As the 39th annual Tulsa Shootout prepares to take center stage this week, we let Walkapedia dive into some of the notable statistical finds from the “Mecca of Micros.”

FloRacing is the official live streaming partner of the Tulsa Shootout, which officially begins on Wednesday, December 27 with Heat Races that evening. The event continues all the way through Sunday, December 31 when six Golden Drillers are decided.

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RECORD WATCH

The official MyRacePass entries currently display a jaw-dropping 1,609 entries for the 39th annual Tulsa Shootout. That would rank as the third-highest entry count in event history, only trailing the previous two years at 1,655 in 2023 and 1,661 in 2022.

Along with the overall record, all six divisions are on the brink of breaking their own records. Those totals (and their existing records) include Stock Non-Wing at 387 entries (record is 418), A-Class at 380 entries (record is 383), Outlaw Non-Wing at 350 entries (record is 398), Winged Outlaw at 237 entries (record is 254), Restricted at 142 entries (record is 134), and Jr. Sprints at 113 entries (record is 96).

DRILLER DYNASTY

The record for most Tulsa Shootout titles still - and likely forever -  belongs to Gregg Baker, 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 of things, no man has matched the late, great Donnie Ray Crawford. The Broken Arrow, OK legend gathered six of the iconic trophies before his tragic passing amidst his prime in 2012. DRC’s legacy includes four Stock Non-Wing scores in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well as two A-Class wins in 2007 and a Silver Driller at the 25th anniversary event in 2010.

FEATURE STARTS

In the Internet Era (2000-Present), a total of 672 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 337 racers have started multiple mains.

Going further, only 44 have started 10+ mains with an elite eight appearing in 20+ features, and five Shootout legends above 30+ in that span.

The list is headed by a dozen notable names - 10 from Oklahoma, 2 from Missouri - including Frank Flud (34), Chris Andrews (31), Brady Bacon (31), Jonathan Beason (30),  Kevin Bayer (30), Scott Sawyer (26), Donnie Ray Crawford (25), Joe B. Miller (24), Scott Sawyer (23), Christopher Bell (18), Jerrod Wilson (17), Jason McDougal (17), and Andrew Felker (16).

MORE POINTS THAN EVER

As the entries rise and the field deepens, the passing points only go up. Last year, all four Stock/Outlaw divisions set a new record for highest A-Main cutoff (16th) in history - with Winged Outlaw at 207 PTS, Outlaw Non-Wing at 215 PTS, Stock Non-Wing at 213 PTS, and A-Class at 206 PTS.

Every division also set a new record for highest Qualifier cutoff (112th) in history last year - with Winged Outlaw at 84 PTS, Outlaw Non-Wing at 94 PTS, Stock Non-Wing at 96 PTS, and A-Class at 91.5 PTS.

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 hundred who have attempted all four Stock/Outlaw classes in one week, only 16 drivers have succeeded in starting each of those four A-Mains in a single night.

Headlining the star-studded list is Chris Andrews (2013, 2018), Zeb Wise (2017-19), Tyler Courtney (2017, 2021), Alex Bright (2021-22), and Emerson Axsom (2022-23), who are the only five men to achieve the feat on two separate occasions.

Other occurrences came 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), TJ Smith (2022), and Jace Park (2023).

QUADRUPLE CROWN

While USAC Racing has the triple crown for Silver Crown, Sprint Cars and Midgets, at the Tulsa Shootout we dream of the quadruple crown - titles in Winged Outlaw, Outlaw Non-Wing, Stock Non-Wing, A-Class.

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

Entering this week, Jason McDougal (2018 A-Class, 2018 Outlaw Non-Wing, 2018 Stock Non-Wing), Brady Bacon (2004 A-Class, 2008 & 2016 Winged Outlaw, 2020 Outlaw Non-Wing), and Kevin Bayer (1995 & 2005 A-Class, 2009 Winged Outlaw, 2012 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 since 2000 include:

Podiums - Donnie Ray Crawford (13), Brady Bacon (11), Jonathan Beason (9), Christopher Bell (8), Kevin Bayer (8), Chris Andrews (7), Frank Flud (7)

Top 5’s - Jonathan Beason (17), Donnie Ray Crawford (16), Brady Bacon (14), Frank Flud (13), Kevin Bayer (11), Chris Andrews (10)

Top 10’s - Jonathan Beason (21), Brady Bacon (21), Frank Flud (20), Donnie Ray Crawford (18), Scott Sawyer (16)

THREE-PEAT

Jake Hagopian, who’s three Golden Drillers in the last five years is tied for the most in A-Class division history with Jerrod Wilson, has another chance at history before calling it a career this week. Another title in A-Class would put Hagopian alongside Donnie Ray Crawford (2005-07 Stock Non-Wing) as the only drivers to ever win three consecutive Tulsa Shootout titles in the same class.

VIDEO: Jake Hagopian discusses his plans to retire following the Tulsa Shootout. 

WHERE TO START

Over the last decade, the average starting position of Tulsa Shootout champions has been 4.0 in Outlaw Non-Wing, 3.5 in Stock Non-Wing, and a wildly low 2.0 in A-Class -with only two A-Class champs coming from behind the front row.

When it comes to the 55-lap Winged Outlaw headliner, that number is drastically different at 7.0. Only four times in 10 years has 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 Emerson Axsom (2023 Winged Outlaw), TJ Smith (2023 Outlaw Non-Wing), Gavan Boschele (2023 Stock Non-Wing), and Jake Hagopian (2023 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

While a select crowd has doubled down, 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 only 20-years-old at the time when he won back-to-back-to-back titles in Stock Non-Wing, Outlaw Non-Wing and A-Class.

VIDEO: Jason McDougal joined Clinton Boyle for a lap around the SageNet Center during an edition of Talkin' Tulsa.

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 in Winged Outlaw.

He went 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.

PASSING MASTER

In 2009, Riley Adair performed more passes in a single night of main events than anyone else in the 38-year history of the Tulsa Shootout. In tota, the local Tulsa native advanced a staggering 52 positions across three features.

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

YEAR-AFTER-YEAR

When it comes to active streaks of the most consecutive years in a Tulsa Shootout A-Main, Frank Flud tops the list - qualifying for at least one feature every year for 10 consecutive years now. Closely behind him in this category is KJ Snow and Joe B. Miller each at nine consecutive years.

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 and California have combined to win 65% (26-for-40) of the primary four Stock/Outlaw classes.

The Sooner State leads the way with 16 titles followed by California with an additional 10. The other five states represented in victory lane are Indiana (5), Pennsylvania (3), Missouri (3), Delaware (2), and North Carolina (1).

As far as entries go, Oklahoma leads the way with 323 pre-entries ahead of Texas (156), California (146), Arizona (118), Missouri (116), Indiana (89), Colorado (78), Illinois (71), North Carolina (68), and Pennsylvania (60).

YOUNG STARS

The list of teenage sensations seem to grow with each passing year as more and more make their mark on the “Mecca of Micros.” The five youngest winners of a Stock/Outlaw Golden Drillers are currently…

Giovanni Scelzi (2014 A-Class) at 13 years, 1 month, Jerrod Wilson (1998 A-Class) at 13 years, 3 months, Bryan Clauson (2003 Winged Outlaw) at 13 years, 6 months, Brady Bacon (2004 A-Class) at 13 years, 11 months, and Gavan Boschele (2023 Stock Non-Wing) at 14 years, 10 months.

GIRL POWER

A trio of different female winners have broken through in recent memory 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 56 drivers are currently entered to compete in both races. Christopher Bell (2018) is still the only driver in history to have conquered both in a quick two-week span.