Faltering in one attempt charges you up for a stronger second attempt. The 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals is right around the corner, and several drivers are looking forward to cementing their names in this historic event. Among them are prolific NASCAR drivers like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, who have already won multiple times here, and Kyle Busch who will script his debut. Along with them is former NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki – and he is out for redemption.

The 29-year-old speedster tasted defeat in the 2024 Chili Bowl event. He crashed in one of the qualifiers, which set him behind for D-Day. Although he is taking a cautious approach toward the A-Main event, Bilicki has a realistic outlook for himself this year.

Josh Bilicki is eager to do it this time

“I’m really frustrated and disappointed in myself.” That is how distraught Josh Bilicki was when he failed to make it through the 2024 Chili Bowl Nationals. He tore up the car by RAMCO Speed Group – he entered two-wide and his rival slid up through the middle of the track. The latter squeezed into Bilicki and left him no room, thus resulting in the disaster. However, the former Rick Ware Racing Cup Series driver is prepared to turn over a new leaf. The 2025 event will witness more than 350 drivers arriving at Tulsa, Oklahoma, to participate in the Super Bowl of Midget Racing. And Bilicki is confident to tackle this group.

Speaking to journalist Matt Weaver recently, Josh Bilicki broached the icky topic – how he may perform in the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals. Last year’s debacle left a lasting imprint, as he is not hiking up his expectations too much. “I would love to make the A-Main at Prelim. As crazy as that sounds, I think that will be a win for us. That would set us up decently for Saturday. Let’s be real, I’m not going to make the A-Main on Saturday. The expectations here are just for me to keep learning, keep growing,” said Bilicki.

Being a veteran of go-kart racing – he competed in the Road America SKUSA Super-Nationals – IMSA, and SCCA, Josh Bilicki is familiar with sprint car racing. Bilicki also won his last sprint car race of the season in 2024 at Plymouth. However, he is aware of the difference between that and the Chili Bowl experience. He added, “I definitely think it helps, but you do drive both cars differently. The sprint car is a little bit more like an asphalt field… You’re tight down on the left front vs. driving on the right rear so much… The winged sprint car – if you try to get that sideways, you’re going to be spinning around you’re gonna be flipped over. It definitely does help, but not as much as people probably think.” 

Indeed, Josh Bilicki has kept growing ever since he got his first go-kart in 2000.

Pushing boundaries

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Josh Bilicki was born in the perfect household. His grandfather attended the Indianapolis 500 annually and took his family to the Milwaukee Mile. His father turned a 30-year-old Ford Mustang into a race car to race in vintage events. So Bilicki had all the right influence to never give up on his racing ambitions. He moved from karts to cars at age 14 and got his pro license at 15. However, sponsorship woes sprang up that led him into a driver coaching job. Bilicki pieced together IMSA events and Spec Miata races. In 2016, he got his big NASCAR break with Obaika Racing.

And all it took was Josh Bilicki reaching out to them via Facebook. “I went on Facebook because I couldn’t find any of their information, found their Facebook page, shot them a message and almost five minutes later they commented back and said, ‘We’re interested.'” 

Then Obaika dropped a monetary demand on him – which Bilicki was able to fulfill with a benefactor. “I told them I would race for free because I just wanted to get my foot in the door. They liked that and told me that if I could get my license approved and could buy four sets of tires — which at the time was $10,000 — that I would be in the car… Believe it or not, the first sponsor that I called agreed to buy me the four sets of tires, so that was done.”

Clearly, Josh Bilicki demonstrated that if there is a will, there is a way. As he gears up for his 2025 Chili Bowl attempt, he will have his indomitable spirit by his side.