By: Ron Burt
Logan Seavey wins the 55-lap 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals for Midgets. Last week racing fans were focused on Tulsa, January 9-14, for the 37th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. I received emails from readers and messages on my Facebook, Ohio Sports Blitz page excited about this year’s qualifying mains and the feature. Logan Seavey is the 23rd different driver to win the Chili Bowl. This win is a first for Kevin and Jordan Swindell as car owners. The Swindell name now accounts for 14 overall wins in Chili Bowl competition. Tanner Thorson, the 2022 champion came in second, 0.306-seconds behind Seavey. Rounding out the top five in the A-Feature 3rd.Cannon McIntosh, 4th. Shane Golobic and 5th Emerson Axsom. The 2023 Rookie of the Year and recipient of the Fuzzy Hahn Highest Finishing Female Award was California’s Jade Avedisian, who was the only rookie in Saturday’s A-Feature.
I have a lot of respect for any driver the puts on a helmet and straps themselves in a racecar. NASCAR champion Kyle Larson didn’t compete in this year’s Chili Bowl, but 365 other drivers entered the qualifiers. Larson made statements about the race and the payout. He let fans know he decided to race late models over the weekend. Good for him but you’re a professional and a roll model for young racing fans don’t bash a race that fans sell out to see because it brings them enjoyment. At the end of the day when the Chili Bowl Champion was crowned, no one missed Kyle Larson. If he didn’t attend because of the payout, maybe he can work with race organizers and help obtain more sponsors for next year’s race. The dates for next year’s event will be January 8-13, 2024, at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, located inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Okla. Information on tickets will be released in the next few weeks. Ticket orders begin the first Wednesday of March.
The 2023 Ice Racing Season has no ice to race on. The 360-Winged Sprint Invaders/Great Lakes Sprints had dates to race on Lake Missaukee February 4th, in Lake City and Houghton Lake, February 18th and 25th but organizers had to cancel these dates. They still hope to get hope to get races in at Barbeau, MI for the 2nd Annual St Mary’s River Roar on March 4th at Cozy Corners. However, the shipping channel is still open with no ice, leaving Mother Nature in control. Ice racing has been around for years and it’s big in the northeast. Putting Sprint Cars on ice adds to the thrill and fun. If you want to see Sprints on ice, go to youtube.com and type in Sprints on Houghton Lake Michigan.
I will close this week by saying congratulations to the 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser on being inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. All his awards and career accolades are well deserved. Ron Out!
www.facebook.com/ohiosportsblitz.
Archers record win over Apaches
Visiting Antwerp controlled the middle two quarters and held on for a 49-42 win over Fairview in Green Meadows Conference boys basketball action outside of Sherwood Friday night.
Landon Brewer led the way for the blue and white with 22 markers while Parker Moore chipped in nine points and Carson Altimus posted eight.
Antwerp held a slim 14-13 advantage at the end of one quarter and doubled Fairview in the second stanza, outscoring the Apaches 8-4 in the period to extend the margin to 22-17 at the intermission.
The blue and white then picked up 15 points in the third quarter while limiting the Apaches to ten as Antwerp pushed the margin to 37-27 at the end of three periods.
Fairview picked up 15 markers in the final period while holding Antwerp to a dozen to set the final margin of 49-42 for the Archers.
Reid Lichty also totaled seven points while Zaine McMichael connected on a three-point field goal.
The Apaches got 16 points from Brody Retcher and Adam Lashaway chipped in a dozen markers.
Other scorers for the black and gold were Eli Shininger (four), Abram Shininger (three), Kasen Kauffman (three), Kale Salyers (two) and Klayton Boland (two).
Antwerp captured a 36-31 victory in the junior varsity contest.
