SWANSON WINS IN SECOND MIDGET START

9-2-06 - Tracy, CA.......Eighteen year old Kody Swanson from Kingsburg won the co-sanctioned Bay Cities Racing Association / United States Auto Club Midget main event held at Altamont Raceway Park Saturday night. The 2005 USAC Western Sprint Car Champion Swanson took the lead on lap 23 from race leader Ben Petter and never looked back to take the win driving his Gerhardt/Esslinger Western Speed Racing Team car in only his second start in a midget. A scary moment ended the event when Petter and Bradley Galedrige got together racing for second place entering turn three resulting in Petter taking a nasty flip into the concrete barrier. Both drivers climbed out of their damaged machines okay but officials checkered the event due to time constraints.
At the start of the 30 lap main event polesitter Alfred Galedrige took the lead with outside front row starter Petter racing a close second. Close racing was seen through out the field during the opening laps as two and three wide racing was seen until the field settled down into single file after a few laps were complete. A. Galedrige, Petter, Tony Hunt, Ryan Kaplan and Swanson broke away from the rest of the pack in the early stages of the event with Petter hounding A. Galedrige for the lead lap after lap. Petter got a run down the back straight away and got by A. Galedrige racing into turn three to take the lead on lap nine. Moments later contender Hunt had motor problems ending his night with a fluid leak. 2005 BCRA Champion John Sarale spun in turn one on lap eleven bringing out he first caution of the night. On the restart Petter held the lead with Swanson on his tail in second. Fast qualifier Evan Margeson from Washington and Bradley Galedrige were on the move in the mid stages as they both worked their way closer and closer to the front. As the laps winded down Swanson constantly dogged Petter trying inside moves that Petter consistently held off until Swanson made his winning move on Petter on lap 23 going into turn three of the big half mile paved oval. Swanson pulled slightly away from Petter in the closing laps when first time midget starter Kevin Morris spun in turn one bringing out the final caution on lap 28. On the restart Swanson took the lead with Petter and B. Galedrige racing hard for the runner up spot. The two touched going down the backstraight with Petter slamming into the turn three concrete upside down. Both drivers walked away as the checkered flag waved due to time constraints. Swanson was clearly the best in the final laps to post his first ever midget win. Second went to Kaplan followed by Margeson in third. A. Galedrige raced fourth with Garrett Hansen fifth. Charlotte, NC driver Chase Scott finished sixth with Bakersfield standout Shannon McQueen seventh. Young Justin Grant ran eighth, Dallen McKinney ninth and Matt Mitchell rounded out the top ten.
With 27 race teams in the pit area three heat races were run. Hansen won heat one after passing racelong leader Travis Berryhill on the next to last lap to take the win. Berryhill raced second with Grant third. Heat two saw McQueen win from the pole over outside front row starter Chase Barber. Veteran driver McKinney raced third. A. Galedrige won the final heat followed by Hunt in second. A crash behind them involving Scott and current USAC Western Midget point leader Jerome Rodella on the final lap left Rodella's car unrepairable for the main event. Scott made repairs for the main event. Kaplan was scored third with Margeson in fourth. Also competing in the "Best of the West Open Wheel Night" were the CASA/USAC Western Sprint Cars, USAC Ford Focus series and the ultra fast WSSRL Super Modifieds. Nick Green won the Sprint Car portion, Tim Skoglund won the Ford Focus main and Troy Regier won the Super Modified main event. The traveling BCRA Midgets take a few weeks off until they race at Shasta Raceway Park with the WMRA on Sept. 23rd. The USAC Midgets run at Madera Speedway on Labor Day.


SUMMARY: 9-2-06 - BCRA/USAC Midget, Altamont Raceway Park

QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Evan Margeson, 50, Margeson-17.070; 2. Bradley Galedrige, 29, Galedrige-17.123; 3. Kody Swanson, 60, Western Speed-17.164; 4. Chase Scott, 40, Western Speed-17.173; 5. Bobby Grewohl, 11, DeBeaumont-17.215; 6. Jerome Rodela, 5, VanDyne-17.294; 7. Ryan Kaplan, 21, Kaplan-17.326; 8. Tony Hunt, 4, Rosen-17.324; 9. Ben Petter, 22, Petter-17.362; 10. Al Galedrige, 29x, Galedrige-17.371; 11. Justin Grant, 30, Grant-17.424; 12. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-17.496; 13. Scott Pierovich, 35, Pierovich-17.510; 14. Chase Barber, 91, Barber-17.556; 15. Travis Berryhill, 11z, Berryhill-17.625; 16. John Sarale, 32, Sarale-17.636; 17. Garrett Hansen, 70, Hansen-17.675; 18. Dallen McKenney, 88, McKenney-17.741; 19. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-17.745; 20. Scott Nail, 10, Walker-17.832; 21. Greg Bragg, 41, Walker-17.888; 22. Kevin Morris, 17, Morris-18.000; 23. David Prickett, 15, Prickett-18.140; 24. Floyd Alvis, 18, Alvis-18.337; 25. Raloph Cortez, 31, Cortez-18.391; 26. Glenn Carson, 26x, Bock-18.440; 27. Rick Faeth, 3, Faeth-19.174

MAIN EVENT (28 Laps): 1. Kody Swanson, 2. Ryan Kaplan, 3. Evan Margeson, 4. Al Galedrige, 5. Garrett Hansen, 6. Chase Scott, 7. Shannon McQueen, 8. Justin Grant, 9. Dallen McKenney, 10. Matt Mitchell, 11. Chase Barber, 12. Scott Pierovich, 13. John Sarale, 14. Ben Petter, 15. Bradley Galedrige, 16. Greg Bragg, 17. Travis Berryhill, 18. Floyd Alvis, 19. Kevin Morris, 20. Rick Faeth, 21. Ralph Cortez, 22. Tony Hunt, 23. Scott Nail, 24. David Prickett, 25. Glenn Carson, 26. Bobby Grewohl.

HEAT 1 (10 Laps): 1. Hansen 2. Berryhill 3. Grant 4. Pierovich 5. Prickett 6. Cortez 7. Faeth 8. Mitchell 9. Bragg
HEAT 2 (10 Laps): 1. McQueen 2. Barber 3. McKinney 4. Sarale 5. Nail 6. Alvis 7. Carson 8. Morris
HEAT 3 (10 Laps): 1. A. Galedrige 2. Hunt 3. Kaplan 4. Mortgenson 5. Petter 6. Grenwol 7. Scott 8. Jerome Rodella 9. Swanson 10. B. Galedrige