By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (November 11, 2002) - A fire late last week in a new construction area of the Tulsa EXPO Building, site of the Chili Bowl Nationals since 1987, will have no effect on the 17th annual race, to be held January 8-11, 2003.
The fire, which took place in an area where new concession stands are under construction, resulted in approximately $200,000 in damage. However, events scheduled for this past weekend went off without interruption. Repairs are expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.
Much of the renovation and new construction in the 500,000 square foot Tulsa EXPO building, one of the largest buildings of its kind with no center support columns, is a result of the revenue generated by the Chili Bowl Nationals. Ticket sales for the January 8-11, 2003, event are running about 25% ahead of previous years.
The Chili Bowl Nationals is one of the nation's premier auto racing events, attracting approximately 180 of the country's top drivers from all forms of racing. Current NASCAR Winston Cup point leader and former USAC standout Tony Stewart is the reigning champion of the prestigious midget race, having prevailed in a classic battle to win the race this past January.
This year's Chili Bowl will also feature the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions presented by Ford. The recently announced event, which will feature champion drivers from national and regional series, including NASCAR, IRL, NHRA, USAC, WoO, ASCS, UDTRA and DIRT, is generating a tremendous amount of interest from fans and competitors alike.
TULSA, Okla. (November 11, 2002) - A fire late last week in a new construction area of the Tulsa EXPO Building, site of the Chili Bowl Nationals since 1987, will have no effect on the 17th annual race, to be held January 8-11, 2003.
The fire, which took place in an area where new concession stands are under construction, resulted in approximately $200,000 in damage. However, events scheduled for this past weekend went off without interruption. Repairs are expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.
Much of the renovation and new construction in the 500,000 square foot Tulsa EXPO building, one of the largest buildings of its kind with no center support columns, is a result of the revenue generated by the Chili Bowl Nationals. Ticket sales for the January 8-11, 2003, event are running about 25% ahead of previous years.
The Chili Bowl Nationals is one of the nation's premier auto racing events, attracting approximately 180 of the country's top drivers from all forms of racing. Current NASCAR Winston Cup point leader and former USAC standout Tony Stewart is the reigning champion of the prestigious midget race, having prevailed in a classic battle to win the race this past January.
This year's Chili Bowl will also feature the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions presented by Ford. The recently announced event, which will feature champion drivers from national and regional series, including NASCAR, IRL, NHRA, USAC, WoO, ASCS, UDTRA and DIRT, is generating a tremendous amount of interest from fans and competitors alike.
