“The reigning winner of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, from Sutter, California, Logan Seavey.”
That’s not verbatim, mind you, but it sounded something like that on March 24 when Seavey returned to California to race a Red Bluff Outlaw Kart show for the first time since his triumph in the Tulsa Expo Center back in January.
It wasn’t the first time it’s hit home that he won the Chili Bowl, but one of many little reminders that he and Swindell Speedlab won one of the biggest dirt races in the world to open this season.
“I guess that was the first time I heard it said aloud,” Seavey said. “Like, people say congratulations and there’s been texts and phone calls, but to hear it like that during that driver intros at a place I grew up racing was really cool.
“It’s still unbelievable that we won the race, because I never thought I would run that race, much less win in, I guess, in my seventh try.”
The other little reminders come in the form of every day he comes home, the Golden Driller sitting on a table, before making its way, eventually, to a dedicated space in his office where the helmet from that night is too.
“I don’t know when it’s going to really settle in though,” Seavey said. “And now we’re about to really get into the bulk of the season. But to see that Driller at home, it’s really special.”
A Silver Crown championship is amongst the next targeted goals for the 25-year-old following back-to-back runner-up finishes to Kody Swanson. They’re pretty evenly matched too, having both led the series with three wins each last year, Swanson winning three pavement races and Seavey three on clay.
First and foremost, Seavey wants to improve both as a driver and with his Rice Motorsports – Abacus Racing team. It’s not entirely a lack of pace, but just reliability with these endurance races.
“For me, the first year I ran the pavement schedule, finishing on the lead lap was a good day,” Seavey said. “A track like IRP, even though it’s one of the most fun tracks we race, it’s so hard to pass.
“It’s not a bottom feeding track like a lot of pavement tracks. You run the seams, enter the center and run up against the walls and some guys like Kody (Swanson) do it way better than others. Some of that is the set-up and some of that is me and learning when to pick up the throttle.
“We’re getting better, I’m getting better. I qualified third the last time we were at IRP. So we’ve got our pavement program better each year. We get what we need in the offseason and I’m personally excited for those races more than I have been before too.”
There are 16 full-time teams in Silver Crown this year and more teams entered into the pavement races too. Candidly, that means a bad day for Swanson on dirt could be the difference of two or three more positions.
If you don’t think that matters, then consider that Seavey has entered the final race of the USAC season each of the past two years either tied for the points lead or leading it outright.
“From a personal standpoint, I want more of the dirt guys entering the pavement races too,” Seavey said. “They’re better races right? It’s better for the series but that could be a few more points I gain too. But it’s going to be a tough season. CJ Leary is in one of the best cars and he’s obviously really good. Justin Grant is super tough in everything you race against him in.
“And it’s not just about speed and pace, you have to make your car last on dirt and pavement. It’s what makes Silver Crown different from everything else we do. You don’t just hammer down. So, these entry lists are good for the show, a good challenge and I think they’re good for me, too.”
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