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By Bobby Gerould
Madera, CA. 04/10/04 - The United States Auto Club Western
States and Bay Cities Racing Association came together for the 2nd Annual Fred
Gerhardt Classic for midgets Saturday night. Under breezy conditions the speedy
cars took to the one-third mile paved oval Madera Speedway for a 100-lap
'throwback' style race.
Michael Lewis of Noblesville, Indiana walked away with the $3,000 winner's share
after leading every lap of a caution filled endurance test. "When the car is as
good as it was tonight, our job is easy", said Lewis from the winner's circle.
"The guys that work on this Western Speed Racing #40 put in so many hours. 100
laps was hectic but there is not anywhere I'd rather be."
The top 20 qualifiers were locked into the first twenty starting spots for the
three-wide start of the feature. Thirteen transfers from a Qualifying Race, plus
one BCRA provisional filled the field. The opening 75 laps were run with caution
flag laps counting, while the final 25 circuits were green flag only.
Row one of the 34-car feature consisted of three out-of-state drivers, with
Hoosiers, Lewis, and Brad Kuhn, and Jerry Coons Jr. from Arizona. Lewis jumped
into the lead from the pole. The action stalled for the first time on lap three
when Cameron Beard and Greg Dennett stopped on the backchute. The green flag
reappeared on lap ten with Lewis leading Kuhn, John Sarale, Rick Moss, and Coons
Jr.
A lap 12 caution for Rob Lindsey bunched the field, and the race resumed at lap
18. Elk Grove's Johnny Rodriguez was turning heads as he moved up eight
positions, from 17th starting, to ninth by lap 20. Lewis hit traffic on lap 22
and quickly went to work passing the backmarkers. Cliff Servetti dropped from
the race four laps later. A lap 28 yellow flag for a spinning Matt Streeter
bunched the group under caution but the race didn't resume until lap 39. Lewis
was still leading when Garrett Hansen and Matt Mitchell stopped in turn one. At
the same time, Irwindale Twin 25 winner, Thomas Meseraull stalled in turn two.
The race restarted at lap 57 but was also short-lived. Brian Gard's midget
suffered a mechanical problem and spilled oil on the track forcing a red flag
for cleanup. On the ensuing restart, both Jerome Rodela, and Rodriguez moved
past John Sarale for fifth and sixth place respectively. On lap 61, Dennett spun
on the front chute forcing a caution. A tangle on lap 68 between Streeter, and
Carly Lawrence took the race up to the lap 75 mark, meaning the rest of the
feature would be green flag laps only.
The final 25 laps set up with Lewis in front of Kuhn, Coons Jr., Washington
pilot Moss, and Jerome Rodela. Rodriguez was sixth, with Brad Olson, Sarale,
Dallen McKinney, and Tony Hunt completing the top ten. Rodriguez moved by Rodela
on the back straightaway on lap 78. Rodela tried to take the high line in turn
three, in response, with a deep drive but his #25 went spinning. He continued
but had to go to the rear for bringing out a yellow flag.
Kuhn's car started smoking on lap 80, and Coons Jr. was able to move by him for
second place before the black flag forced Kuhn to the pits. Rodriguez passed
Moss in turn three for fourth place on the lap 81 restart that occurred after
Steve Graves spun on the back chute. Graves stopped again on lap 86, also
bringing out the caution flag.
With thirteen to go, John Sarale drove over the rear end of Bobby Santos III as
the midgets bunched up to restart. Sarale was done for the night but Santos
continued at the rear of the pack. Laps 86-89 saw Hunt venturing to the
high-line on the track which allowed him to pass McKinney for sixth. The
eleventh and final caution flag came out on lap 89 for a Greg Nelson, Pete Davis
tangle in turn three.
Coons Jr.'s #11d stumbled on the restart and he dropped five spots. Lewis hit
traffic on lap 95 just as a donnybrook for fourth through seventh erupted
between Olson, Hunt, McKinney, and Coons Jr. Their final five laps of dicing
were perhaps the most crowd pleasing racing of the night.
At the checkered flag it was Lewis comfortably over Rodriguez (he advanced 15
spots!), Moss, Olson, and Hunt. Sixth through tenth fell to Coons Jr., a hard
charging Rodela, Wally Pankratz, Mike Hubert III, and McKinney who did a 360
right before crossing the finish line. The untimely spin cost McKinney at least
five spots. Hubert III is a 16 year-old rookie that could not have been more
impressive; finishing in the top-ten in his family owned #56.
Streeter won the 15 lap qualifying race. In the highly entertaining, 25 lap,
companion USAC North-South Ford Focus feature event, Ramona, California's Bobby
McGowan was the winner. McGowan held off the repeated challenges of Bradley
Galedrige, Chris Rahe, and Chase Barber to score the popular victory.
Qualifying Race: 15 Laps. 1. Streeter, 2. Davis, 3. Boyden, 4. Beard, 5.
Nelson, 6. Gard, 7. Roza, 8. Joyce, 9. Servetti, 10. Lawrence, 11. Joe Lindsey,
12. Lakatos, 13. Dalton, 14. Berryhill, 15. Simpson, 16. Abrew, 17. Mostin, 18.
Kaplan.
Feature: 100 Laps - 1. Lewis, 2. Rodriguez, 3. Moss, 4. Olson, 5. Hunt,
6. Coons Jr., 7. Rodela, 8. Pankratz, 9. Hubert III, 10. McKinney, 11. Santos
III, 12. Lakatos, 13. Davis, 14. Alvis, 15. Roza, 16. Berryhill, 17. J. Lindsey,
18. Dalton, 19. Nelson, 20. Dennett, 21. Kuhn, 22. Sarale, 23. Graves, 24.
Boydon, 25. Lawrence, 26. Streeter, 27. Gard, 28. Beard, 29. Meseraull, 30.
Hansen, 31. Mitchell, 32. Servetti, 33. Joyce, 34. R. Lindsey.
Lap Leader: Lewis 1-100
Notes:
2003 Belleville Midget Nationals champion, Josh Wise was among those taking in the action from the pit grandstand.
Three-time USAC Silver Crown Champion Jimmy Sills was also pit side tuning for Ryan Kaplan, and Eric Mostin.
Michael Hubert III, a 16 year-old third generation driver from Anderson, CA. qualified for the feature. In 2003, Hubert III was the Shasta Speedway Legends Car Champion. He also won titles in Karts at Red Bluff. His Uncle is NASCAR driver Tom Hubert.
Travis Berryhill used a BCRA provisional to make start the feature in 34th. He passed 18 cars to finish 16th.
Time Trials:
Car #
Driver
Time #1
Best Time
40
Michael Lewis - Noblesville, IN.
13.91
13.82
74
Brad Kuhn - Avon, IN.
13.99
13.99
11D
Jerry Coons Jr. - Tucson, AZ.
14.37
14.10
32
John Sarale - Stockton, CA.
14.53
14.14
50
Rick Moss - Lynwood, WA.
14.20
14.17
77
Brian Olson - Puyallup, WA.
14.31
14.22
4
Tony Hunt - Fair Oaks, CA.
14.41
14.221
8
Wally Pankratz - Orange, CA.
14.43
14.27
88
Dallen McKinney - Clovis, CA.
14.46
14.28
37
Matt Mitchell - Yorba Linda, CA.
14.53
14.30
60
Bobby Santos III - Franklin, MA.
14.52
14.33
70
Garrett Hansen - Manhattan Beach, CA.
14.54
14.38
69
Thomas Meseraull - San Jose, CA.
14.47
14.40
94
Steven Graves - Upland, CA.
14.41
14.41
25
Jerome Rodela - El Monte, CA.
14.51
14.411
56
Mike Hubert III - Anderson, CA.
14.48
14.48
30
Johnny Rodriguez - Elk Grove, CA.
15.00
14.53
1B
Floyd Alvis - San Carlos, CA.
14.74
14.57
23
Rob Lindsey - Arlington, WA.
15.19
14.571
47
Greg Dennett - Livermore, CA.
14.67
14.59
97
Matt Streeter - Manteca, CA.
14.87
14.65
00
Pete Davis - Pleasanton, CA.
14.90
14.68
1
Cameron Beard - Turlock, CA.
14.70
14.70
28
Josh Lakatos - Pasadena, CA.
14.89
14.70
57
Brian Gard - Kelseyville, CA.
14.91
14.73
42
Garrett Boyden - Santa Cruz, CA.
15.15
14.74
17
Greg Nelson - Newcastle, CA.
14.75
14.75
99
Tim Joyce - San Francisco, CA.
14.89
14.89
20
Steve Roza - Clovis, CA.
15.05
14.93
11
Travis Berryhill - American Canyon, CA.
14.97
14.97
83
Cliff Servetti - San Francisco, CA.
15.40
15.11
23x
Joe Lindsey - Danville, CA.
15.33
15.24
36
Bobby Dalton - San Martin, CA.
16.29
15.32
11L
Carly Lawrence - Merced, CA.
15.70
15.39
59
Mike Simpson - Apple Valley, CA.
15.88
15.41
25x
Eddie Abrew - Manteca, CA.
16.59
15.92
12
Eric Mostin - Lakeport, CA.
16.61
16.61
21
Ryan Kaplan - Chico, CA.
17.26
17.26
91
Rick Faeth
NT
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