‘Dad was a star but…’ – Chase Elliott snubbed his dad for backing Tony Stewart for this reason before joining Kyle Larson-dominated affair

With the NASCAR season over and dusted off, and no more Cup Series or Xfinity Series races to look forward to, drivers and fans will look to other formats and series. Among these are the Super Bowl of Midget Racing and the Chili Bowl Nationals. But could we end up missing one of the most dominant Chili Bowl drivers – Kyle Larson?

Last year, in the week leading up to the race in Tulsa, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott sat down for an interview on The Loudpedal Podcast. Elliott was asked, “Why the Chili Bowl? What about that race that piqued your interest enough to want to run it? »

“I really enjoyed this race, I’ve been a fan of the event for probably 5-6 years or so. I’ve paid close attention to it over the last 5-6 years. Just think of it as a really cool event for one but not just the Chili Bowl. I grew up a huge fan of Tony Stewart so obviously he wanted me to do that stuff, I felt like a kid” says Chase.

He also added, “My dad was a star at the time, but you know you always look outside of that too, outside of him. Tony was very successful and he was really, really nice to me. I knew he was really involved I think you know he would send me like you know little diecast sprint cars and stuff at Christmas…”

“I, you know, he sent me t-shirts and stuff from all his dirt guys, so that was really the big deal. I just felt like he was nicer than most for some reason and I respected that.

The 2020 Cup Series champion certainly had a “blast” in his Chili Bowl debut in 2021. But since then, things have only gotten worse.

What did Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott get into?

The 2021 Chili Bowl was an interesting event. Kyle Larson went 2-for-2 for him at the event, winning the race outright in his midget car. On the other hand, Elliott was involved in a dramatic (and dangerous) mid-air flip that knocked onlookers out of their seats.

But from what it looks like right now, there won’t be a repeat of those moments in 2022. In an interview with Racing America, Larson said “So I’ve been going to the Chili Bowl for 15 years, it’s a great event and I love it. I spent half my life going there. But now that I’ve started racing in these other big events, against big names, and they just seem more important to me than the Chili Bowl.

“I just don’t see the race as one of the biggest like I used to because it hasn’t grown like the other big races have. I’m just at the point where I want to see the scholarship grow a lot. So right now, and unless that happens, I won’t be doing it this year and I know there are a lot of runners who feel the same way.

A similar kind of emotion was echoed by Elliott, and the route taken by him, Larson and Christopher Bell angered race promoter Emmett Hahn. He said, “Bell started this shit two years ago and it’s just a shame because nobody called me. They have my number. Chase Elliott has my number. I’m really easy to reach, and I would have this too conversation with them, but they all went straight to the media.

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Given the tone and tenor of Hahn’s statements, it seems highly unlikely the Golden Driller will see Elliott and Larson in 2022.