CHRISTIAN SCORES CHAOTIC ANTIOCH MIDGET WIN

ANTIOCH, CA., JULY 9: Jimmy Christian came out on top of a chaotic record-book feature as the Bay Cities Racing Association midgets made their first appearance in four years at the Antioch Speedway. Christian took the lead on the 14th lap and drove on to the win in a heavily-fought, but truly unusual race on the quarter-mile dirt oval.

The initial start was aborted with the red flag when a throttle mechanism on the Doug Bock Esslinger/TCR failed, forcing driver Glenn Carson into the third-turn with no control, sliding into the side of Quinton Sall. The result was Sall into the wall and Carson rolling over. Both cars were eliminated.

Upon the restart it was second-row starter Scott Pierovich who charged into the lead, dropping pole-sitter Rick Faeth to second over John Sarale, Pete Davis and Travis Berryhill. Sarale claimed second on the next lap as Faeth faded to sixth. Entering the fray from ninth-starting was Matt Streeter, now up to fourth with Rob Russell charging to fifth.

The yellow next appeared on the fourth lap when Brian Gard slowed to a stop on the front straight with a deflated tire.

The sixth lap again deflated the field as three cars were eliminated. Berryhill spun his Gaerte/Stealth in turn four. Terry Tarditi, making his first start of the season in the Walker Esslinger/Stealth, had no where to go and plowed into the stalled Berryhill. On the opposite side of the track, Sarale, slowing his Ford/Stealth at the caution flag, experienced a suspension failure, sending the car sideways and into a slow roll, blocking the track exit to the pits with his inverted car.

Five laps scored and six cars eliminated. Pierovich again paced the field in the Lance Pierovich Brayton Chevy/Stealth. At this point, with the elimination of Berryhill and Sarale, Streeter had his Ed Pink Chevy/TCR in the second slot over Russell's Thurston Esslinger/TCR and Christian. Davis now held fifth over Faeth, Joe Lindsey and David Pickett, the only cars remaining on-track.

But, with all the disastrous episodes behind him, the teenage Pierovich was driving an outstanding race and looking forward to his first feature win. On the restarts he was able to put distance between himself and this competitors.

The prime competition was for second with Russell wrestling the position from Streeter on the seventh circuit. The two waged a torrid battle for the runnerup spot, with Streeter reclaiming second on the ninth lap and setting his sights on Pierovich.

Lap 12 saw another caution flag as Faeth spun his V-4 powered TCR in the third turn. At the green it was Christian putting the pressure on Russell, claiming the position on the next lap.

The 14th lap dashed the Pierovich team's hopes of victory.

Entering the first turn Streeter managed to move under Pierovich, but caught the leader's left front wheel. The impact bent the wheel, deflating the tire. Pierovich managed to maintain the lead as the duo charged down the backstreatch. Entering the third turn, Streeter's machine suddenly spun to a stop with the front wheels locked in the full-lock position, apparently the result of his impact with Pierovich. As the yellow flag flew for Streeter, Pierovich slowed to a stop at the track pit exit.

Christian gained the lead with the elimination of Pierovich and Streeter and the race resumed with Russell a close second over Davis.
Pickett spun his Aires/Stealth in the first turn for the caution flag, and was unable to restart. At this point Pierovich rejoined the diminishing field, two laps down.

The lack of cars did not cause a lack of competition as Russell put pressure on Christian, moving alongside on several occasions over the next several laps. But, the challenge to the leader was not to continue as Russell slid in turn-three and executed a slow spin, collecting Davis.
At this point with 27-laps down and the 30-minute maximum time allotment reached. The checkered flag was added to the yellow to bring the chaotic race to its conclusion.

Christian stood atop the standings with his first win of the season. Joe Lindsey managed to avoid the disasters around the track and claimed his best career finish in second with Faeth, a career-high third. Russell and Davis were credited with fourth and fifth and Pierovich's return to the track two laps down paid off with a sixth.

With seven divisions on the racing slate, qualifying was eliminated and the BCRA midgets utilized the point average system to arrange the lineups.

SUMMARY:
HEAT-1: Gard, Sarale, Davis, Pierovich, Faeth, Pickett, Russell, Roza.
HEAT-2: Streeter, Sall, Christian, Tarditi, Carson, Berryhill, Lindsey, Thomas Meseraull.
MAIN: 1. Jimmy Christian, 2. Joe Lindsey, 3. Rick Faeth, 4. Rob Russell, 5. Pete Davis, 6. Scott Pierovich, 7. David Pickett, 8. Matt Streeter, 9. Travis Berryhill, 10. John Sarale, 11. Terry Tarditi, 12. Brian Gard, 13. Glenn Carson, 14. Quinton Sall, 15. Steve Roza (N/S)

NOTES: Thomas Meseraull, the current point leader, rode over Christian's right rear wheel during second heat race action, flipping the Bill Ferrari Esslinger/Stealth. The defending champion was uninjured, but the heavily damaged car was out for the evening. This gave second-place pointer Sarale an opportunity to gain greatly on Meseraull, but Sarale's fortunes in the feature awarded him only a slim decrease in the point spread.
Three-time BCRA champion Terry Tarditi, who has basically given up his midget and sprint car career in favor of flying his WWII P-51 Mustang, answered the call from car owner Jack Walker to drive his #10 at Antioch. Although eliminated in the feature, Tarditi enjoyed his venture back in the cockpit.
The noise problems that had a lot to do with the four-year hiatus from the Antioch Speedway for the BCRA midgets, was apparently overcome with the concentrated efforts of the car owners to muffle their machines.
Bob Roza brought out his dirt car for the first time (the former 2003 championship-winning crossover car of Cameron Beard), but was unable to get it to run throughout the evening.