Williamson Falls One Spot Short of Chili Bowl A-Main Qualifying
Mat Williamson narrowly missed qualifying for his first Chili Bowl preliminary feature in a night filled with dramatic racing action. Competing against over 70 cars, Williamson showed impressive skill despite facing significant challenges.
Two stock cars racing side-by-side
In his heat race, Williamson encountered early trouble when contact from teammate Buddy Kofoid sent him on his side. After recovering, he managed to secure a fourth-place finish, earning enough points to advance to the qualifiers with the top 40 drivers.
The night's culmination came in the B Main, where Williamson fought his way from sixth position to a potential transfer spot. However, three consecutive last-lap restarts proved challenging, and a poorly timed wheelie off turn four on the final lap allowed Garrett Williamson to claim the last transfer position.
Williamson remains optimistic despite the setback, noting his increasing comfort level throughout the night: "I just got more and more comfortable every time I was in the car. I certainly don't feel like I have anything to hang my head about."
The Super DIRTcar Series champion will now compete in Saturday's Alphabet Soup events, starting in the E Main, where he'll have another opportunity to advance through the field.