[h=2]Larson starts fast in Chili Bowl preliminaries[/h] Tuesday, 09 January 2018


By Robin Miller / Image by Boyd Adams



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Kyle Larson has done everything but win the Chili Bowl during the past few years and Tuesday night he once again got off to a flying start on the path he hopes will end up with the Golden Driller Trophy.
Starting second in the 25-lap A Main in his Toyota-powered Spike chassis, Larson took the lead from polesitter Zach Daum on Lap 8 and never relinquished it as he automatically transferred into Saturday night's 32nd annual midget racing classic.
Chip Ganassi's NASCAR star, who came up through midgets and sprint ranks, is driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports, the winning team the past three years with Rico Abreu and Chris Bell, and Larson is always fast on the dirt bullring and always one of the favorites. This is his third preliminary victory in the past six years.
Fellow Californian and sprint car ace Brad Sweet charged from fifth to second place and Tyler Courtney held off hard-charging Tom Harris for the third and final transfer spot into Saturday night's A Main. Harris stormed from 13th to fourth and will start up front in one of the B Mains.
Daum, the three-time POWER1 champion, was holding down third spot when another car flipped in front of him and he had to stop – relegating him to 16th place so now he'll have to come from the C Main on Saturday.
Chad Boat captured the Race of Champions ahead of Larson, former USAC midget champ Tanner Thorson and multi-USAC champion Tracy Hines.