PIEROVICH WINS LAKEPORT MIDGETS

LAKEPORT, CA., JUNE 3: Scott Pierovich charged from eighth to take the lead on the 13th lap in the Bay Cities Racing Association midget feature at the Lakeport Speedway. Driving the Lance Pierovich Wirth Mopar-powered Beast, the youngster pulled away from the field to take the 30-lap win on the fast quarter-mile paved oval, his first victory with BCRA.

Dan Gundo led off the 18-car starting field from the pole. Local challenger Eric Mostin quickly displaced Ralph Cortez for second with Travis Berryhill in fourth. By the second round Pierovich was up to fifth, then displaced Berryhill for fourth.

On the fifth circuit Cortez faded to fifth as Pierovich charged to third, then dispatched Mostin one lap later to tag onto the rear of Gundo's Stealth/Gaerte. For several laps the two leaders raced nearly side-by-side. On the 13th round Pierovich out-powered Gundo down the backstretch to take the lead into turn-three.
During the hard racing at the front, action in midpack intensified as Shannon McQueen began her run from 13th toward the front, sliding into seventh by the 11th lap. Three laps later she was holding fifth within the tightly bunched battle behind Pierovich.

As always at the Lakeport oval, close and often contact racing was the norm and McQueen was right in the middle of the action among the front half of the field, excluding Pierovich who was on the proverbial "rail" in extending his lead.

From 14th, fast qualifier Brian Gard had moved the Arata Bros. Stealth/Chevy up to seventh.

On the 18th lap, with McQueen now up to fourth, she pressured Mostin, taking third early in the 20th round and then challenged Gundo for second, crossing the line inches ahead with an outside maneuver.

As McQueen and Gundo entered the first turn wheel-interlocked-to-wheel, their contact caused the pressing Mostin to momentarily back off. Gard, who had jumped into the fifth slot behind Mostin, darted to the inside, but could not avoid Mostin, riding up over his left rear wheel and catapulting outward, striking the wall as Mostin's damaged mount spun. Both drive were uninjured, but their cars received extensive damage.

Following the caution flag Pierovich gave no chance for McQueen to contest the lead as he rocketed off at his own quick pace. McQueen held court over Gundo, Berryhill, Hubert and Chase Barber. One lap later Gundo was dropped two positions.
On the 27th lap Gundo spun into the turn-four infield for a caution flag.

Pierovich continued his pace over the final four laps to capture his first BCRA main event. Hubert got by Berryhill for third behind McQueen with Glenn Carson moving in to take fifth over the waning laps. Defending champion John Sarale also made a late race charge to grab sixth over Barber, Rick Faeth, Cortez, Dickenson, Eddie Abrew, David Prickett, Bill Lindsey and Gundo with Floyd Alvis and Mike Donldson down a single lap.

Sarale scored the trophy dash win with Bill Lindsey taking the first heat race over Alvis, Donaldson and Berryhill. Pierovich earned the second 8-lap win over Dickenson, Hubert and Barber.

BCRA's popular vintage division, with seven cars on hand, competed is two demonstration races.

The next BCRA midget race is scheduled for the Reno-Fernley Raceway on  June 17, followed by the Twin Cities Speedway in Marysville one week later.
    
SUMMARY:
QUAL.: 1. Brian Gard #88 Arata 12.131; 2. Shannon McQueen, #7 McQueen 12.169; 3. John Sarale, #32 Sarale 12.255; 4. Chase Barber, #91 Barber 12.310; 5. Glenn Carson, #26 Bock 12.336; 6. Michael Hubert III, #56 Hubert 12.340; 7. Scott Pierovich, #35 Pierovich 12.350; 8. David Prickett, #15 Prickett 12.356; 9. Gary Dickenson, #8 Dickenson 12.371; 10. Travis Berryhill, #11 Berryhill 12.477; 11. Rick Faeth, #3 Faeth 12.774; 12. Eric Mostin, #12 Mostin 12.775; 13. Ralph Cortez, #31 Cortez 12.783; 14. Dan Gundo, #6 Gundo 12.881; 15. Eddie Abrew, #25 Abrew 12.902; 16. Bill Lindsey, #61 Fowler 12.905; 17. Mike Donaldson, #87 Donaldson 12.923; 18. Floyd Alvis, #18 Alvis 13.041; 19. Steve Roza, #20 Roza N/T.
TROPHY DASH: Sarale, Barber, McQueen, Gard.
HEAT-1: Lindsey, Alvis, Donaldson, Berryhill, Abrew, Mostin, Faeth, Cortez, Gundo.
HEAT-2: Pierovich, Dickenson, Hubert, Barber, Sarale, McQueen, Gard, Carson, Prickett.
MAIN: 1. Scott Pierovich, 2. Shannon McQueen, 3. Michael Hubert III, 4. Travis Berryhill, 5. Glenn Carson, 6. John Sarale, 7. Chase Barber, 8. Rick Faeth, 9. Ralph Cortez, 10. Gary Dickenson, 11. Eddie Abrew, 12. David Prickett, 13. Bill Lindsey, 14. Dan Gundo, 15. Floyd Alvis, 16. Mike Donaldson, 17. Eric Mostin, 18. Brian Gard.