The Story Behind The Chili Bowl Name

The story of how the biggest Midget race in the world got its name is a complicated one. It’s a tale of family, business and happenstance. Matthew Dillner takes us inside the Oklahoma home of the Chili Bowl’s first sponsor, Bob Berryhill, to tell the tale of the Original Chili Bowl. Years later, his grandson Tanner Berryhill, is carrying on the family legacy racing in the event his family helped create.
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[@georgew.5639]

Now not only is there the Chilli Bowl event. There’s the Tulsa shootout which is a huge event in its own right. Car counts are incredible.

[@mjriemen]

The Shootout came the year before the Chili Bowl actually

[@TheBlackdog8]

No way

[@gkbkansas]

@@TheBlackdog8 , Tulsa Shootout was the year before the Chili Bowl. I raced in the original Shootout, got second in my heat race and finished about 12th in the main event. We ran a TZ250 Yamaha twin cylinder engine.

[@mjriemen]

@@TheBlackdog8Not only that, but the track was smaller and turned sideways to what it is now. 👍

[@clifffawcett]

Matthew Dillner… and FloRacing… bringing us the content we are here for!!! Thank you!!!

[@craigsouthern5089]

Thanks Matt D. For that invite. Now I know how this iconic race has gotten it's name. Thanks for taking us subscribers along for the ride. Love the channel. Keep up the great work. 👍✌️😎😁🍀🍀🍀🍀🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🏁🏁🏁🏁.

[@AndrewBlacker-t1d]

Dilner is excellent.

[@backcountryme]

My dad was the Plant Manager for the Original Chili Bowl back when the race was started. I was at the first 13 of the races, and practically grew up in the Chili Bowl plant building and at the IPE building.

[@deplepfan]

That's outstanding to hear. Love Chili& midgets a pair made in heaven

[@zzzz1192]

love this. great to see flo get more involved on a personal level... great content.. thank you..

[@revazquez]

Great video! Thanks for the history lesson!

[@justbe4481]

Awesome now I know 😁 chili bowl 🍜 history

[@mojodoug3]

Aaron Berryhill is in that picture in the Red #97 Sprint Car. That was his ex-wife Amber Smith in the picture with him. Stevie’s sister.

[@vbr23453]

My dad drove from NorCal to Tulsa every year, for 20 yrs. He loved this event.

[@randywilson6869]

I ran a crane for awhile and was sent to a chilli company in Tulsa I can’t remember their name but I rigged up by the back door to set a ac on the roof about 10 am and the smell of all those brisket smoking in there made me mad hungry

[@LEVEL_55]

That's interesting I was wondering about this

[@Bergnutz]

Love that little dog!

[@scable-eq7bp]

Very cool video, thank you for sharing.

[@stanley-rn7xo]

I always thought it came from the race is ran in the wintertime and it was chilly outside, so they called it the chili bowl. I would’ve never thought it was named after chili that you eat.

[@Homnickmotorsports]

Hope it stays chili bowl for the rest of time. Pretty interesting story

[@trentlothringer2867]

Dude you gotta work harder than everyone else to keep it going, don't stop keep pushing forward, it's up to you!!

[@bradinch1563]

love to go there some time, but do they still sale his chili there???

[@ColoradoCarrolls]

Why am I suddenly hungry for some good Chili?

[@mojodoug3]

Do your homework kids. Bob and Matt Berryhill owned “The Original Chili Bowl” who made chili for Wolfe Brand, Keebler, etc. They sponsored the very first chili bowl. I believe it was called “The Original Chili Bowl Indoor Midget Nationals”, but evolved into “Chili Bowl Nationals”. I was there at the very first Chili Bowl. My friends Aaron and Adrian Berryhill were on n the race.

[@ericfarmer8613]

Wow, nice to know

[@JuniorNitroJunki]

I love this video

[@jakesydnes8455]

So is chili actually served at the chili bowl then?

[@LgnSknks541]

Andy Hillenburg still my favorite export of Broken Arrow.

[@AdamOutlaw87]

The event has grown and grown over the years and has added days with more and more drivers taking a shot but the money never increased until Larson didnt come back and now "Boom" its a little more money to win after years and years of greed they caved in and now it pays more but still not nearly enough like it should. I know somebody will say it was never about the money but damn look how pricing is on everything these days its a alot to do the whole week of racing for a team. Hahn always plays like he is lucky to break even when the city chips in with the event. The crowds will be down this year atleast during the week. What names are going to be there other then kids with Daddy's money and Ohh!! Taylor Reimer i forgot will pack the place on Saturday with her big drive through the field of kids nobody knows✌🏻🏁🏁🏁

[@Corky3D]

You do realize how much money it is to put the event on right? If I remember correctly it cost several million dollars to put on the Shootout and Chili bowl. Emmett also does NOT get any money from the concessions. The fairgrounds themselves make about a million dollars off of the event. This isn't like Tony Stewart and the Kings Royal, where he owns the track, puts the show on and doesn't have to bring everything in to make the event happen. When Emmett gets there. There is nothing it's just a big empty building.

[@jasonlong3929]

That's awesome

[@chrisragan6774]

Go Tanner

[@dusk_clan384]

Badass

[@ricksmith6434]

How embarrassing. These kids should know this. The Berryhill family has given everything to Tulsa and this race along with Emmit Hahn and the late Lanny Edwards.

[@Corky3D]

Kind of sad that some of the racers (Not just these) will say winning the Chili Bowl is a lifetime goal, but don't even know the origin of it or the name.

[@frostysgrill]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@lyndim6926]

I hope they have better coverage of the Chili Bowl on here than they did the Shootout!!!!

[@HoosierRC]

Taylor Reimer look hella smart😅

[@mikejones2830]

😂

[@benjaminrizzo6573]

❤🏁

[@randywilson6869]

I bet u are happy for all that. Now do u get free tickets every year

[@randysiler7458]

👍👍🏁

[@AndrewBlacker-t1d]

Stupid people say, "honed in." They don't know a homing pigeon "homes in" on its roost. A "hone" is used to finish dress a surface.

[@RegularJoes]

Come on! it was a restaurant and an original sponsor

[@mojodoug3]

Nope. It was not a restaurant.

[@mojodoug3]

The restaurant was closed down back in the 70s I believe.

[@randywilson6869]

I thought that it was Ike’s chilli

[@mojodoug3]

@@randywilson6869 Nope

[@VonHanzee]

I mean.....its a circle with dirt...they couldn't even put that together? New generation is stupid.