GARD SCORES WIN IN TANGLED TWIN CITIES MIDGET FEATURE

By Floyd Busby

MARYSVILLE, CA., JULY 31: Brian Gard emerged the winner in the Bay Cities Racing Association Midget feature at the Twin Cities Speedway in a caution-plagued event that saw ten caution flags and was shortened to 24 laps.

Starting the anticipated 30-lap feature from fifth, Gard managed to elude multiple tangles and spins while navigating the quarter-mile dirt oval aboard the Borghesani Beast/Gaerte Chevy.

John Sarale led off at the start that immediately was flagged when Sparky Howard spun the Blackwell Stealth/Gaerte in turn-two and collected Joe Lindsey's Gambler/Esslinger, sending both to the pits. At the restart Sarale again propelled into the lead over Jimmy Christian, Matt Streeter and Rob Russell, only to encounter another yellow for a spinning Shane Matthews whose Walker Stealth/Esslinger was shunted from behind in the very close-quartered racing.

Again, it was Sarale's Sarale Farms Stealth/Ford taking command over Christian's Stealth/Riolo Chevy, with the Guerrini Stealth/Gaerte Ford and Russell holding third.

The green remained on for three laps, until Russell was sent into a spin by fourth-running Streeter. Fast qualifier Thomas Meseraull, meanwhile, was piloting the Ferrari Stealth/Esslinger from 16th-starting through the pack to hold sixth. Under the caution BCRA referee Tom Manning sent Streeter's Stealth/Pink Chevy to the rear for rough driving and Russell restarted at the back.

Sarale continued his quick pace at the front with Christian in close pursuit and Meseraull now commanding third with Gard claiming fourth.

Greg Dennett brought the 3D Racing Beast/Wirth Chevy into the fray from 15th-starting and took over fifth on the fifth circuit,
then displaced Gard for fourth one lap later.

Gard soon found himself in a battle for fifth with a charging fellow rookie, Michael Hubert III, aboard the Aloise Construction Eagle/Chevy. Hubert took fifth on the sixth round, only to lose it back to Gard during their wheel-to-wheel battle.

The race settled down over the next six laps with Sarale continuing his rapid pace over Christian and Meseraull.

On the 14th lap Dennett and Hubert tangled in the second turn to bring out the fifth caution flag. Hubert restarted, but Dennett's
disabled car was towed to the pits. Streeter pitted. Following the green, Floyd Alvis spun in the second turn with Pete Davis sliding to a half to avoid a collision. Streeter returned to the track on lap down.

Following the restart on the 15th lap, Christian, running high on the track, dove toward the pole as he attempted to gain on Sarale in turn-three. This sent third-running Meseraull into a slide and Gard took advantage, charging around both on the high side to claim second. Rookie Scott Pierovich, moving methodically through traffic, now held fifth aboard his Stealth/Brayton Chevy.

Another caution flag was waved when Streeter made contact with Rick Haugh as they exited onto the backstretch. Hubert was
collected by the spinning Haugh and both retired with damaged cars.

The pack, with Sarale leading, got in three laps before Meseraull passed Christian for third, only to spin after contact by Christian, who was then sent to the rear for rough driving. Alvis pitted. Tim Joyce, the veteran 1990 BCRA champion, was now holding fifth aboard the Segur Ellis/Gaerte Chevy.

Sarale still held the helm over Gard with Pierovich now up to third over Russell who had worked himself back up from the earlier shunt that had sent him to the rear. On the 21st lap Christian slowed on the front stretch and coasted to a stop with a left rear flat
tire, then returned with new rubber before the next green flag.

When the green dropped Sarale was still in the lead, but yet another caution flag waved when the charging and lapped Streeter made contact with Russell, causing Russell to spin in the second turn to be towed from the track.

Sarale's hopes for the hard-fought feature win ended abruptly during the caution period as he coasted into the pits with an
unspecified mechanical problem, giving Gard the lead.

With Gard now in control, the race resumed with Pierovich in second and Joyce up to third. Doug Lippincott, able to avoid the
varied trouble spots, was now fourth in his Stealth/RPM Chevy.

It all ended on the 25th lap when Christian and Davis tangled in turn-two, knocking both out of the race. During the ensuing
caution period the race was called with 24 laps completed due to time constraints with a sprint car feature yet to be run.

Gard took his second feature win of the season. Pierovich placed second with Joyce third, followed by survivors Lippincott,
Meseraull, Christian, Cliff Servetti, Matthews, Davis and Streeter.

Meseraull outqualified the 21-car field with a new non-wing Midget record of 13.096. Christian won the first heat race over Davis and Sarale with Russell taking the second eight-lapper ahead of Gard and Hubert.

The BCRA Midget return next Saturday to the Santa Maria Speedway for the second of three events at the quarter-mile dirt oval.

SUMMARY:
QUAL.: 1. Thomas Meseraull, #69 Ferrari 13.096 (Record); 2. Greg Dennett, #47 Dennett 13.190; 3. Johnny Cofer, #57X Tynan 13.309; 4. Shane Matthews, #10 Walker 13.310; 5. Tim Joyce, #99 Segur 13.324; 6. Sparky Howard, #27 Blackwell 13.342; 7. Michael Hubert III, Hubert 13.367; 8. Scott Pierovich, #35 Pierovich 13.373; 9. Rob Russell, #63 Guerrini 13.391; 10. Brian Gard, #57 Borghesani 13.392; 11. Floyd Alvis, #18 Alvis 13.411; 12. Matt Streeter, #97 Streeter 13.430; 13. Jimmy Christian, #16 Christian 13.445; 14. John Sarale, #32 Sarale 13.446; 15. Pete Davis, #00 Davis 13.674; 16. Doug Lippincott, #4L Lippincott 13.709; 17. Rick Haugh, #51 Haugh 13.786; 18. Joe Lindsey, #23X Lindsey 14.151; 19. Cliff Servetti, #83 Servetti 15.766; 20. Mike Donaldson, #87 Donaldson NT; 21. Rick Faeth, #91 Faeth NT.

HEAT-1: Christian, Davis, Sarale, Alvis, Lippincott, Streeter, Lindsey, Haugh.
HEAT-2: Russell, Gard, Hubert, Pierovich, Dennett, Meseraull, Joyce, Matthews, Howard, Cofer.

MAIN: Brian Gard, Scott Pierovich, Tim Joyce, Doug Lippincott, Thomas Meseraull, Jimmy Christian, Cliff Servetti, Shane Matthews, Pete Davis, Matt Streeter, John Sarale, Rob Russell, Floyd Alvis, Rick Haugh, Michael Hubert III, Greg Dennett, Johnny Cofer, Sparky Howard, Joe Lindsey.

NOTES:
It was estimated that the main event went over 130 laps counting yellow flag laps. That's an average of about 5.4 laps per racing lap!
Johnny Cofer and Shane Matthews were both surprise entries who have not competed in BCRA for a long time.
Rick Faeth hit the beginning of the backstretch wall during hot laps and received no injury, but a badly damaged car. Mike Donaldson hit the wall exiting turn-4 and overturned on a qualifying lap. He was 'OK, but the car was out.
This marked the last race for official Anne VanBlaricom and Ryan Tyler. Anne is moving to Indianapolis where former BCRA official Greg Tyler now resides. Ryan will remain in the Bay Area to continue his college education. Anne was presented with a farewell cake and several gifts. Official Jimmy Montgomery celebrated his birthday with a cake presented by Scott Clark and Bill Montgomery.

The event mark a rare appearance of all three BCRA disivions, Midget, Midget Lite and Vintae, to be on the same program.