Sponsors Join Stewart's Leffler Tribute Car Effort

Tony Stewart Racing and Beast Enterprises announced today that Great Clips, Ultra Wheel and John Christner Trucking have joined the Jason Leffler Tribute Car effort for the 28^th annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals presented by General Tire at the Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Center. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kasey Kahne will pilot the No. 71 Great Clips/Ultra Wheel/JCT/Chevrolet/Beast entry that is entered by the late Jason Leffler and Julianna Patterson.  

That Great Clips wished to be a part of this special tribute comes as no surprise given the special relationship Leffler had with everyone associated with the company over the years.  Leffler represented the world’s largest salon brand in the NASCAR Nationwide Series both on and off the track from 2006 to 2012, developing great friendships along the way. Additionally, Great Clips and Kahne have a long-running relationship dating back to Kahne’s first full season of NASCAR competition in 2003.  

“Honoring Jason by supporting Kasey in this year’s Chili Bowl Nationals has special meaning for everyone at Great Clips,” said Terri Miller, Sr. Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Great Clips, Inc. “Jason was not only a great representative of our brand for many years, we also considered him family. We couldn’t be more proud than to be a part of this tribute to Jason at the Chili Bowl, one of Jason’s all-time favorite racing events of the year.” 

Kahne will wheel Leffler's tribute car

TSR and East are also proud to have Ultra Wheel and JCT as part of the tribute to Leffler’s legacy. Ultra Wheel’s James Smith was the first to contact the team regarding the opportunity and had been part of Leffler’s career for numerous years, and both he and the brand had been a great friend to the Leffler family.  

John Christner, the founder of Sapulpa, Okla.-based JCT, also has been a longtime associate of open-wheel racing. Heavily involved with the Chili Bowl event for numerous years, Christner is also honored to be part of the Leffler tribute effort.  

“We’re proud to be part of the Jason Leffler Tribute entry that will compete at this year’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals,” Christner said. “Jason was a big part of the Chili Bowl’s tradition and when the opportunity arose to be part of the tribute effort with Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Bob East, it was an easy choice. Not only was Jason a fierce competitor, he was also a great friend to many in the pit area and, to have an opportunity to help commemorate his career, is truly an honor.”  

Race fans will have an opportunity to win the car – not including the engine – that Kahne will drive in this year’s Chili Bowl by registering online at http://www.starnetdp.com/Charlie-ChiliBowll/intro.html. Stewart drove the same car in the Chili Bowl in 2012 and 2013. A random drawing following this year’s Chili Bowl will determine one winner who will become the new owner of the racecar, built specifically for use indoors. No purchase or donation is necessary to enter.

Kahne and Stewart, who will sign autographs at the Expo Center following Friday’s A-main qualifying session, have teamed up for this year’s event with the goal of raising money for the Charles Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust with a donation through the Tony Stewart Foundation to benefit the late driver’s son.  

The fundraising and car giveaway website – http://www.starnetdp.com/Charlie-ChiliBowll/intro.html – is currently accepting entries and donations, with the contest closing at 9 p.m. EST Sunday. Donations to the Charles Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust will be accepted through Jan. 31. The drawing from among all eligible entries received will be conducted randomly Jan. 21 by StarNet Digital. The winner will be announced pending notification.  

The annual Chili Bowl takes place at the Tulsa Expo Raceway inside the Tulsa Expo Center. The fan-packed facility will host Kahne and more than 200 other competitors attempt to qualify for one of the coveted spots in Saturday’s 50-lap A-Main finale. Each driver will participate in a qualifying program and accumulate points to determine the A-Main lineup.  

Stewart is one of only five drivers to win the Chili Bowl more than once (2002 and 2007), and one of only 17 different drivers to win the Chili Bowl since its inaugural event in 1987. Kahne will look to score his first Chili Bowl victory and take home the coveted Golden Driller trophy.  

To help raise awareness, fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #LEFturn71 when posting on Facebook or Twitter about the 2014 Chili Bowl.