TULSA, OK -January 10, 2007- Davey Ray cashed in on Wednesday night's Creek Nation Casino Qualifying event at Tulsa Expo Raceway's 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, outdueling Brad Kuhn to snare victory honors in the 25-lap "A" Main event.

Ray and Kuhn traded slide jobs several times during the middle portion of the race before Ray finally took over for keeps to score his first Chili Bowl preliminary feature win, shaking off the traditional taboo of a green race car.

Ray took the checkered flag in front of Kuhn, with Casey Shuman making a late move to take third from young Donnie Ray Crawford who was in the lead mix much of the way. Crawford settled for the fourth and final lock-in position to Saturday night's 50-lap O'Reilly Chili Bowl Natioals championship feature.

RESULTS

Wednesday Night's 21st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals Creek Nation Casino Qualifier Results:

Heat Races (Top 40 in passing points to four A Qualifiers; Balance to four Last Chance races)

Heat 1: 1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 2. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 3. #71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 4. #22E Evan Sewell, Jenks, Okla.; 5. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 6. #39X Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, Ind.; 7. #1C Chad McDaniel, Concordia, Kan.; 8. 33M John Wolfe, Winchester, Ind.

Heat 2: 1. #33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park, Ill.; 2. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville, Ind.; 3. #21A Jon Stanbrough, Brownsburg, Ind.; 4. #95K Rik Forbes, Omaha, Neb.; 5. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 6. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 7. #F1 French Grimes, Madison, Va. DNS - #16 Tom Bigelow, Winchester, Ind.

Heat 3: 1. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; 2. #71K Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 3. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 4. #91 Bugs Norbury, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 5. #22T Mike Woodruff, Satanta, Kan.; 6. #20C Carey Becker, Reading, Pa.; 7. #2K Kyle Wissmiller, Saybrook, Ill.; 8. #85J Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Heat 4: 1. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 2. #5L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, Mo.; 3. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 4. #12H Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, Ind.; 7. #1M Mike Miller, Reading, Pa.; 8. #15N David Prickett, Fresno, Calif.

Heat 5: 1. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif.; 2. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 3. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 4. #17T Thomas Meseraull, Avon, Ind.; 5. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 6. #19W Troy Rutherford, Ojai, Calif.; 7. #74 Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon, Calif.; 8. #5AZ Shon Deskins, Waddell, Ariz.

Heat 6: 1. #7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.; 2. #F4 Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, N.Y.; 3. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 4. #125 Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio; 5. 318 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan.; 6. #57 Brian Gard, Clovis, Calif.; 7. 31T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo. DNS - #83 Kurt Blackaby

Heat 7: 1. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 2. #69 Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.; 3. #21M Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa.; 4. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.; 5. #07 Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, Calif.; 6. #5T Randy Timms, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 7. #24H Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.

Heat 8: 1. #3C Chris Rahe, Placentia, Calif.; 2. #52S Casey Shuman, Indianapolis, Ind.; 3. #2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 4. #1W Paul White, Temple, Texas; 5. #27B Neil Shepher, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 7. #19N Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, Okla.

Heat 9: 1. #11 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 2. #37M Rip Williams, Yorba Linda, Calif.; 3. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 4. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 5. #13 Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tenn.; 6. #73E Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 7. #18G Rickie Gaunt, Torrance, Calif.

Last Chance Races (Top 2 in each transfer to back of corresponding A Qualifier)

Last Chance 1: 1. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 2. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 3. #07 Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, Calif.; 4. #20C Carey Becker, Reading, Pa.; 5. #85J Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 6. #F1 French Grimes, Madison, Va. DNS - #24H Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.; #83 Kurt Blackaby, Bentonville, Ark.

Last Chance 2: 1. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 2. #73E Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 3. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, Ind.; 4. #15N David Prickett, Fresno, Calif.; 5. #2K Kyle Wissmiller, Saybrook, Ill.; 6. #19N Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, Okla.; 7. #19W Troy Rutherford, Ojai, Calif. Note - Rutherford was penalized to the end of the field after passing before the cone on a restart

Last Chance 3: 1. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 2. #39X Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, Ind.; 3. #18G Rickie Gaunt, Torrance, Calif.; 4. #57 Brian Gard, Clovis, Calif.; 5. #1M Mike Miller, Reading, Pa.; 6. #5AZ Shon Deskins, Waddell, Ariz.; 7. #74 Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon, Calif.

Last Chance 4: 1. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 2. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 3. #18 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan; 4. #5T Randy Timms, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 5. #3M John Wolfe, Winchester, Ind.; 6. #16 Tom Bigelow, Winchester, Ind.; 7. #1C Chad McDaniel, Concordia, Kan.

A Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)

A Qualifier 1: 1. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 2. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 3. #71K Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 4. #21A Jon Stanbrough, Brownsburg, Ind.; 5. #21M Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa.; 6. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 7. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 8. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 9. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 10. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 11. #95K Rik Forbes, Omaha, Neb.; 12. #F4 Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, N.Y.

A Qualifier 2: 1. #52S Casey Shuman, Indianapolis, Ind.; 2. #33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park, Ill.; 3. #37M Rip Williams, Yorba Linda, Calf.; 4. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #125 Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio; 7. #73E Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 8. #22T Mike Woodruff, Satanta, Kan.; 9. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; 10. #91 Bugs Norbury, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 11. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 12. #27B Neil Shepherd, Warsaw, Ind.

A Qualifier 3: 1. #17T Thomas Meseraull, Avon, Ind.; 2. #22E Evan Sewell, Jenks, Okla.; 3. #3C Chris Rahe, Placentia, Calif.; 4. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville, Ind.; 5. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 6. #13 Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tenn.; 7. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 8. #39X Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, Ind.; 9. #71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 10. #69 Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.; 11. #12H Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 12. #7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.

A Qualifier 4: 1. #5L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, Mo.; 2. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 3. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif.; 4. #11 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 5. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 7. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 8. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 9. 396 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 10. #2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 11. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.; 12. #1W Paul White, Temple, Texas

B Mains (Top 4 advance to A Main)

B Main 1: 1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 2. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; 3. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 4. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #13 Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tenn.; 7. #2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 8. #12H Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 9. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 10. #73E Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 11. F4 Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, N.Y.; 12. #71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 13. #125 Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio; 14. #7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.; 15. #21M Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa. DNS - #1W Paul White, Temple, Texas

B Main 2: 1. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 2. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 3. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 4. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 5. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #39X Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, Ind.; 7. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 8. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 9. #95K Rik Forbes, Omaha, Neb.; 10. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 11. #27B Neil Shepher, Warsaw, Ind.; 12. #91 Bugs Norbury, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 13. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 14. #69 Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.; 15. #22T Mike Woodruff, Satanta, Kan.; 16. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.

A Main (25 laps - Top 4 Advance to Saturday Night’s Main Event)

1. #33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park, Ill.; 2. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 3. #52S Casey Shuman, Indianapoli,s Ind.; 4. #71K Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 5. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 6. #21A Jon Stanbrough, Brownsburg, Ind.; 7. #17T Thomas Meseuraull, Avon, Ind.; 8. #11 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 9. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 10. #5L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, Mo.; 11. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 12. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 13. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; 14. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 15. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 16. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 17. #37M Rip Williams, Y orba Linda, Calif.; 18. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville, Ind.; 19. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 20. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 21. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 22. #22E Evan Sewell, Jenks, Okla.; 23. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif. DNS - #3C Chris Rahe, Placentia, Calif.















Have an opinion on this story? E-MAIL KARNAC to send a letter to the editor!