Tomorrow's NASCAR Lineup: Who is Actually Racing at the Chili Bowl and Beyond

Tomorrow's NASCAR Lineup: Who is Actually Racing at the Chili Bowl and Beyond

The garage is weirdly quiet this time of year, but don't let the lack of V8 roar from Charlotte fool you. If you're looking for the line up for tomorrow nascar race, you’ve gotta look toward the dirt. Specifically, the SageNet Center in Tulsa.

Tomorrow is Wednesday, January 14, 2026. While the "official" Cup Series season doesn't kick off its points-paying madness until February, tomorrow night is a massive deal for the guys who can’t stop racing.

The Wednesday Night Heavy Hitters

Tomorrow night is the York Plumbing Qualifying Night at the Chili Bowl Nationals. This isn't just some local dirt show. It's the "Super Bowl of Midget Racing," and NASCAR stars treat it like a blood sport.

Basically, the field is split across the week to determine who makes the big show on Saturday. If you're checking the entry list for Wednesday’s specific qualifying heat, you're looking at a huge night for Jesse Love. The kid just finished a monster 2025 season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity) and he’s back in a midget car owned by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Blake Harris.

Joining him is Corey Day. If you haven't heard that name yet, you will. He’s the prodigy everyone is talking about for 2026, and he’s hitting the clay tomorrow night to prove the hype is real.

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Who Else is in the Mix This Week?

We already saw Kyle Larson do Kyle Larson things on Monday. He won his preliminary feature, naturally. But the week is far from over. Here is how the rest of the NASCAR contingent is spreading out:

  • Tuesday (Tonight): Ty Gibbs, Sheldon Creed, and the legend J.J. Yeley are getting their elbows up.
  • Wednesday (Tomorrow): Jesse Love and Corey Day lead the charge.
  • Thursday: Christopher Bell and Josh Bilicki take their turn.

Honestly, the line up for tomorrow nascar race at the Chili Bowl is often more exciting than the paved stuff because these guys are driving cars with roughly 400 horsepower that weigh about as much as a bag of mulch. It's chaotic. It’s loud. It’s dirt.

Wait, What About the Cup Series?

I know, some of you are asking about the big cars. The Next Gen stuff.

The Cup Series is currently in a "hurry up and wait" phase. Today, January 13, there was actually an organizational test at North Wilkesboro Speedway. They were testing the new 750-horsepower rules package. It’s a big shift from the 670-hp we’ve seen, and the goal is to make short-track racing suck less.

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If you were hoping to see a full 40-car field on a Sunday afternoon tomorrow, you’re a few weeks early. The first time we'll see the full line up for tomorrow nascar race in a Cup car will be February 1, 2026, for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Bowman Gray Factor

Moving the Clash to "The Madhouse" is sort of a genius move by NASCAR, even if it’s a bit polarizing. It’s a quarter-mile flat oval around a football field.

We already know some of the roster changes for that race. Connor Zilisch is taking over the No. 88 for Trackhouse. That’s a huge seat to fill. Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen is moving to the No. 97. We also found out recently that Brad Keselowski is likely missing the Clash as he recovers from a broken femur, which really shakes up the Ford stable.

How to Watch Tomorrow

If you want to see Jesse Love and the dirt specialists tomorrow night (Wednesday, Jan 14), you aren't going to find it on big cable. You need FloRacing. They have the exclusive rights to the Chili Bowl.

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Racing usually starts around 5:00 PM ET with hot laps, followed by heats, and finally the A-Main qualifying feature late in the evening.

Actionable Steps for the Race Fan

Since we're in the weird "pre-season" gap, here is how you stay ahead:

  1. Check the Heat Draws: At the Chili Bowl, the lineup for tomorrow's qualifying night isn't set until the drivers "draw" for positions at 2:00 PM at the chalkboard. Follow the Chili Bowl's social media for the live draw.
  2. Monitor the North Wilkesboro Data: Keep an eye on the lap times coming out of the test session that wrapped up today. It’ll give you a massive hint on which teams (looking at you, Joe Gibbs Racing) have mastered the 750-hp package.
  3. Set Your DVR for Feb 1: The Clash at Bowman Gray is going to be a wreck-fest. You don't want to miss the return of Cup cars to Winston-Salem.

The line up for tomorrow nascar race might be on dirt and in smaller cars, but the intensity is exactly the same as Daytona. Get your FloRacing login ready; Wednesday night in Tulsa is usually when things start getting real.