Chili Bowl

Everybody Love's the Drake in Thursday Chili Bowl Prelim

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 12, 2006) – Former O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals champion Jay Drake made his way back to victory lane at the Tulsa Expo Raceway by scoring the win in Thursday night's 25-lap Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores qualifying feature.

Drake fought off a lap 18 bid from Garrett Hansen then charged to the checkered flag to conclude the second night of the 20th Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Jon Stanbrough battled past Hagen in the latter stages to snare the runner-up slot. Hagen settled for the show position, with Steve Buckwalter fending off Justin Allgaier for the fourth and final transfer to Saturday's championship main event.

After dramatic heat race and qualifying race victories, the gremlins that have haunted J.J. Yeley in past Chili Bowl preliminaries bit him again with a first lap tangle with the frontstretch wall after starting the feature from the pole position.