Prior to Tuesday’s preliminary night at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals very few in the motorsports world knew the name Hank Davis. At the end of the night, the 19-year old from Sand Springs, Oklahoma was the focus of the motorsports world.

Davis, whose previous best preliminary night finish was eighth in 2021, prevailed in a wild and wacky A-Main to claim the upset win. 

“I never dreamed of this day ever,” Davis said after locking himself into Saturday’s A-Main. “Still probably didn’t quite dream of it while I was leading the race. Just got really nervous, but I knew I needed to hit my marks.”

Chaos reigned throughout the 30-lap feature with a handful of favorites being eliminated in various incidents. 

Buddy Kofoid, the defending Tuesday night preliminary night winner, led the field to the green flag and jumped out to the early lead. Kofoid remained in command early in the race while a collision between Davis and Michael Pickens sent Pickens for a flip while battling for a transfer spot. 

Kofoid once again jumped out to the lead on the restart and showed the way until lap 7 when disaster struck. As he approached the stopped cars of Daison Pursley and Damion Gardner in the middle of turns one and two, Kofoid went high in an attempt to avoid both race cars. He eventually went so high that he put his right side wheels up on the fence, causing terminal damage to his No. 71 Keith Kunz Motorsports ride. 

“I actually turned totally right watching him,” Davis said when asked about Kofoid’s attempt to elude the stopped cars. “I was trying to see if he was going to make it or not. That happened and then I just figured I needed to hit my marks because I knew Spencer (Bayston) was back there and everybody was coming.”

VIDEO: Tuesday's podium finishers discuss a wild and wacky night of racing in Tulsa. 

With Kofoid unable to return, the battle was now between Davis and a hard-charging Bayston, who had charged from 12th to third. Bayston made an attempt to slide Davis for the lead just after the halfway mark but Davis answered every challenge. 

Eventually, Jade Avedesian and Kyle Jones entered the fight and made their way by Bayston to push him back to fourth. Bayston worked his way by both drivers to reclaim the runner-up spot and started reeling in Davis with five laps to go. 

Bayston closed the gap in the closing laps before attempting a last-lap slider that Davis was able to fend off. 

“It was close there at the end,” Bayston said. “I was surprised about how much ground I had made on the entry to three. I didn’t think I was ever really going to come close to clearing him but I think at one point I might have been. At that point, I had committed to stopping and trying to leave a lane. I just didn’t want to tip us both over and put us at the back.”

In her Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals debut, Avedesian finished third and became the highest-finishing female in event history. 

“I definitely think I had one of the best cars on the race track,” she said. “Thanks to Chad Boat and everyone at CBI. I thought I almost had a chance.

“I don’t really have many words, honestly. I wish I was one spot better so I didn’t have to worry about the B, but I should be near the front of a B so just try to do the same thing tonight making consistent laps and see what happens.”

Kyle Jones and Jonathan Beason completed the top five on Tuesday night. 

After the race, Davis celebrated his win in style by making a stop in front of the turn two rowdies and displaying excitement as he circled the Tulsa Expo Raceway. 

“I got super pumped up. I knew I wanted to get the rowdies into it,” he said. “I’ve never dreamed of this day. I have no clue what I’m doing in here. I just wanted to pump the rowdies up and have some fun.”

While Bayston came up just short of experiencing that same feeling, he’s been in that situation before and knows just how special it is. 

“I sat in these chairs [at the press conference] when I was 16 running third in my first Chili Bowl, and I remember how special that night was,” he said. For these two sitting here, it’s one of the coolest feelings ever, especially for an Oklahoma native.”

Preliminary night action continues Wednesday night with another 60+ drivers getting a chance to lock into Saturday’s A-Main. Watch all of the action live on FloRacing.