TULSA, Okla. — The 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals kick off Monday at the Tulsa Expo Center, bringing what many consider the Super Bowl of dirt track racing to Oklahoma.
Racer Jonathan Beason is chasing glory in his own backyard after winning the 2026 Tulsa Shootout earlier this month.
2 News asked Beason whether a racer ever won back-to-back titles for the Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals. His response? Likely not, but his eye is on the prize.
Beason said the Chili Bowl Nationals is the Indy 500 for dirt racing. He is lining up to make history at the $1 million event, but faces steep competition.
NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is returning to Tulsa to serve as grand marshal.
"Racers like myself that, you know are wanting to win, we're wanting to compete against the best and this is the only place, you know, or at least probably in the country that you're going to be able to race against those guys and me to do it, you know, in my hometown is even more special," Beason said.
This isn't Beason's first time winning the Tulsa Shootout. His last win happened over a decade ago. He hopes to build momentum from winning the Tulsa Shootout into the Chili Bowl.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- 2 News Oklahoma on your schedule | Download on your TV, watch for free. How to watch on your streaming device
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
