November 2001 - Inside Line Column - by Floyd Busby

With the 2001 season securely in the record books, BCRA looks forward to 2002. Several interesting proposals will be brought up at the upcoming general membership meeting. Also, the BCRA board has yet to meet with USAC to discuss their proposal for continuing BCRA/USAC co-sanctioned events in 2002.

At this writing we are shy of the answers to the proposals for next year's racing schedule for the midgets, midget lites and vintage division, therefore we'll wait until the next "Inside Line" to get a view of 2002. I'll leave the subject with the fact that the midget division could run a 32 race season if we booked every race available - that won't happen. Look for an approximate 20 race season.

Hopefully the next "Inside Line" column will include most of the 2002 schedule, but the final scheduling is handled at the annual Promoters Workshop in Reno in early December after the next column is written.

In the last column we defined Floyd Alvis as the 2001 driving champion in the midget division. With the season now concluded, Alvis is also the car owner champion with his pavement Interstate Batteries Gaerte/Stealth taking the title. Greg Dennett and dad Gary are the midget lite driving and car owner champions as stated in the most recent column.

The champions and second through tenth place drivers and owners in both the midget and midget lite divisions will have been feted and the trophies will be on their mantles by the time you read this.

The final midget race of the season took place at the Chowchilla Speedway. The midget contingent had never seen the facility before and they were pleasantly surprised. Tom Sagmiller has put together a very nice speedplant. The midgets ran only on Friday night of the two-night series. The midget lites ran both nights in a non-point open competition format, competing in heats and a special "dash for cash" on Friday and the semi and main on Saturday. Greg Bragg came home the winner in the $1,000-to-win feature.

Friday night's midget go saw Alvis finalize the season in grand style with the main event win aboard his Esslinger/Stealth dirt car.

The final midget top-10 driver points: Floyd Alvis 1465, Chuck Gurney Jr. 995, Bill Lindsey 960, Glenn Carson 871, Shain Matthews 770, Thomas Meseraull 684, Jim Silva 595, Pete Davis 591, John Sarale 580 and Ken Molica 512. Joe Lindsey tied Molica for tenth, but Molica had a better main event finish record so was awarded the position. Meseraull, a graduate of BCRA (second in '99 points), is currently holding down fifth in USAC points. 1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter is currently seventh. Streeter destroyed his car at the recent BCRA/USAC race at Hanford, spending a night in the hospital after the very nasty series of flips.

Car owner points: Floyd Alvis 973, Bill Lindsey 944, Pete Baraldi 918, Doug Bock 627, George Chandler 595, Pete Davis 591, Ron Matthews 573, Joe Lindsey 512, Ken Bonnema 506 and Floyd Alvis (#18 dirt car) 492.

In the midget lite division the final driver points are: Greg Dennett 1298, Don VanDyke 991, Doug Hunting 966, Scott Kinney 900, Jesse Harmon 883, Todd Dennett 833, Jeff Parady 812, Terry Bergstrom 809, Gaylon Rude 800 and John Taylor 783.

Lite car owners: Gary Dennett 1468, Don VanDyke 1242, Ted Hunting 1146, Scott Kinney 1080, Jesse Harmon 1063, Gary Dennett 1003, Jeff Parady 982, Gaylon Rude 980, Terry Bergstrom 979 and John Taylor 923.

Todd Dennett will receive the midget lite "Rookie of the Year" award at the banquet.