Before the 38^th annual Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout officially begins on Tuesday night, let’s look at some of the most notable statistical finds from the “Mecca of Micros.”

POTENTIAL RECORDS: The official TulsaShootout.com website currently displays a whopping 1,534 entries. That would rank as the second-highest entry count in even history, only trailing last year’s mega field of 1,661 entrants.

On top of that, all six divisions are on the edge of breaking their own records. Those totals (and their existing records) include Stock Non-Wing at 390 entries (record is 418), A-Class at 357 entries (record is 383), Outlaw Non-Wing at 348 entries (record is 389), Winged Outlaw at 218 entries (record is 248), Restricted is at 125 entries (record is 121), and Jr. Sprint at 96 entries (record is 96).

DRILLER DYNASTY: The record for most Tulsa Shootout titles belongs to Gregg Bakker, a quad legend with 13 wins including at least one every year from 1994 to 2004.

When it comes to open-wheel only, Blake Hahn – grandson of Shootout & Chili Bowl founder, Emmett Hahn – has a massive collection of eight Golden Drillers between ECOtec Midgets (4), Winged Outlaw (1), Outlaw Non-Wing (1), Jr. Sprints (1), and 600cc Modifieds (1).

Strictly on the micro sprint side, no man has matched the late, great Donnie Ray Crawford. The Broken Arrow, Okla. legend gathered up six of the iconic trophies before his tragic passing amidst the prime of his career in 2012. DRC’s legacy includes four Stock Non-Wing crowns in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well as two A-Class wins in 2007 and a Silver Driller at the 25th anniversary in 2010.

FEATURE STARTS: In the Internet Era (2003-Present), a total of 573 drivers have qualified for at least one of the four Stock/Outlaw main events at the Tulsa Shootout. If you dig a little deeper, only 40 racers have competed in 10+ A-Mains.

Cutting it down further, an elite eight have started 20+ Features with six stars clearing 25+ and three Shootout legends above 30+ in that span. The list is headed by seven Oklahomans including Frank Flud (32), Chris Andrews (31), Brady Bacon (30), Jonathan Beason (28), Kevin Bayer (27), Donnie Ray Crawford (25), Scott Sawyer (23), and one Missourian in Joe B. Miller (23).

QUADRUPLE DUTY: Since Outlaw Non-Wing was added to the lineup in 2011, “quadruple duty” has been a hot commodity at the Tulsa Shootout. Of the hundreds who have attempted all four Stock/Outlaw classes in one week, only 15 drivers have succeeded in starting each of those A-Mains in a single night.

Headlining the star-studded list is Chris Andrews (2013, 2018), Zeb Wise (2017, 2019), Tyler Courtney (2017, 2021), and Alex Bright (2021-22), who are the only four men to achieve the feat on two separate occasions.

Other occurrences have come from Nate Lauderbaugh (2011), Tyler Walton (2016), Jake Hagopian (2017), Frank Flud (2017), Christopher Bell (2018), Cole Bodine (2018), Jason McDougal (2018), Kyle Spence (2020), Emerson Axsom (2022), Tommy Kunsman (2022), and TJ Smith (2022).

VIDEO: Tommy Kunsman enjoyed a successful Tulsa Shootout one year ago by qualifying for all four features. 

QUADRUPLE CROWN: The United States Auto Club has the triple crown for Silver Crown, Sprint Cars and Midgets, but at the Tulsa Shootout we dream of the quadruple crown for Winged Outlaw, Outlaw Non-Wing, Stock Non-Wing, and A-Class.

It’s a record that has NEVER been accomplished, but three notable drivers are close to achieving.

Entering this week, Brady Bacon (2004 A-Class, 2008 & 2016 Winged Outlaw, 2020 Outlaw Non-Wing), Kevin Bayer (1995 & 2005 A-Class, 2009 Winged Outlaw, 2012 Stock Non-Wing), and Jason McDougal (2018 A-Class, 2018 Outlaw Non-Wing, 2018 Stock Non-Wing) each need only one piece of the puzzle to finish the feat. 

STAT LEADERS: Outside of Feature Starts and Golden Drillers, the leaders in these major statistical categories over the last 20 years include:

Podiums: Donnie Ray Crawford (13), Brady Bacon (10), Jonathan Beason (9), Christopher Bell (8), Chris Andrews (7), Kevin Bayer (7), Frank Flud (7)

Top 5’s: Jonathan Beason (17), Donnie Ray Crawford (16), Frank Flud (13), Brady Bacon (13), Chris Andrews (10), Kevin Bayer (10).

Top 10’s: Jonathan Beason (21), Brady Bacon (20), Frank Flud (18), Donnie Ray Crawford (18), Scott Sawyer (15).

A-CLASS PARITY: Until Jake Hagopian’s repeat last year, the A-Class division had experienced a remarkable run with 14 different champions in 14 years.

Those winners in order include Jerrod Wilson (2008), Gary Taylor (2009), Donnie Ray Crawford (2010), Andrew Deal (2011), Mitchell Faccinto (2012), Michael Faccinto (2013), Tucker Worth (2014), Giovanni Scelzi (2015), Miles Paulus (2016), Ayrton Gennetten (2017), Jason McDougal (2018), Jake Hagopian (2019), Kyle Spence (2020), and Brian Carber (2021).

WHERE TO START: Over the last decade, the average starting position of Tulsa Shootout champions has been 3.9 in Outlaw Non-Wing, 3.7 in Stock Non-Wing, and a wildly low 1.9 in A-Class.

When it comes to the 55-lap Winged Outlaw that number is drastically different at 6.4. Only four times in 10 years as that winner started on the front row with impressive wins by Joe B. Miller from 24th in 2017 and Frank Flud from 17th in 2014.

NEW CLASS, NO PROB: Only three men in history have scored a micro sprint title at the Tulsa Shootout and backed it up in a different division the following year. That trio includes Donnie Ray Crawford (2006 Stock Non-Wing, 2007 A-Class), Jerrod Wilson (2006 A-Class, 2007 Winged Outlaw), and most recently Kyle Spence (2019 Stock Non-Wing, 2020 A-Class).

The defending champions trying to join that list this week include Craig Ronk (2022 Winged Outlaw), Jeffrey Newell (2022 Outlaw Non-Wing), Emerson Axsom (2022 Stock Non-Wing), and Jake Hagopian (2022 A-Class).

DOUBLE DOWN: Only six drivers in history have scored not one, but two Golden Drillers in a single night of micro sprint action at the Tulsa Shootout.

Brian Carber (2021 Stock Non-Wing & A-Class) most recently joined that list alongside Trey Marcham (2015 Outlaw Non-Wing & Stock Non-Wing), Frank Flud (2014 Winged Outlaw & Stock Non-Wing), Blake Hahn (2011 Winged Outlaw & Outlaw Non-Wing), and Donnie Ray Crawford (2007 Stock Non-Wing & A-Class).

THE HAT TRICK: A select crowd has doubled down while one man stands alone as the only driver in Tulsa Shootout history to score three Golden Drillers in a single night of micro sprint racing.

That jaw-dropping accomplishment belongs to Jason McDougal, who stunned the world with his three Driller night in 2018. He was a wee-little 20-year-old when he earned back-to-back-to-back wins in Stock Non-Wing, Outlaw Non-Wing, and A-Class.

STATE-BY-STATE: As usual, the Tulsa Shootout is largely dominated by the host state of Oklahoma and a swarm of invading Californians. Over the last decade, Oklahoma & California have combined to win 70% (28-for-40) of the primary four Stock/Outlaw classes.

The Sooner State leads the way with 18 titles followed by California with an additional 10. The other five states represented in victory lane are Indiana (4), Pennsylvania (3), Missouri (3), and Delaware (2).

PASSING MASTER: In 2009, Riley Adair performed more passes in a single night of main events than anyone else in the 36-year history of the Tulsa Shootout. In total, the local Tulsa native advanced a staggering 52 positions across three features.

He went 21st-to-3rd with a podium in Winged Outlaw, then ran 22nd-to-5th for an A-Class top five, and capped his magical night with an unforgettable 18th-to-1st charge to win the Stock Non-Wing title with a last-lap pass over Brady Bacon.

WORST-TO-FIRST: Often just a saying, Joe B. Miller brought this phrase to life in 2017. The Millersville, Mo. native didn’t make just any charge through the field, he literally passed every single car from the dead last starting position to win his first-career Golden Driller.

He went from 24th-to-5th in the opening 36 laps, then managed to make it to 2nd with 10 laps remaining in the 55-lapper. He capitalized on a late-race restart and stole the lead from Gary Taylor with 2 laps left, and the rest is history. It’s a record that will most likely stand the test of time.

YOUNG STARS: The list of teenage sensations seems to grow with each passing year as more and more kids make their mark on the “Mecca of Micros.” Among the new names to watch this year is Crews, Boschele, and Benson, among many more.

The record to watch for the youngest driver to win a primary division is 13 years, 1 month by Giovanni Scelzi in the 2015 A-Class main event. Emerson Axsom recently set the Winged Outlaw record at 15 years old as well.

GIRL POWER: A trio of different female winners have broken through over the last decade at the Tulsa Shootout, each coming in the Restricted division by Dahnelynn McKay (2012-13), Kaylee Bryson (2015), and Jade Avedisian (2020).

DRILLER DOUBLE: Countless drivers have attempted both the Tulsa Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals, but only four drivers have claimed a Golden Driller at both events. That elite list is headed by Christopher Bell, Bryan Clauson, Kyle Larson, and Kevin Swindell.

This year, a record-setting group of 55 drivers are expected to compete in both events. Christopher Bell (2018) is still the only driver in history to have conquered both in a quick two-week span.