CHILI BOWL: 'It's some of the best competition anywhere' - Abreu

Tony Stewart said winning it was one of the biggest thrills and accomplishments of his career while Rico Abreu calls it his favorite race of the year and Sammy Swindell loves to hear the haters boo after he kicks everybody's butt.

The Chili Bowl is a lot of things to a lot of people but it's become one of the gems of the open-wheel world and the popular start of every racing season.

"There's no other atmosphere like the Chili Bowl," said Abreu, who will be gunning for his third consecutive triumph this week in the 31st running of the midget race on the fifth-mile dirt track inside Tulsa's Expo Center. "It's the place to be and some of the best competition anywhere."

Founded in 1987 by Emmett Hahn and the late Lanny Edwards, the Chili Bowl started out small and has ballooned into a week-long show that's attracted a record 358 entries from all walks of motorsport for the 24 A Main starting spots.

NASCAR regulars Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse, J.J. Yeley, Justin Algier and Christopher Bell will be after their initial win along with USAC great Dave Darland, perennial World of Outlaws sprint champ Donny Schatz and reigning USAC champs Tanner Thorson (midgets) and Brady Bacon (sprints).

Former CB winners Cory Kruseman, Tracy Hines and Tim McCreadie also are entered along with USAC front-runners Jerry Coons Jr., Chad Boespflug, Shane Cottle, Thomas Meseraull, Chris Windom, Chad Boat and Zach Daum but everyone figures to be chasing Abreu and his Keith Kunz Bullet chassis powered by Toyota.

Abreu, who split his time between NASCAR trucks, WoO and USAC in 2016, staged an impressive rally to beat his pal Bryan Clauson to the checkered flag last year (pictured) following his first victory in 2015.

Clauson, the 2014 CB winner and one of short track racing's toughest competitors, lost his life last summer in the Belleville Nationals and will be greatly missed by the estimated 12,000 fans that pack the Expo Center Tuesday through Saturday night. But BC's dad, Tim, is honoring his son's memory and fielding three cars.

Another crowd favorite will be in attendance, just not behind the wheel. Kevin Swindell, who captured four consecutive Chili Bowls (2010-'13), was paralyzed in a 2015 sprint car accident and has made a miraculous recovery to walk again. But he no longer drives and is running his own team this week.

His ageless father, Sammy, who is still winning sprint races at 61, is the all-time Chili Bowl king with five wins over three decades and is always a threat.

Stewart, a two-time CB victor, retired from NASCAR last year and intends to keep running selected midget, sprint and stock car races but won't be driving this week in Tulsa.

"Naw, I promised Emmett I'd help again with the track but maybe some day," said Stewart, referring to the fact he operates the grader and works on the track in between races every night.