SARALE SCORES SANTA MARIA MIDGET WIN

SANTA MARIA, CA., JUNE 11: John Sarale scored his second consecutive win in the Bay Cities Racing Association midget series, laying claim to the 30-lap feature at the Santa Maria Speedway one week after ending a three-year drought. Coming off his win at the paved Lakeport Speedway, Sarale charged his Early Bird Produce Stealth/Ford from sixth to the win over a charging Josh Lakatos in the Pace Bros. Beast/Ed Pink Chevy on the quarter-mile dirt oval, claiming the $1,300.00 winner's share of the purse.

At the green Ralph Cortez, making his second start in the Walker Stealth/Esslinger, charged into the lead over Garratt Boyden from the outside front row to record his first-ever lead in a midget feature. Rob Russell, Quinton Sall and Sarale followed with Jimmy Christian, Lakatos and fast qualifier Thomas Meseraull next in line.

On the third lap Rick Faeth hit the wall and stalled to bring out the caution flag. He restarted at the rear. As Cortez continued his lead Joe Lindsey spun in the third turn for another yellow on the fifth lap. A seventh lap yellow flew for David Prickett when he lost the right front wheel in a very unusual circumstance that saw the wheel depart as he exited the fourth turn. The wheel continued down the entire front staightaway, then rounded the first and second turn in the racing groove as the cars were slowing under the caution flag.

The wheel finally ejected from the fourth turn and stopped part way down the backchute after passing a number of slowing cars! Prickett pulled his car into the turn-one infield.

At the green its was again Cortez leading the pack with Sarale now up to third and Lakatos fourth. On the 11th circuit "Surfer Dude" Boyden made good his challenge and he took the lead as both Sarale and Lakatos swooped under to drop Cortez to fourth. One lap later Russell gained fifth, then Meseraull displaced Cortez another position on the next lap.

Boyden, Sarale and Lakatos began staging their battle for the lead. Sarale took advantage of lapping Faeth to charge by Boyden to lead the 17th circuit.
On the 19th round as the pack entered the first turn Jimmy Christian ran up and over the right rear of Faeth's slowing car. As both cars began their slide toward the wall, Greg Dennett, running the high groove, was unable to avoid the two cars as they closed in front of his line with all three cars ending at the wall. Christian made the hardest contact, bounding high into the air before landing with severe suspension damage to bring out the red flag.
At the resumption it was Sarale in the lead with Lakatos dueling Boyden to take second as Russell and Meseraull battled for fourth. Meseraull made good his persistence to claim the position on the 26th lap as Lakatos pressured the leader, moving up alongside several times exiting the turns. Sarale drove his race and never faltered from the pressure, taking the checkered flag by several feet over Lakatos with Meseraull in third over Boyden, Russell, Dennett, Ryan Pace, Sall, Cortez and Pete Davis.

Meseraull outqualified the field on the tacky oval. Boyden charged from fifth to win the first heat race over Cortez and Davis.
Russell lead all the way to take the second eight-lapper over Christian and Sarale.

SUMMARY:
QUAL.: 1. Thomas Meseraull, #69 Ferrari 14.565; 2. Greg Dennett, #47 3D Racing 14.650; 3. Josh Lakatos, #4P Pace 14.780; 4. John Sarale, #32 Sarale 15.010; 5. Jimmy Christian, #16 Christian 15.026; 6. Quinton Sall, #51 Sall 15.042; 7. Rob Russell, #17 Thurston 15.190; 8. Ryan Pace, #44 Pace 15.210; 9. Ralph Cortez, #10 Walker 15.545; 10. Garratt Boyden, #42 Boyden 15.555; 11. Bobby Dalton, #36 Dalton 15.864; 12. David Prickett, #15 Prickett 15. 927; 13. Rick Faeth, #3 Faeth 15.973; 14. Joe Lindsey, #23x Lindsey 16.453; 15. Pete Davis, #00 Davis N/T.

HEAT-1: Boyden, Cortez, Davis, Faeth, Prickett, Dalton, Lindsey.
HEAT-2: Russell, Christian, Sarale, Meseraull, Lakatos, Dennett, Sall.
MAIN: 1. John Sarale, 2. Josh Lakatos, 3. Thomas Meseraull, 4. Garratt Boyden, 5. Rob Russell, 6. Greg Dennett, 7. Ryan Pace, 8. Quinton Sall, 9. Ralph Cortez, 10. Pete Davis, 11. Bobby Dalton, 12. Joe Lindsey, 13. Jimmy Christian, 14. Rick Faeth, 15. David Prickett.
LAP LEADERS: 1-10 Cortez, 11-16 Boyden, 17-30 Sarale

NOTES: Ryan Pace flipped in turn three on his second qualifying lap, sustaining no injuries, but with a badly damaged car. The crew worked feverishly and repaired the suspension damage just in time to start at the rear of the feature. Ryan's brother, Eric, had flipped during qualifying in April.
Pete Davis had mechanical problems beginning in the initial warm-up session. A fuel pump was the problem and it was replaced, but not in time for qualifying. Davis started at the rear of the first heat race and main event.
Sarale received a new American Racer right rear tire contingency award for the longest tow. Christian received the other tire in a drawing for cars finishing 11th on back. Greg Dennett won the TCR Performance suspension parts contingency worth more than $150 and Dave Thurston won the $50 certificate to the Outback Restaurant chain.