CHILI BOWL NOTES: From Contender To Disaster For Danner

Briggs Danner in action at Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Raceway Monday. (Dave Higgins/9D Creative for ABR photo)

TULSA, Okla. – For the first seven laps of Monday’s Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink preliminary night feature, Alex Bowman Racing’s Briggs Danner looked to be the star of the show.

The 23-year-old Pennsylvanian swept both his eight-lap heat race and his 10-lap qualifier, charging from fifth to the win in the latter, then started third in the 30-lap nightcap and quickly charged up to the bumper of polesitter and early leader Shane Golobic.

But with a daring dive to the bottom of turn three, Danner’s momentum came to a screeching halt.

Danner pitched a deep slide job into the corner in an effort to take the lead from Golobic, but carried too much speed through the apex and slid all the way across the front bumper of the No. 17W before slamming into the outside cushion.

The heavy shunt sent Danner’s No. 55i into a series of wild flips, mangling the Spike Chassis midget before it came to rest high on the banking in turn four.

While Danner climbed out uninjured, his quest as a prelim night victory was over in dramatic fashion.

In an instant, he went from a potential lock-in spot to Saturday’s championship finale to last in the 24-car feature rundown, relegating Danner to an E-main for the alphabet soup program that caps off Chili Bowl week.

He made the big show a year ago with Meyer-Rossi Motorsports, but in order to replicate that feat this time around, Danner will have to transfer through the E, D, C, and B-mains on Saturday first.

It’s a tall, tall order and Danner knows it. He also knows that he was in perfect position before things all went bad.

“I started (the main) on the bottom and got shoved up out of the way at the very beginning, but that actually let me find the top really early on … and it was surprisingly good up there,” Danner recalled. “I thought it’d be a bit greasy up there, but we got to second quick and got right there to Golobic’s bumper.

“Got into three a little hot … he must have seen me on the screens and moved up … but he checked up coming off two and I saw the chance and slid him into three,” Danner added. “I really didn’t think I got in that hot; I don’t know if it was a bit greasy through the middle or what … but I thought it’d just stand the front end up and instead it flipped over big and ended our night.

“We were right there. They knew we were there. But now we have to come through the soup.”

Danner hopes to find optimism prior to Saturday, but Monday night there was little more than dejection for the two-time USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series champion.

“I’m probably harder on myself than these guys are; I should have been able to give them a podium, if not a lock-in spot,” Danner said. “Just disappointed for them right now. Got to learn from it and move on.”

– USAC Triple Crown champion and versatile veteran Jerry Coons Jr. extended one of his own Chili Bowl records Monday night, qualifying for his 25th consecutive preliminary night A-main.

Coons ended up 10th in combined points for the night after winning his heat and going fourth-to-third in his qualifier, locking into the field as a result and starting from the outside of the fifth row.

Coons ran as high as fifth before fading to sixth on a green-white-checkered restart, slotting himself into a B-main for Saturday’s Driller Day program.

This year marks the 52-year-old Arizona native’s 28th Chili Bowl appearance and he’s seeking his 19th overall Saturday feature start. Fourteen of his finale starts came consecutively from 2004-’17.

Coons’ best career Saturday Chili Bowl result of fourth has come three times, in 2009, 2010, and 2016.

– Dubbed “the world’s fastest announcer” by longtime friend and Chili Bowl broadcaster Blake Anderson, NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA pit reporter Dillon Welch returned to the driver’s seat Monday night and charged from 22nd to 10th in the feature.

After missing out on his last two prelim night mains completely, it marked a return to form for Welch, who earned top-seven prelim finishes three times in a four-year span between 2019 and 2022.

The Carmel, Ind., native will be part of the primetime program Saturday night, slated for a C-main as he chases his third appearance in the Chili Bowl’s championship feature.

Welch was announced as a pit reporter for CW Sports’ full-season coverage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Tuesday as well, just hours after concluding his racing obligations in Tulsa.

– Two-time Monday winner Tanner Carrick started strong but faded late, dropping from a front-row starting spot to 11th at the finish in one of three Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports entries that competed in the Chili Bowl opener.

Carrick lined up second but dropped to sixth by halfway of the 30-lapper, continuing his free fall from there. His two teammates, Cannon McIntosh and Ashton Torgerson, finished third and fifth, respectively.

Like Welch, Carrick will be in a C-main Saturday night. He’s made the finale two of the last three years.

– Guthrie, Okla., native Michelle Decker returned to the A-main field on a Chili Bowl prelim night Monday for the first time since 2009 and ultimately earned her best qualifying finish to date.

She started last in the 24-car field as the final transfer car from the second B-main and advanced eight positions to end up 16th. Her previous best was 21st, achieved during the Thursday prelim 16 years ago.

The past POWRi West Midget League champion is seeking her first Chili Bowl championship feature start in her 21st consecutive attempt. She’ll line up in a D-main during Saturday’s alphabet soup.

– Sixty-six drivers officially drew in for 2nd Opinion Auto Center Qualifying Night, with the event’s flip count standing at 11 through practice and the first preliminary program.

Broadcast coverage of Tuesday’s Warren CAT Qualifying Night activities begins at 4 p.m. CT, with every lap of Chili Bowl week available through FloRacing.