2025 Chili Bowl Nationals: Debutants Kyle Busch & Ty Gibbs Among Other NASCAR Drivers on Ever Growing Entry List

The Chili Bowl Nationals attracts top drivers from various racing disciplines to unite and compete in midgets every year. In 2025, this indoor race will take place from January 12 to 18 in the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks to its expanding entry list, it might be bigger than ever.

The latest updates reveal that the number of entries for the race is now 327. It is decorated with four previous Chili Bowl winners: Logan Seavey, Sammy Swindell, Kyle Larson, and Tanner Thorson.

Christopher Bell, a legend in these parts, considering he is a three-time winner, is expected to join the party, but his official filing hasn’t come yet.

NASCAR will be well-represented in the 2025 event. Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch will be making his debut in the sprint car race, and joining him as a rookie will be Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs. The 2023 Daytona 500 winner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will also be returning to Tulsa to race alongside them.

From outside the boundaries of stock car racing, there are many notable entries. The High Limit Racing Series and World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet is one among them.

Others include Ricky Thornton Jr., Corey Day, and Brent Crews. The entry list hasn’t been finalized yet, meaning more drivers might want to get a ticket in before the race unfolds.

Why is Kyle Busch running in the Chili Bowl Nationals?

For all his time in NASCAR, Busch never got the itch to compete in the Chili Bowl Nationals. The reason why he is making his debut now comes down to his young son, Brexton.

The kid is currently making his mark in the grassroots levels of racing, driving micros and midgets. Rowdy believes that he will be able to help him better if he has the experience himself.

He said earlier this year, “The biggest reason why I’ve changed my mind now is having more experience with being on the dirt. Knowing a little bit more of what to expect. For years, I never really raced open-wheeled cars, never ran sprint cars or midgets or micros.” Another crucial reason that kept him away all these years is his heavier build.

He explained that his cars would have to be redesigned to fit his size and that doing so would give the lighter and younger kids an edge over him on the track. Midgets are extremely sensitive to weight, so Busch makes a strong point there. The curious brain ponders how he will manage this problem during his debut.