It's like Bump Day for the Indy 500 over and over again.
The most thrilling aspect about the Chili Bowl is just how this event whittles 350 entries down to 24 for Saturday night's main event.
Much was made about Bump Day at the Indianapolis 500 this past May when Saturday qualifying eliminated James Hinchcliffe and Pippa Mann. There were some fans who couldn't make peace with two popular drivers, one a full-time championship contender, failing to take the green flag.
But that entire process was riveting to watch, and it's truly a shame that most major motorsport events no longer feature a true elimination process.
So not only does the Chili Bowl have that Bump Day vibe, it has it day after day for five consecutive days in the form of Qualifying Week. Roughly 80 drivers run a series of heat races and qualifiers each night, hoping to collect enough passing points to advance into that night's A-Main.
But even those who don't automatically qualify for the A-Main will also have a chance to race their way in via the B-Mains. It's an exciting process, even if the passing points formula is a little hard to process at first.
The best of this process was on display on Thursday night.
Veteran Tracy Hines, the 2005 winner, caught big air in his heat and had to race all the way from the C just to make the A. At the same time, Keith Kunz Motorsports teammates McKenna Haase and Sam Johnson essentially eliminated each other from the A in their qualifiers when running first and second, exchanging blows on the track that cost them valuable passing points.
Every race and every pass matters from 5 p.m. onward because the results determine just how far a driver has to race on Saturday just to have a shot at reaching the main event.
Let two-time and defending race winner Christopher Bell explain.
"The one thing that’s really unique about this race is the risk is astronomical in every position of every race," Bell said. "You look at your heat race, I went fourth to second and I was in a really good spot there and me attempting to go for the win if I would’ve got upside down there I’m looking at the back of a C-Main on a prelim night.
"Then that’s O-Main, N-Main on a Saturday. Whereas (Golobic) sliding (Leary) or them sliding me, if I would’ve spun out or stalled the car and giving up one position on the prelim and stopping and having to go to the back that’s the difference between being on the front of an A- to an E-Main. Risk is extremely high in every race we easily run."
In other words, just making it to the A-Main on a qualifying night is tremendous security.
But there is drama to be found in starting in the O- or N-Main too, like JJ Yeley will have to do after getting disqualified during his Wednesday heat and crashing out of his C-Main. To return to the Main Event, something he has done on seven different occasions, he will have to run the gamut all day Saturday, needing to finish top six and then top five until reaching the A-Main.
A daunting task to be sure.
But he once made the A from the F, so it's not totally out of the question. However, Chase Briscoe, who once battle from the D to the A, says making it all the way from the O is virtually impossible.
"I don't think anyone will ever do it, maybe Bell could because he's that good," Briscoe said. "But you need to catch the cautions at the right time. It's not even a matter of speed oftentimes. You're starting at the back, and when you advance, you just turn right back around and go down the ramp.
"It can be mentally exhausting more so than physical."
So while much casual observer fanfare will go towards the A-Main, pay attention to what's happening all week and even on Saturday morning, because that's half the fun.
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