Williamson Falls Short in Dramatic Chili Bowl Tuesday Night Qualifier
Mat Williamson's bid for his first Chili Bowl preliminary feature came to a dramatic end Tuesday night, finishing one position short of qualification among a field of over 70 competitors.
Drawing into one of the night's most challenging heats, Williamson showed impressive resilience after an early incident where contact with teammate Buddy Kofoid left him on his side. He recovered to finish fourth, earning enough points to advance to the qualifiers.
Two stock cars racing side-by-side
In the B Main, Williamson charged from sixth position to a transfer spot in fourth. However, three consecutive last-lap restarts proved costly when an untimely wheelie off turn four on the final lap allowed Garrett to slip by, claiming the last transfer position to the preliminary main.
"I just got more and more comfortable every time I was in the car," Williamson reflected. "The cautions came at the wrong time, but I feel like I got better and better. I certainly don't feel like I have anything to hang my head about."
The Super DIRTcar Series champion will return Saturday for the Alphabet Soup portion of the event, starting in the E Main with another opportunity to advance through the field.
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