For better and worse, names certainly get made in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

For starters, who in the world is Landon Brooks, the 21-year-old Outlaw Kart and Sprint Car ace from California that won a prelim feature for the first time in his third ever appearance in the Tulsa Expo?

“I’m just a young kid that grew up racing Outlaw Karts at Cycleland Speedway and Red Bluff Outlaws,” Brooks said afterward. “Me and my dad had our own car for a long time. Then I got the opportunity from Jimmy Elledge to drive for Factory QRC.

“That took off and got my name out there to get into Sprint Cars and have just been grinding. I don’t come from a family with a lot of money so I just try to take every opportunity I can. Luckily, I’ve been in the right spots at the right time and got with Steven Tiner and Kyle Hirst, had a really good 2023 season with them.

“That propelled me to the next level. I don’t have a lot of Midget starts but it’s really cool to come here and lock-in in my third time here.”

It’s actually a dang good story.

Brooks follows in the footsteps of the likes of Kyle Larson, Logan Seavey and Corey Day as recent Cycleland Speedway alums to take their talents to a Midget and have success in this building in January.

“I’ve obviously won some bigger races in the Sprint Car in California but nothing compares to this, the drivers that come here,” Brooks said. “The best of the best come here. If you can come here and do what you did tonight, it gets your name out.”

Fact; followed by a startling admission.

“I feel like I’ve always been mediocre,” Brooks said. “But then I was able to run with Shane (Golobic, crew chief and teammate) and Matt Wood last year and have a lot of speed.”

It’s reminiscent in a way of the 2020 race when Buddy Kofoid finished second to Christopher Bell, with the latter proclaiming the former ‘the next me.’ Kofoid may never race NASCAR but he is likely to be one of the greats in Sprint Cars after winning two USAC championships before moving to World of Outlaws.

Kofoid finished on a podium Tuesday, after a disaster of a night where he was crashed twice in a qualifier, alongside Brooks and 18-year-old Brenham Crouch. As for Crouch, there’s a chip on his shoulder too.

Crouch is still looking for that real breakout moment and might have gotten it on Tuesday night. He has always had rides that did not necessarily warrant the resume to this point and he owns it.

“I’m going to be pretty frank,” Crouch said. “I hadn’t earned the CJB ride and it worked itself out. I’m hoping tonight shows what we’ve been working on and what we have in store for the future. Paid our dues last year.”

That’s a reference to one of the more coveted seats in 410 Sprint Car racing that he will take over next year.

This podium and lock-in wasn’t a gimme and while he was disappointed to have led 21 laps and not won the race, he will challenge for a pole on Saturday and maybe one of the most sought-after trophies in dirt racing on Saturday night.

Speaking of making a name, how about Gunnar Setser, who finished fifth in his debut effort in the race and challenged Crouch for the lead late. There were some mistakes made but also some humility and accountability.

“We don’t have a lot to hang our heads down over,” Setser said. “First time here, not a lot of practice. I think I’m really good in a Midget but just not a lot of experience here beyond the Shootout.”

Well, and then there was Corbin Rueschenberg, who certainly had an eventful and memorable night albeit for different reasons. Rueschenberg was involved in multiple incidents throughout the night, threw several aggressive sliders, including one that launched Kofoid into the fence.

Kofoid needed to rally from his B just to even make the feature podium.

Rueschenberg made a name and was largely defiant in the face of criticism.

“Looking back on it, Kofoid has done the same to people,” Rueschenberg said. “The TMez incident, that was completely my fault. RTJ was getting too tight and I couldn’t lift. I don’t know, if he was going to get tight in front of me, I was going to get tight too, I would have lost position. I don’t know if Beason was beside me.

“I just took the risk and as of right now, I don’t know, it paid off.”

That was quite the list.

But you know what, that name was made too.