MESERAULL TRIUMPHS AT SHASTA RACEWAY PARK SEASON DEBUT

ANDERSON, CA., APRIL 2: Thomas Meseraull began the defense of his 2004 Bay Cities Racing Association midget driving championship by charging to victory at the Shasta Raceway Park.

The opening volley of BCRA's 67th racing season again saw Meseraull in the Bill Ferrari Esslinger powered Beast. As with last season's race at Shasta, Meseraull started far back in the field and charged to the win from 14th.

Eric Mostin took control of the 40-lap main event from the pole over British Columbia's Chris Schmelzle. To the crowd's delight, Meseraull, starting 14th, charged to sixth by the second lap, then displaced Brad Galedrige for fifth on the next circuit.

Brian Gard, running in fourth aboard the Borghesani Beast/Gaerte Chevy, moved by Steve Roza's Stewart/Esslinger for third on the fourth lap with Meseraull tucking in behind to lay fourth at the conclusion of the fast-paced lap.

Meseraull began a heated battle with Gard, taking control of third on the seventh round as Mostin continued to lead.

On the tenth lap both Meseraull and Gard displaced Schmelzle's LeJeune/Fontana, dropping the Canadian to fourth.

Meseraull began putting pressure on Mostin, moving nearly alongside on several occasions as Gard darted high and low in an attempt to regain second.

During this period hometown favorite Michael Hubert III had been inching toward the front from 12th starting aboard his Beast/Gaerte Chevy, slicing his way to fifth.

Gard continued his pressure on Meseraull, making good his bid on the 15th round to charge into second.

On the 16th lap Pete Davis and Ralph Cortez brought out the caution flag with a tangle in the fourth turn. Mostin continued to lead Meseraull, Gard, Schmelzle and Hubert with Oregon's Spence Gatrell inching into the fray.

At the drop of the green Hubert pressured Schmelzle, taking over fourth. One lap later it was Washington Midget Racing Association visitors Schmelzle and Gatrell tangling as they exited the second turn to bring out the yellow flag.

On the 20th lap as Meseraull was fighting to regain second, Gard moved up-track from his groove a bit as they ran through turn-three. Meseraull jumped at the chance and charged under Gard, but his momentum as he edged ahead of Gard pushed him into Mostin's left rear, sending the leader into a spin that nearly put him in the turn-four wall. Meseraull would later apologize to Mostin.

Meseraull, now in the lead, ran flawlessly and never allowed Gard and opportunity to take the lead. Hubert held third with an excellent run up to fourth by WMRA's Rob Lindsey. Fifth was now held by Chuck Gurney Jr. in the 3D Beast/Ed Pink Chevy.

Lindsey pressured Hubert and took over third briefly before dropping back to fourth as Ryan Kaplan moved his Stealth/Fontana past Gurney into fifth.

On the 30th circuit Gurney tightened the battle for fourth by overtaking both Kaplan and Lindsey for the position.

The leaders continued their tight formation until the 36th lap when the final caution flag was unfurled as Gatrell, with a little help from behind, spun into the infield as he exited the fourth turn.

At the checkered it was Meseraull over Gard, Hubert, Gurney, Lindsey, Kaplan, Scott Pierovich, Galedrige, Breanna Lopez and Eddie Abrew in the top-ten. WMRA's Lopez moved past Abrew on the last lap to score ninth in only her fourth midget feature.

Meseraull began the season opener by establishing a new one-lap track record of 15.082, erasing Hubert's '04 mark of 15.196.

Gatrell took the four-lap dash from the pole over Hubert, Meseraull and Gurney.

The BCRA midgets return to the dirt for their next event on April 30 at the Santa Maria Speedway.

SUMMARY:
QUAL.: 1. Thomas Meseraull, #69 Ferrari 15.082 (Record); 2. Chuck Gurney Jr., #47 3D 15.258; 3. Michael Hubert III, #56 Hubert 15.384; 4. Spence Gatrell, #8 Gatrell 15.403; 5. Rob Lindsey, #23 Lindsey 15.410; 6. Ryan Kaplan, $21 Kaplan 15.442; 7. Brian Gard, #57 Borghesani 15.512; 8. Scott Pierovich, #35 Pierovich 15.551; 9. Bobby Bird, #7 Bird 15.615, 10. Brad Galedrige, #29 Galedrige 15.643; 11. Bobby Dalton, #36 Dalton 15.653; 12. Steve Roza, #20 B. Roza 15.750; 13. Chris Schmelzle, #62 Barnett 15.914; 14. Eric Mostin, #12 Mostin 15.992; 15. Eddie Abrew, $25 Abrew 16.002; 16. Breanna Lopez, #25W Press 16.103; 17. Ralph Cortez, #54 Haugh 17.315; 18. Alan Norton, #69W Norton 17.675; 20. Pete Davis, #00 Davis NT.

DASH: Gatrell, Hubert, Meseraull, Gurney. 1:00.75.
MAIN (40-laps): 1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Brian Gard, 3. Michael Hubert III, 4. Chuck Gurney Jr., 5. Rob Lindsey, 6. Ryan Kaplan, 7. Scott Pierovich, 8. Brad Galedrige, 9. Breanna Lopez, 10. Eddie Abrew, 11. Spence Gatrell, 12. Bobby Bird, 13. Chris Schmelzle, 14. Bobby Dalton, 15. Eric Mostin, 16. Joe Lindsey, 17. Steve Roza, 18. Pete Davis, 19. Alan Norton, 20. Ralph Cortez.

LAP LEADERS: 1-19 Mostin, 20-40 Meseraull

NOTES: Because of threatening whether with lightning dancing to the north, the heat races were cancelled and the main events moved up after the trophy dashes. The featured midget main event, scheduled to run last, was moved to the second slot in the four division program.

Chuck Gurney Jr. was assigned to drive the 3D Racing Beast to help sort out the car and give regular driver Greg Dennett input as to pavement skills. This procedure will be for about four pavement races.  The car was equipped with a camera recording the driver/cockpit for later viewing and assessment. Gurney raced with BCRA in 2000 and 2001, winning eight features before turning his efforts to the sprint cars. He nearly won the 360 Civil War sprint car series last season, missing the title by nine points.  Dennett, with one dirt win in his rookie season last year, placed second in the driver standings and won the rookie title with giving the team the car owner championship in '04.

The five WMRA entries were a precursor to the upcoming four-race Pacific Northwest Midget Championship that will begin on May 14 at the Redwood Acres Raceway in Eureka. The co-sanctioned
series is expected to draw all pavement entries from both organizations as well as the Idaho Midget Racing Association.

Bob Roza began the season with a blown engine in the #20 Stewart Esslinger driven by son Steve.

Eric Mostin's comment after being helped into a spin while leading was, "we have Lakeport"!....he won both Lakeport speedway races last season.

The Bill Ferrari Beast/Esslinger, driven by Thomas Meseraull, has two new sponsors' Hot Head Competition Heater and Center Flo Performance Injection. "Hot Head" is a new product built and distributed by BCRA owner/driver Pete Davis. The mechanism, packaged in a beautiful chrome-plated steel box, is used to heat engine fluids prior to on-track running.