neverlift Motorsports)
12s – Brent Shearer – Manheim, Pa. (Glenn Motorsports)
14c – Zack Morgan – Springfield, Mo. (Tom Casson)
15a – Emerson Axsom – Franklin, Ind. (Petry Motorsports)
15L – Luke Howard – Overland Park, Kan. (Rick Horn)
15n – Joey Brasil – Modesto, Calif. (Neverlift Motorsports)
15s – Dennie Gieber – Frankston, Texas (Keith Burnett)
17d – Garrett Smithley – Ligonier, Pa. (Koontz Racing)
17k – Patrick Kop – Kaliua, Hawaii (Koontz Racing)
17x – Tres Mehler – Oblong, Ill. (Next Level Metal)
19a – Chase Randall – Waco, Texas (Reinbold-Underwood)
19z – Hayden Reinbold – Gilbert, Ariz. (Reinbold-Underwood)
21t – Carson Macedo – Lemoore, Calif. (Tarlton Motorsports)
22z – Zac Millikin – Tulsa, Okla. (James Hoover)
25c – Courtney Crone – Corona, Calif. (Tom Malloy)
25k – Taylor Reimer – Tulsa, Okla. (Dave Mac Motorsports)
26m – Marshall Skinner – Marion, Ark. (Shawn Wood)
26r – Tristin Thomas – Burlington, Wash. (Rudeen Racing)
27s – Austin Wood – Germantown, Tenn. (Shawn Wood)
33 – Bryson Smith – Nixa, Mo. (Bryan Smith)
34 – KJ Snow – Kingsburg, Calif. (Wade Wiseley)
35 – Jacob Denney – Galloway, Ohio (Petry Motorsports)
35t – Casey Schmitz – Chico, Calif. (MSW Motorsports)
36 – Kevin Reed – Laredo, Texas (Kevin Reed)
37t – Kelby Watt – Adel, Iowa (A.J. Felker)
38 – Braydon Cromwell – Lone Jack, Mo. (Rick Horn)
40m – Chase McDermand – Springfield, Ill. (RMS Racing)
42 – Shawn Mahaffey – Tulsa, Okla. (Dean Franklin)
44s – Kameron Key – Warrensburg, Mo. (Chad Shields Racing)
44t – Tom Davies – Elkhart, Ind. (Tom Davies)
45k – Kyler Johnson – Quinter, Kan. (KJR)
45m – Brett Moffitt – Grimes, Iowa (John Mitchell)
50k – Kaeden Cornell – Willard, Mo. (Daum Motorsports)
53r – Sean Robbins – Collinsville, Ill. (Scott & Tyler Robbins)
57d – Aiden Purdue – Clinton, Ill. (Daniel Robinson)
58 – Harley Rose – San Jose, Calif. (Chris Slay)
61 – Kenny Koelsch – Broken Arrow, Okla. (Glenn Bratti)
63 – Trey Burke – Alvin, Texas (Joe Dooling Auto Sport)
68c – Corby Scherb – Decatur, Texas (Scott Scherb)
69 – Stephen “Gravy” Fairfield – Jacksonville, Ill. (Tom Casson)
70 – Cade Cowles – Bixby, Okla. (Garris Racing)
71j – Joe Weaver – Rockwall, Texas (Donita Morris)
71x – Brian Carber – Pipersville, Pa. (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian)
72k – Chad Turner – Rockwall, Texas (Donita Morris)
72w – Tye Wilke – Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Jody Rosenboom)
73x – Brody Fuson – Bakersfield, Calif. (JFM)
84j – Jesse Shapel – Wichita, Kan. (Phil Shapel)
91s – Kyle Shipley – Phoenix, Ariz. (Mark Stasa)
97k – Jesse Love – Menlo Park, Calif. (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian)
98m – Ricky McNamar – Lawton, Okla. (Wayne & Cindy Crow)
99 – Anthony Macri – Dillsburg, Pa. (CD Racing)
121 – Steven Glover – Rochester, N.Y. (Glover)

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