May 2004 - Inside Line Column - by Floyd Busby

With four races into the record books, both the BCRA Midget
and Midget Lite divisions are led by names that have not been in the
number-one position in quite some time. For Thomas Meseraull, it was
back in 1999 that he was a Midget point leader, finishing the season
second behind Matt Streeter. For Scott Kinney, this marks the first
time that he has held the top position in the Lites.

Meseraull has run only sporadically with BCRA since the '99
season, but seems to have a firm grip this season in the Bill Ferrari
Beast/Brayton Ford pavement machine. If the talented young man can
find good dirt rides as he did in the Larry Mertl Stealth/Esslinger
at Placerville, he could be on his way to a championship. He placed
second at Placerville to rookie standout Michael Hubert III.
Kinney has driven the Rudy Warrington ART/Suzuki Midget Lite,
but following the Twin Cities Speedway race on May 1st, where he
placed second to rookie David Maples, he will be driving for 3D
Racing. 3D cars have won and placed high in the championships over
the past several years with Greg and Todd Dennett at the wheels of
the team cars. Two-time Lite champion Greg Dennett has moved into the
full Midget ranks and has shown great promise in the more powerful
cars.

Seven-time Midget champion Floyd Alvis, who began the season
with the win at Stockton, has had lesser fortunes since the opening
race and currently runs fifth in the standings behind Meseraull,
Hubert, John Sarale and Pete Davis. Davis, who over the past couple
of years could well have earned the "hard luck" award (if there was
one) has been in the thick of the action.

Hubert, who at an emancipated 16-years-of-age, is a third
generation driver, was the highest placing BCRA entry at the April 10
100-lap BCRA/USAC race at the Madera Speedway. The youngster came on
to use the high groove at Placerville and won the feature and was, at
that time, the point leader.

Another of the exceptionally talented rookies, Brian Gard,
has had nothing but problems. At Stockton he was shunted into the
wall, at the next race he broke an oil line and at Placerville
couldn't get the engine to run, then at the most recent Madera race
had problems and missed the feature by one car.

Rookie Garratt Boyden has shown great promise. At Stockton he
raced from 15th to third by the late stages, only to spin in his own
water from a loosening radiator cap, caught the track apron and
rolled. He placed fifth at the May 1 Madera BCRA/USAC race.
At that race Meseraull moved up to challenge leader Tony
Hunt, putting on the pressure lap-after-lap, but settled second.
With just over one lap to go, John Sarale was holding third, then
spun a 360 down the backstretch when Jerome Rodela made contact
exiting turn-two. Sarale completed the circle, kept going, and placed
ninth.

The Midget Lites ran their first-ever non-wing race at
Placerville. Some of the drivers were quite skeptical, some even
resentful, prior to the experience. After the feature, those who had
doubts approached owner/driver and board member Scott Clark and
proclaimed their approval - several stating that they had never
before had so much fun racing. The following race at Marysville was
also non-wing, as are half of the scheduled Lite races this season.

Floyd Alvis was awarded the prestigious "Open Wheel Oval
Track Driver of the Year" honors at the annual Motor Sports Press
Association's Green Flag Dinner in March. This marked the fourth
award that Alvis has received from the organization over these many
years. The late Art Shanoian was inducted into the MSPA Hall of Fame.
Former BCRA champion Ken Nichols, son and driver Chad Nichols and
former BCRA driver Jimmy Screeton were on had to accept the award, as
was Art's daughter. Chad is Art's grandson. Chad, a former BCRA
Midget driver, has been very successful in the USAC Sprint Cars. Also
inducted into the HoF was Jim Chini. Chini, one of the nation's most
recognized auto racing photographers, shot many BCRA events in the
1970's.

At the Midget season-opener at the Stockton "99" Speedway
three-time BCRA driving champion Terry Tarditi made several low
passes over the track during the playing of the National Anthem - no,
not in a Midget or his Sprint Car, but in his Rolls Royce/Merlin
powered WWII P-51 Mustang. Before exiting the area, he did several
barrel rolls for the fans.

Steve Dickenson of Corvallis, Oregon, is quite lucky - lucky
that he has a racing brother in Northern California. Steve towed to
compete in the Midget race at Placerville, only to realize when he
removed the hood of his Edmunds that the injectors for his Pontiac
engine was missing - he had inadvertently left them on the work bench
at home. Steve's brother, Gary, removed the injectors from his idle
Midget and brought them to Steve from Santa Rosa. He placed tenth in
the feature.

The new BCRA Midget and Midget Lite T-Shirts are now
available. Each shirt depicts the driving champion of 2003 on the
front and car owner champion on the back - that's Floyd Alvis and
Cameron Beard on the Midget shirts and Doug Hunting and Scott Clark
on the Lite shirts.

For the past several years BCRA has held the Johnny Baldwin
Golf Classic at season's end in November. This year the date has been
changed to July 25th. This will be the fifth annual tournament and
for the third consecutive year will be held at the Oakmoore Golf
Course in Stockton. This is a private club and BCRA rents it for the
day, so we have it to ourselves. Always a lot of fun, post-golf BBQ
and plenty of awards and goodies for us duffers. Our fans are always
invited. For info call the BCRA office at (209) 830-9928 evenings and
talk to BCRA Office Manager Linda Manning.

The Midget division has a new main event lineup procedure
this season. The fastest qualifier draws a pill for the inversion, 8,
10, 12, 14 and 16.

The Shasta Speedway in Anderson has been added to the Midget
schedule on September 25 with the CASA Sprint Cars.

The Midget Lites had not run at the Silver Dollar Speedway in
Chico for a number of years. This season John Padjen booked the Lites
into the Golden State Challenge 410 "Dave Bradway Memorial" race on
May 8.

Last season BCRA and the Washington Midget Racing Association
co-sanctioned a race at the Shasta Speedway. This season the two
sanctioning organizations get together at Roseburg, Oregon on May 15.
For this race only, BCRA is allowing its cars to run American Racer
tires if they wish. WMRA uses the brand, which is much softer,
therefore faster than the Hoosier tires that BCRA normally requires.
Last season BCRA, along with USAC and most all Midget groups in the
U.S. that use Hoosier, decided to go to a harder compound that allows
longer wear, thus lowering the high cost of racing. This has worked
out great, but puts BCRA at a disadvantage to WMRA as was evident at
last years race.

BCRA lost one of its real "good guys" when Bill King passed
away on March 19th. Bill was an interesting and dedicated man.
Following is the tribute to Bill by Pete Bray that appeared in the
BCRA newsletter, Inside Line:

The Passing of Bill King..........
The Bay Cities Racing Association family lost a favorite
member on March 19th 2004 with the passing of Bill King.
Bill was born in San Francisco California 68 years ago. His
family moved to the Russian River area when he was 12. That is where
he learned to fish. Bill loved to fish but his fishing pals say he
was not the best fisherman they had ever met.

Bill has been a member of B.C.R.A. ever since he returned
from his stint in the U.S. Marines. Bill joined the marines in 1952
at the mature age of seventeen and served in Korea for three years.
When he returned home he married Sandy on September 5, 1959. They had
known each other since she was 10 years old. They were together for
45 years.

His first venture into racing was in destruction derbies,
then to stock cars and then to B.C.R.A. midgets. Norm Rapp was the
person that helped Bill get his first ride in a midget at the indoor
races at the Oakland Exposition Building in the early sixties. Bill
also belonged to Western Racing Association of Southern California.
As a member of that Vintage race car club Bill drove Howard Segur
Sr's Offy powered sprinter in many Vintage events up and down the
West Coast.

Several years ago Bill bought a quad and he would bring it to
the B.C.R.A. midget and vintage events to help push the midgets. Bill
became famous as the Official B.C.R.A Taxi. He would haul guys around
to get their fuel or take them to the pit meetings. Everyone could
count on Bill for his help when and where ever he was needed. If Bill
knew in advance that he could not make the next race date he always
called me to apologize that he would not be able to be there to help
push the midgets.

Last year in Madera at one of our vintage events the vintage
wives Kay, June, Shirley and Rosemarie gave Bill a surprise Baby
Shower to celebrate the birth of his first Grand baby. Paul was born
on March 20th, 2003. Anytime the subject of grand children was
discussed Bill had his wallet out to show his pictures of his grand
baby Paul.

All of B.C.R.A. and anyone that knew Bill will miss him and
have an empty space in their heart. Rest in Peace Bill we will miss
you.