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I was interested in how the race got its name and it turns out that there was a local food service company called “The Chili Bowl” that originally sponsored the race. It eventually ended up being acquired by Keebler and then Keebler was acquired by United Biscuit Holdings. https://twitter.com/CodyShaneWare/status/1218771384958169094
United Biscuit Holding sold off “The Original Chili Bowl” along with a few if their other brands to Windsor Food Co. in 1995. Ajinomoto of Japan acquired Windsor in 2014 and now owns “The Original Chili Bowl” brand.
Ajinomoto Windsor celebrated the 70th anniversay of “The Original Chili Bowl” brand in 2017. https://www.ajinomotofoods.com/news/headline-for-news-story-or-press-release-3/
Chili was a hot market in the late 1980s and connected to racing in more ways than one as this 1990 story of the Keebler acquisition mentions.
"Kraft (now Kraft General Foods) 3 1/2 years ago gobbled up Carroll Shelby`s Original Texas Chili Co."
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-01-30-9001080906-story.html
"Kraft (now Kraft General Foods) 3 1/2 years ago gobbled up Carroll Shelby`s Original Texas Chili Co."
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-01-30-9001080906-story.html
Ajinomoto, the company that ended up acquiring "The Original Chili Bowl" was also involved in racing in a separate way as they appear to have sponsored a Honda bike racing team in the late 80s/early 90s through one of its isotonic drink brands.
Ajinomoto even had special racing versions of some of its drinks at the time.
Prior to being acquired by Keebler and eventually Ajinomoto, "The Original Chili Bowl" brand was owned by Bob Berryhill. The Berryhills started selling frozen chili from their diner and eventually transitioned to the food service industry.
Bob Berryhill was the one that originally decided to sponsor the race with their "The Original Chili Bowl" company and did so until Keebler acquired the company. Racer @tannerberryhill is the grandson of Bob Berryhill.
"The Original Chili Bowl" brand of chili now sits in the Ajinomoto food service lineup so it can't be bought on the shelf at the grocery store but is probably found at a lot of restaurants.
They do have a few retail brands so maybe there is an opportunity for someone to set up a deal there for sponsorship and make a connection to the original sponsor of the event.
