JACK FRANCE RACES IN THE US CHILI BOWL AHEAD OF THE 2025 SEASON

06 Feb 2025

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Jack France headed to the US to make his second appearance in the Chili Bowl Nationals ahead of the 2025 BriSCA F1 season.

The Chili Bowl Nationals is a week-long indoor tournament of oval racing, which takes place at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma. The ‘Midget Sprint’ cars used in the event are specially built dirt racing machines redlining at 10,000rpm and producing 400bhp, weighing in at just 410kg!

Our very own Jack France partnered with GR 22 Motorsports to secure a drive in the 39^th annual running of the prestigious event.

All drivers were entered into a draw to race on one of the days between Monday and Friday, with an additional draw determining the grid starting positions. Jack was selected to race on Tuesday and drew heat 6 front-row outside position.

Using the experience gained from last year, Jack out in a great drive on US soil, securing a brilliant 5^th, scoring 67.5 points which qualified him for Feature Race P on the Saturday.

The Feature Races work up the alphabet with the top 6 finishers of each race moving up, with the winner of Feature A being the Champion.

Growing familiarity with the #22G machine led to Jack putting together a great 2^nd place finish in Feature P, allowing him to progress.

A top 6 finish in “O” meant Jack was into Feature N starting 16^th. A mega race saw him charge from the back of the grid up to 3^rd by the time the chequered flag fell. Next up was Feature M race, with an 11^th on grid starting point, a calculated race saw him home in 6^th – qualifying for the next race. The races run back-to-back, so with little respite for the drivers it’s a real physical challenge.

Jack was now lining up for his 5^th consecutive race, working his ways through the letters. Feature L was an eventful affair with several cars making contact. Unfortunately, Jack picked up a puncture and a bent front axle. A red flag race stoppage allowed the team to change the wheel, meaning he could rejoin the race. It was a big mountain climb, with the NAPA Racing driver finishing 10^th.

JACK FRANCE – NAPA RACING UK DRIVER:

“We’ve had a brilliant time doing the Chili Bowl, it’s event like no other. We got our name out there and got some good results”

“The guys at GR 22 Motorsport along with my UK team have been great”

Back home now, all focus is on the upcoming BriSCA F1 season and the build of a new shale car which the team are looking forward to unveiling it soon.

Photo credits: Colin Casserley and Chris Clark

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