If the offseason has left you craving racing action, the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals is set to deliver! With its unforgiving multi-night format, deep-rooted legacy, and crossover star power featuring names like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Tony Stewart, the Chili Bowl has become the winter’s defining short-track event. Here’s everything you need to know about the race that keeps motorsports buzzing along after the regular season ends!

What is the Chili Bowl Nationals, and why does it matter in short-track racing? 

The Chili Bowl Nationals is the ultimate proving ground for short-track racing. Launched in 1987 and held every January in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the indoor midget race has grown into the sport’s most demanding and prestigious event, drawing 300+ drivers from dirt racing’s grassroots to NASCAR’s biggest names.

Nicknamed the Super Bowl of midget racing, the Chili Bowl matters because success there can define careers; it is a brutal, win-or-go-home format, and packed grandstands and elite competition make it a true test of talent, toughness, and legacy. And this year it will be held between Jan 12 and 17, 2026; be sure to check it out!

Where to watch the Chili Bowl Nationals 2026? 

One can catch the Chili Bowl Nationals exclusively on FloRacing, making it the only platform offering full live coverage of the event. Fans can either watch it on the website or the FloSports app, which is available on iOS and Android devices. For those who prefer a big screen experience, FloRacing also supports connected TV platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV, making it easy to stream directly from home without a traditional TV broadcast.

In addition to live coverage, all races will be archived on FloRacing, allowing subscribers to replay heats, qualifiers, and feature races on demand throughout the event week. While occasional highlights may surface on social media, there is no traditional TV broadcast for the Chili Bowl Nationals.

Who are the NASCAR drivers competing in the Chili Bowl Nationals 2026? 

For the much-awaited event in January, some of the biggest names in NASCAR will take to the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, bringing star power to the iconic midget racing event. Kyle Larson, the defending champion with multiple Golden Drillers, and three-time winner Christopher Bell are officially confirmed to compete, promising high-stakes racing and intense competition.

While the full entry list continues to grow, these two headline NASCAR stars are set to draw fans eager to see how elite Cup Series talent fares in the growing multi-night Chili Bowl format. Their participation underscores the event’s unique crossover appeal, blending grassroots dirt racing with some of motorsports’ top professionals.

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What are the Chili Bowl Nationals’ prize money, winner’s payout and purse distribution?

The event offers one of the richest prize structures in short-track dirt racing, making it a highly coveted event for drivers. The winner of the Saturday night A-main typically takes home around $20,000, reflecting the event’s prestige and the high stakes of competing against hundreds of top drivers from grassroots and national racing series.

In addition to the base payout, drivers can earn lap money bonuses, usually around $150 per lap lead in the 55-lap feature and $50 per lap for second place, which means a dominant performance could push a winner’s total earnings to approximately $28,000 or more. This structure rewards not just the final result but consistent performance throughout the feature race.

The Chili Bowl also distributes prize money across its preliminary nights and consolation features. Preliminary race winners often receive about $3000, with smaller amounts awarded for lower finishing positions and to drivers advancing through B-, C-, and D-Features. Starting fees are also paid for many of these races, ensuring drivers competing throughout the week have multiple opportunities to earn.

What is the format of the Chili Bowl Race, Alphabet Soup and track details?

The Chili Bowl Nationals is a multi-night midget car racing event with a unique, layered format designed to handle hundreds of entries and crown a champion on Saturday night. From Monday through Friday, drivers compete in heat races and qualifying races, earning passing points that determine their starting positions and where they will race in the next round. The top 40 in passing points move into “A” qualifying races, while others fall into C-Mains and lower races depending on their results.

Each night’s racing culminates in an A-Main feature, where the top finishers lock themselves into the Saturday A-Main championship race. Drivers who don’t qualify directly are placed into a sequence of lettered Mains on Saturday, often referred to as the alphabet soup. Starting with lower letter mains such as P-Main or O-Main, competitors must finish near the front to advance up one letter into the next main, all the way to the B-Mains and ultimately into the A-Main, where the Golden Driller trophy is at stake.

The race takes place on a temporary quarter-mile dirt track built inside the SageNet Center, providing a tight, fast, and changing surface that rewards precision and skill. For 26, the championship race has been set at 55 laps, returning to the traditional feature distance.

This format with heat races, qualifying races, many lettered mains, and the intense battle to reach the A-Main is what makes the Chili Bowl one of the most challenging and exciting events in short-track dirt racing.