(Photo by Tim's Racing Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 19, 2015) – The 29th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals was filled with ups and downs for Alex Bright, who opened the event last Tuesday with his preliminary night at Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the River Spirit Expo Center.
Bright, who was piloting a midget for Mike Heffner, won his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. He then finished where he started – third – in a qualifier to accumulate enough points to lock into the 30-lap main event, which he started on the outside of the seventh row.
“We definitely had a top-three car if not one that could challenge for the win,” he said. “I got up to seventh and got caught up in a wreck. I went to the back and got back to ninth and got caught up in another wreck. With four or five laps to go I came from the back and got up to 12th. It’s the Chili Bowl. There’s a lot of wrecks so I salvaged what I could.”
Bright’s 12th-place result relegated him to a C Main on Saturday during the finale after a record of more than 325 drivers competed in preliminary action.
“Even the C Mains get stacked on Saturday,” he said. “You have to be on par with everything. We misread the track and just missed the setup. I had to play it safe and hold on to sixth, which I was trying to do. About Lap 3 someone hooked my rear bumper. I almost spun, but saved it and when I came back on the track another car hit me and bent the nerf bar into the right rear tire. The car was really inconsistent after that.”
Bright maintained his position just outside of a transfer spot for a majority of the race before a late caution left him with the choice to pit, replace the tire and restart at the back or stay on the track.
“I knew I wasn’t going to come from 15th to sixth, but I had a chance to move from ninth to sixth if a couple of cars wrecked,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t going to pass the guys in front of me with how the car was though.”
Bright stayed on the track and didn’t catch a break in the closing laps. He ended ninth in the C Main.
On a positive note, Bright announced a new opportunity during the Chili Bowl. He will be teaming up with Shane Hmiel to pilot a Great Clips sponsored midget in 2015.
“The plan is to run for POWRi points and fill in with the USAC races,” Bright said. “We’re going to be aiming for the POWRi championship. I’m really excited to be a part of such a great opportunity with Shane Hmiel and Levi Jones as my crew chief.”
Bright’s next race is slated for Feb. 19-21 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla., where he will drive a micro sprint.
QUICK RESULTS –
Jan. 13 – Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. – Heat race: 1 (2); Qualifier: 3 (3); Feature: 12 (14).
Jan. 17 – Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. – C Main: 9 (4).
SEASON STATS –
2 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 1 top 15, 1 top 20
UP NEXT –
Feb. 19-21 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla.
MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexBright77
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexBrightRacing
APPAREL –
Bright has new t-shirts available for sale at his race trailer during every race he competes in this season.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Heffner Racing Enterprises
Heffner Racing Enterprises is owned by Mike Heffner, who has fielded sprint cars for several racing legends.
“I really need to thank him for putting together a brand new car to run at the Chili Bowl,” Bright said. “Mike’s such a nice guy and an awesome car owner. For him to get in midget racing even though he has a full sprint car team is awesome.”
Bright would also like to thank PXP Racewear, Bell Racing Helmets, Lightcap Electric, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, RGR Racing, Hyper Chassis, Benic Shocks, Presidential HVAC, Elite Chassis, How Charming LLC and Diamond Disposal LLC for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jan 19, 2015
- Article Date: 1/19/2015 by Inside Line Promotions