“Every Major City in America Would Kill to Have This”- Tulsa Mayor Unmasks Chili Bowl’s Surprising $40 Million Economic Impact

The saying goes around quite often that the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is a breeding ground for racing legends. Names like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are living examples of the star-making magic of the race. But it’s not just about the drivers and their skyrocketing careers. The host city, Tulsa, also warmly welcomes teams, fans, and tourists alike.

In fact, Tulsa’s Mayor, G.T. Bynum, has openly expressed his pride in hosting a series as prestigious as the Chili Bowl. He’s noticed that people flock to his city from all corners of the globe, not just for the thrill of the race but also to explore what else Tulsa has up its sleeve. The midget series isn’t just a financial boon for the city; it’s put Tulsa on the map for many, all thanks to the Chili Bowl.

Mayor G.T. Bynum sees visitors as a nod to Tulsa’s appeal

Each year, the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals kick off with a press conference where event promoter Emmett Hahn, several racers, and Tulsa’s key figures, including Mayor G.T. Bynum, gather at the SageNet Center. This event draws tens of thousands of fans to Expo Square annually. However, this year in particular, Mayor Bynum seemed extremely thrilled about the economic boost the series is estimated to bring, with officials assessing a direct economic impact of around $20 million and an indirect one nearing $40 million.

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Reflecting on the Chili Bowl event, Bynum shared, “I think there is that there’s the economic impact which was mentioned earlier, $49 in estimated economic impact which is tremendous. That’s very well. Every major city in America would kill to have this event in their city, so it’s a great point of pride for us.”

He added, “But it’s also important because when you’re at this event, you see the families that come back to this year in and year out. Whether it’s the families, fans, the competitors. And they’re not just here to participate in the race and then go back in their hotel and leave. Like they experience the life of a city. Having this event choose Tulsa year after year is a huge vote of confidence in our community. It’s heartening to see so many people excited to return to Tulsa year in and year out.”

Mayor G.T. Bynum was seen beaming with pride for his city and its residents. And now that the first day of the 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals is in the rearview mirror, let’s jump into the action to see how Day 1 unfolded.

Monday night’s thrills at the 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals

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The 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals hit the ground running with the first round of preliminary battles. Starting off with 68 eager drivers, the night saw Tanner Carrick speeding into victory lane, bagging his second Monday night preliminary feature win. Alongside him, two drivers punched their tickets to Saturday’s main event showdown.

Shane Golobic clinched second place, securing his spot in Saturday’s big race. The Chili Bowl excitement is set to ramp up again on Tuesday night, with a fresh batch of drivers vying for a spot in the 38th annual Chili Bowl Nationals on Saturday.

On the NASCAR front, Chase Briscoe, who apparently intended to be the king of Tulsa at the end of the week didn’t manage to secure a direct berth to Saturday’s Chili Bowl Nationals championship feature, but he’s well-positioned to make his mark in the final stretch of the week. Briscoe, wheeling the #14 for Tony Stewart‘s team in the Cup Series, showed some serious moves, climbing from 12th to finish fourth in Monday’s preliminary main event, kickstarting the 38th edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals midget car racing spectacle at Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma.

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It wasn’t a walk in the park for Briscoe right from the get-go. He began sixth and crossed the finish line fourth in his heat race, then started seventh and again finished fourth in his qualifier. Leveraging the Chili Bowl’s unique passing points system, Briscoe racked up enough points to earn a spot in Monday’s feature race, starting 12th.

Behind the wheel of his own No. 5 midget car, Briscoe didn’t waste any time climbing the ranks in the 30-lap feature. He carved his way up to fifth, just as a caution flag was waved with 19 laps to go. He then moved up another spot due to a penalty handed to Shane Golobic during the caution.