The Tulsa Shootout, also known as the “Mecca of Micros,” is set to take place across five nights beginning on December 27 and ending late at night on New Year’s Eve. Six divisions will be in action with massive fields across all of them. More than 1,600 entries have been filed, making the 39th Annual Tulsa Shootout one of the largest Shootouts ever.

As of December 22, just four days shy of load-in day, the entry list is currently at 1,609 entries, a little more than 100 entries short of the 1,739 record-setting number from the 2022 edition of the Tulsa Shootout.

Leading the way this year is the Stock Non-Wing division with 387 entries. The Winged A-Class currently sits at 380 entries, and the Non-Wing Outlaw division currently has 350 entrants. The Winged Outlaw class is at 237 entries while Restricted A-Class is at 142, and finally the Junior Sprints have 113 competitors entered to race.

With so many competitors having filed entries, it’s admittedly difficult to break down each and every driver. We decided that we’d highlight some notable names throughout the divisions so that fans know who to watch come opening night on FloRacing.

We’ll start off with the defending Chili Bowl Nationals champion, and that of course is Logan Seavey. The Sutter, California driver scored his very first Golden Driller by claiming the victory in last year’s Chili Bowl in the Midget, but Seavey is still looking for his first Driller in any division at the Tulsa Shootout. Seavey has given himself as many chances as possible this year as he is one of many drivers who will be competing in the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing divisions.

Watch: Logan Seavey Breaks Down Chili Bowl Victory

The next driver we’ll highlight is Franklin, Indiana’s Emerson Axsom. At just 19 years old, Axsom has already taken home three Golden Drillers from the Tulsa Shootout, marking him as the driver to beat in any division every time he enters the Tulsa Expo Center in December. Axsom is a two-time and defending champion of the Winged Outlaw division with wins coming last year and in 2020. Axsom also scored a Driller in Stock Non-Wing competition in 2022.

This year’s Tulsa Shootout will mark the end of the road for Jake Hagopian in Micro competition. The driver from Fresno, California plans to “redirect that energy” to other aspects of his personal and professional life following December’s Shootout, but he’s hoping he can add at least one more Golden Driller to his collection. Hagopian is entered in the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing divisions this year. Hagopian has taken home three Drillers, all from the Winged A-Class (2019, 2022, 2023). 

Speaking of the Winged A-Class feature last year, Hagopian nearly had that Driller stolen away by a Late Model driver. Ricky Thornton Jr. started fourth and finished a close second to Hagopian, impressing just about everyone inside the Expo Center. Thornton Jr. returns to the Tulsa Shootout this year fresh off a record-setting Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season that saw him score 23 wins, nearly doubling up on the old record for most wins in a single season. 

Watch: Ricky Thornton Jr. Giving Back To Racers At Tulsa Shootout

Thornton Jr. will be racing in the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing divisions once again this year. Thornton Jr. has also started a charitable initiative this year. He plans to give $500 to 20 different racers competing in this year’s event to help cover fuel and tire costs for some of the underfunded teams and families entered in this year’s Shootout.

One driver that will have many eyes set upon him when he rolls down the ramp for the first time is Glendale, Arizona’s Ashton Torgerson. Nobody will ever forget that Wednesday night feature at this past year’s Chili Bowl after witnessing Torgerson’s harrowing crash. Early in that night’s race, Torgeron went for a flip on the backstretch and was ejected from his race car. Torgerson miraculously survived the crash without any major injuries and returned from the hospital to the Tulsa Expo Center later that week. 

This year’s Tulsa Shootout will mark the first time that Torgerson is back behind the wheel of a race car inside the Tulsa Expo Center since that crash early in the Wednesday night prelim feature. Torgerson will be competing in the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing divisions as he chases his first Golden Driller.

NASCAR fans will also have a couple drivers to keep an eye on during the Tulsa Shootout with the father-son combo of Kyle Busch and Brexton Busch in action. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan will also make her second Tulsa Shootout appearance. 

To see the entire entry list for this year’s 39th Annual Tulsa Shootout, click here.

The 39th Annual Tulsa Shootout will be broadcast live on FloRacing. Fans can subscribe to FloRacing by clicking here.