BRAGG & HONDA SCORE BCRA MIDGET WIN AT WATSONVILLE

WATSONVILLE, CA., AUG. 4: Greg Bragg thrashed the competition with Honda power to snare the win in the Bay Cities Racing Association midget feature at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
The former BCRA midget lite competitor started 11th in the 18-car field in his 122ci double overhead valve Honda. It took only six laps to master the slick and extremely rutted clay quarter-mile oval. His prime competition came from another visitor, Chris Rahe, driving the first sealed 200ci Fontana powerplant to see duty in BCRA. Rahe, who started next to Bragg, also mastered the difficult surface and at one point passed to take the lead, only to be thwarted by a caution flag, then later a tire separation for a DNF.
John Sarale led off from the outside front row over pole-sitter Garratt Boyden. Cameron Beard held third over Jimmy Christian who charged quickly from ninth to conclude the first lap. Tony Boscassi held fifth over David Prickett with Bragg already up to seventh.
On the fourth lap the first caution flag came out as Prickett's Stealth/VanDyne stalled exiting the second turn with a broken bleeder valve caused by a rock.
Upon the restart Sarale, in his Stealth/Riolo Ford, entered the first turn a bit off the pole and Boyden aggressively charged to the inside, but found no room and was forced closer to the pole where he tangled with the very high berm. He continued around the apex, fighting for control, then spun his Spike/Esslinger into the middle of the track near the exit of turn-two, facing the oncoming pack. Nearly everyone was able to avoid the stalled car, but from back in the pack Todd Miller was not as fortunate, spinning to avoid Boyden and causing Gary Dickenson to spin as Darrin Bolton was forced to ride over the berm into the infield.
At the green Sarale continued his lead with Beard's Stealth/Fontana second and Bragg finalizing the fourth lap in third over Christian and Rahe.
Bragg pressured Sarale, taking the lead on the sixth circuit with an outside power move exiting the fourth turn. On the eighth lap the battle for second with Sarale and Rahe was nearly a tie at the line, with Rahe slipping by for second in the first turn and immediately set after Bragg. Rahe made an inside pass leading into the third turn to take the lead, only to be sent back to second because of a caution flag. While under the caution period, Sarale pitted with a plug wire that had fallen off.
Now it was Bragg over Rahe, Christian, Beard and Stan Yockey in the Dennett Beast/Wirth Chevy at the conclusion of the ninth round.
On the 11th lap Bolton snagged the inner berm in his Stewart/Mopar, running upon the berm through most of the first turn, coming to rest at the exit of turn-two with damaged suspension. While under this caution Beard stalled with a drive line that had slipped from the rear end, ending his excellent drive to fourth.
At the green Miller's Mertl Stealth/Esslinger balked under acceleration, forcing Floyd Alvis to brake hard. Danny Parker rode up onto Alvis and overturned sideways, rolling the car onto its side with Alfred Galedrige and Ryan Kaplan spinning to avoid the melee and bringing out the red flag. At this point Sarale returned to the track, one lap down. Kaplan pitted with a plugged injection nozzle and returned several laps down.
At the resumption Christian out-dueled Rahe into the third turn to take over second behind Bragg. On the next lap Rahe returned the favor with an outside pass in turn-two to regain the runnerup spot.
Again, the caution flag was unfurled when Boyden spun in the first turn and a three car tangle in turn three brought Galedrige, Boscacci and Parker to an abrupt stop into the berm.
Reaching the 14th lap, the lapped Sarale was passing handidly and was up to fourth, then third as though he were racing for the lead.
Veteran Alvis now held third behind Bragg and Rahe aboard his Stealth/Esslinger, having battled by Yockey and Christian. Yockey pitted.
On the 18th circuit, Alvis moved by Rahe for second, then Rahe snagged the berm, popping the right front tire from the rim and limping to the pits.
Bragg's torrid pace lapped a number of the remaining cars and at the 25-lap finish he led Alvis, Christian, Dickenson and Miller as he only cars on the lead lap. Bringing up sixth, one lap down, was Galedrige, followed by Boscacci, Sarale and Kaplan, the only cars still running.
The Watsonville race was devastating for point leader Travis Berryhill who experienced magneto problems all evening and dropped out of his heat race and did not start the main event. Berryhill went from a three-point advantage to third with Sarale taking the lead and Alvis moving up to second by three points.
As per the Ocean Speedway format, there was no qualifying and the lineups were by point average.
The next BCRA race is set for August 12 at the Placerville Speedway, preempted by the annual BCRA Hall of Fame Barbecue Picnic at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, site of the speedway.

SUMMARY: HEAT-1: Greg Bragg #05 Mike Walker; John Sarale #32 Sarale; Jimmy Christian #16 Christian; Ryan Kaplan, #21 Kaplan; Dan Gundo #51 Haugh; Floyd Alvis #18 Alvis; Travis Berryhill #11 Berryhill; Rick Faeth #3 Faeth N/S.
HEAT-2: Chris Rahe #3x Rahe; Garratt Boyden #42 Boyden; Darrin Bolton #XX Bolton; David Prickett #15 Prickett; Gary Dickenson #8 Dickenson; Todd Miller #9 Mertyl; Scott Nail #87 Donaldson; Ralph Cortez #54 Haugh.
HEAT-3: Cameron Beard #19 Beard; Alfred Galedrige #26 Galedrige; Stan Yokey #47 Dennett; Tony Boscacci #10 Walker; Danny Parker #20 Roza; Rob Russell #17 Thurston N/S. 2.03:82 8-laps.
DASH: Sarale, Rahe, Boyden, Beard, Bragg, Galedrige. 1.00.18.
MAIN: 1. Greg Bragg, 2. Floyd Alvis, 3. Jimmy Christian, 4. Gary Dickenson, 5. Todd Miller, 6. Alfred Galedrige, 7. Tony Boscacci, 8. John Sarale, 9. Ryan Kaplan, 10. Chris Rahe, 11. Stan Yockey, 12. Garratt Boyden, 13. Danny Parker, 14. Cameron Beard, 15. Darrin Bolton, 16. Ralph Cortez, 17. Scott Nail, 18. David Prickett.
LAP LEADERS: 1-5 Sarale, 6-25 Bragg.