McQueen Racing Geared Up for 2012 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

McQueen Racing Geared Up for 2012 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

By Robert Haugh

Competing against the World’s best racers over five days January 10 through 14, with approximately 250 racers competing, including reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and two-time Chili Bowl winner Tony Stewart, reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Sprint Car icon and five-time Chili Bowl winner Sammy Swindell, reigning two-time champion Kevin Swindell and a plethora of the most talented racers from an array of racing backgrounds and disciplines, McQueen Racing is gearing up to make a run for the biggest trophy in Midget racing - the coveted Golden Driller. 

Having completed a stellar 2011 racing season, McQueen Racing is hoping at carrying their success to the biggest Midget race of the year, getting prepared for the 26^th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway, January 10-14.

McQueen Racing’s 2012 Chili Bowl team will be an all-female roster, consisting of Bakersfield, California’s Shannon McQueen, Guthrie, Oklahoma’s Michelle Decker and Lindsay, Oklahoma’s Harli White, a 16-year-old Chili Bowl rookie.

McQueen competed in 21 races in 2011, claiming one feature victory, six seconds, 12 Top 5s and 19 Top 10s en route to clinching the Bay Cities Racing Association Dirt championship prior to the final BCRA Dirt race, becoming the first female to win a major Midget championship. McQueen also claimed seven Heat race wins, two Dash wins and two fast time awards, including a track record at Silver Dollar Speedway. McQueen also holds track records at Calistoga Speedway, Petaluma Speedway and Orange Show Speedway.

M&M Racing Photo - www.mmracingphotos.com

McQueen will be vying for victory in the Shannon McQueen #7 Murf Dogg Racing, R.C. 4 Less, American Waste Control, Simpson Race Products, K&N Filters Spike/Esslinger.

Decker, who scored a fifth-place run at Silver Dollar Speedway in her lone 2011 Midget appearance, will be piloting the Shannon McQueen #7d Waurika Truck & Tire, Carter Custom Finishes, Starrship Trucking, Simpson Race Products, Quantum Consulting Spike/Esslinger.

Decker was third in the ASCS Sooner Region points in 2011 and was the 2008 Sprint Car champion at Oklahoma’s State Fair Speedway. Decker was also the 2005 Super Sprint Winter Nationals champion at State Fair Speedway.

Though a Chili Bowl rookie, White is familiar with the bullring Dirt oval, having made the A-Main in two different classes at the Tulsa Shootout. Harli scored eight feature wins in Micro competition in 2011, plus dozens of Top 5 and Top 10 finishes. White, who made her inaugural Midget start a great one, claiming a fourth-place run and dominating a Heat race at Chowchilla Speedway, will be driving the McQueen Racing #7w American Waste Control, Waurika Truck & Tire, Quantum Consulting, K&N Filters, Eibach Springs Spike/Esslinger.

White will compete on Wednesday, Decker on Thursday and McQueen on Friday, with all three competing in Saturday’s finale, where all racers from four qualifying nights are placed into feature races based on their points from qualifying night races.

McQueen Racing sponsors include K&N Filters, Lucas Oil Products, Simpson Race Products, Eibach Springs, American Fabrication of Bakersfield, Advanced Racing Suspensions, Ruth Engineering, West Evans Motorsports, Esslinger Racing Engines by Duane McQueen and JE Piston Company.

Additional 2012 Chili Bowl Sponsors include:  American Waste Control, MurfDogg Racing/Motorworks, R/C 4 Less, Carter Custom Finishes, Quantum Consulting, Waurika Truck and Tires, Starrship Trucking, Dale’s Electric and Mud-X.

 Visit www.shannonmcqueen.com for more information on McQueen Racing.