The Golden Driller is back, and this time in the form of the Tulsa Shootout. When one mentions the Golden Driller, there’s a possibility that it might be confused with the Chili Bowl, which is held two weeks after the Tulsa race. The yearly Micro Sprint car event, which is attended by hordes of drivers, has received a staggering 1609 participation applications this year. And amidst those 1609 drivers aiming for a chance to flaunt his racing acumen is 77-year-old John Crowder.

Crowder’s dedication and tenacity often surprise an average race car driver as he partakes in the competition year after year despite his age. The veteran will race again at the SageNet Center when the Tulsa Shootout kicks off on December 27. There have been several instances of fairly older drivers leaving their mark on racing, and Crowder too aims to enter the annals of history through the same as he revealed his plans in a conversation with FloSports.

John Crowder is planning to race until he is 85

Racing is a dangerous sport. As the physical limitations of growing age catch up, people often drift away from the racetrack. However, John Crowder doesn’t see it that way. The senior driver, who in his late 70s, is fine with the results of the races, who he races against, or even what conditions he races under. For Crowder, the joy of racing has taken priority, fuelling his desire to keep running.

Disclosing his plans for the future on being asked if he’s targeting the next milestone of racing at 80, John Crowder said, “Planning. Yeah, I’ll race at least until I’m 80. I’m looking at 85, really.”

“I would love to, yeah. I’m not that great of a driver; I’m about a mid-pack type driver, but I have a whole lot more fun than anybody out there,” he further added.

John Crowder is the oldest driver in the 2023 Tulsa Shootout. However, he’s not the oldest ever to do it. NASCAR Hall of Famer Hershel McGriff holds that record as he ran his final race in 2018 at 90. One of the many highlights of his career was a 13th-place finish in the final standings of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2001 when he was 73 years old. However, McGriff’s achievements are outside John Crowder’s mind, too. Crowder is just enjoying himself, doing something he loves, and is even unbothered by the stark difference in the age gap of his competitors.

With the Tulsa Shootout approaching, all eyes are on this off-season race. But before things get underway, let’s take a look at what the iconic Tulsa Shootout brings to the table!

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The coveted tournament has received 73 more entries than the 2022 event iteration. The Tulsa Shootout held at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, features six classes of Micro Sprint vehicles, which are Junior Sprints, Restricted A-Class, Winged A-Class, Stock Non-Wing, Non-Wing Outlaw, and Winged Outlaw. While the sample space of drivers might seem too large initially, the field is eventually trimmed to competition between the final 24 drivers in each division.

Winners of each division will land a Golden Driller Trophy and gear up for the Chilli Bowl Nationals two weeks after the Tulsa Shootout. The elimination procedure is quite lengthy, as the field has to undergo five stages of reduction before the final 24 drivers are decided.

The first stage of the scrutinizing procedure is the Pill Draw, where drivers draw for their starting position on the grid in the upcoming heat races. Heat races are the procedure’s second stage, where drivers’ points are recorded based on their finishing positions. After the heat races, the best 112 drivers of each division race in the qualifiers that is also decided by finishing points.

The third trimming stage is the Eight Qualifier, where each qualifier for every division gives the top 32 drivers of heat races an opportunity to get ahead of cars and earn more points. The final 16 drivers in the combined table of heats and qualifier races will proceed to race in the division’s main event, and the rest will be sent to the B-Mains.

The transfers in the alphabetical main are sequential. The top 2 in D-Mains will move to C-Mains, the top 2 in C-Mains will move to B-Mains, and so on. The last chance qualifier gives eight drivers a final chance to participate in the main event and strive for the Golden Driller.

Among the notable drivers set to participate in Tulsa, Kyle Busch and his son Brexton take center stage. Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan will also hope to win a Golden Driller trophy before beginning the 2024 season.

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