Ryan Kaplan Rockets to King's Speedway Gold

By Robert Haugh

Chico's Ryan Kaplan methodically picked off nearly a dozen competitors from his 11th starting spot, capturing the DMS Race Products BCRA Midget series feature win at the speedy 3/8-mile King's Speedway in Hanford on Saturday, August 25, wheeling the Ken Kaplan #21 Stealth/Mopar to the checkers first.

Kaplan found his way to the front after finding a lightning fast route around the high groove around the slick track. After taking the lead on Lap 24, Kaplan swapped the lead several times with 16-year-old local boy Michael Faccinto of Hanford piloting the #41 Scelzi Motorsports Beast/Mopar and Kody Swanson, another local boy from Kingsburg, chauffeuring the #27d Cliff Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte.

Following Kaplan to the checkers in the intense 30-lap feature were Faccinto, two-time reigning BCRA champion John Sarale aboard the #32 Sarale Farms Stealth/Riolo-Chevy, C.J. Sarna aboard his #20x and Alfred Galeridge, Jr. aboard his #26x Beast/Mopar entry rounding out the tightly contested Top Five.

Following closely was Kody Swanson, 19-year-old BCRA rookie Kevin Morris aboard father Del's #17k Spike/Esslinger, 7-time BCRA champion Floyd Alvis aboard the #18 Champion Automotive 'Green Beret' Stealth/Esslinger, Fresno's David Prickett aboard the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Stealth/Van Dyne and Clovis' Steve Roza in Bob Roza's #20 Beast/Esslinger closely pursuing the leaders and rounding out the Top Ten.

After gently tipping over on Lap 9 after contact with another car, Prickett regrouped, restarting at the rear-of-the-field, battling back to finishing ninth-place. Roza brought out the yellow on Lap 20, spinning in Turns 3 and 4. Roza resumed, finishing tenth.

On the ensuing restart, Nick Foster, Jr. spun, bringing out the yellow aboard Rick Faeth's #3 Stealth/Chevy V4. Foster's hard luck continued on Lap 24, when, after losing a wheel, Scott Nail spun to a stop collecting Grant, Cortez and Foster, ending Foster's evening.

After starting from the pole, third-place pointsman Ralphie "The Racer" Cortez dropped to 11th aboard the #31 Cortez-Walker Stealth/Esslinger after being involved in the Lap 24 incident.

16-year-old BCRA points leader Justin Grant charged from 13th, racing to as high as third, challenging Kaplan and the leaders, however, spinning during the Lap 24 incident dropped him to a 12th-place finish aboard the #17 Thurston Spike/Esslinger. Grant continues to lead the championship points race over Alvis, Cortez, Morris and Prickett.

Kaplan becomes the eleventh DMS Race Products BCRA Midget series victor of 2007.

Alvis claimed Heat 1 over Kody Swanson, Scott Nail aboard Stu Donaldson's #8 Stealth/Pontiac, Nick Foster, Jr., Tanner Swanson and Dave Stoltz.

Hanford's Jared Little captured Heat 2 over Jimmy Voitel, Faccinto, Randi Pankratz, David Prickett and Alfred Galeridge Jr.

Sarale claimed Heat 3 over Morris, Sarna, Shannon McQueen and Grant.

Brian Gard toppled the stellar 22-car field in qualifying, setting fast time at 17.103, with Sarale, McQueen and Grant close behind.

The 2007 DMS Race Products BCRA Midget series continues its season in two weeks, visiting the smooth and fast paved 1/4-mile Ukiah Speedway on September 8.

Summary:

Feature (30 laps)
1. Ryan Kaplan
2. Michael Faccinto
3. John Sarale
4. C.J. Sarna
5. Alfred Galeridge, Jr.
6. Kody Swanson
7. Kevin Morris
8. Floyd Alvis
9. David Prickett
10. Steve Roza
11. Ralph Cortez
12. Justin Grant
13. Tanner Swanson
14. Randi Pankratz
15. Jimmy Voitel
16. Scott Nail
17. Shannon McQueen
18. Nick Foster, Jr.
19. Dave Stoltz
20. Brian Gard
21. Jared Little
22. Allan Ballard


Lap leaders: Alvis 1-3, Kody Swanson 4-23, Kaplan 24, Faccinto 25, Kaplan 26,
Faccinto 27, Swanson 28, Kaplan 29-30.

Heat 1:
1. Floyd Alvis
2. Kody Swanson
3. Scott Nail
4. Nick Foster, Jr.
5. Tanner Swanson
6. Dave Stoltz
7. Allan Ballard

Heat 2:
1. Jared Little
2. Jimmy Voitel
3. Michael Faccinto
4. Randi Pankratz
5. David Prickett
6. Alfred Galeridge, Jr.
7. Ralph Cortez

Heat 3:
1. John Sarale
2. Kevin Morris
3. C.J. Sarna
4. Shannon McQueen
5. Justin Grant
6. Ryan Kaplan
7. Brian Gard
8. Steve Roza

Qualifying:
1. Brian Gard, 17.103, 57, Mark Borghesani Spike/Mopar
2. John Sarale, 17.197, 32, Sarale Farms Stealth/Riolo-Chevy
3. Shannon McQueen, 17.281, 7, McQueen Stealth/Esslinger
4. Justin Grant, 17.314, 17, Thurston Spike/Esslinger
5. Steve Roza, 17.445, 20, Bob Roza Beast/Esslinger
6. Ryan Kaplan, 17.593, 21, Ken Kaplan Stealth/Mopar
7. C.J. Sarna, 17.599, 20x, Sarna
8. Kevin Morris, 17.604, 17k, Del Morris Spike/Esslinger
9. Randi Pankratz, 17.629, 8x, Pankratz Autoresearch/Fontana Rhino
10. Michael Faccinto, 17.680, 41, Scelzi Motorsports Beast/Mopar
11. David Prickett, 17.723, 15, Neverlift Motorsports Stealth/Van Dyne
12. Jared Little, 17.808, 23, Little Stinger/Mopar
13. Alfred Galeridge, Jr., 17.811, 26x, Galeridge Spike/Mopar
14. Jimmy Voitel, 17.917, 2, Voitel
15. Ralph Cortez, 17.926, 31, Cortez-Walker Stealth/Esslinger
16. Floyd Alvis, 18.349, 18, Alvis Stealth/Esslinger
17. Kody Swanson, 18.439, 27d, Cliff Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte
18. Nick Foster, Jr., 18.496, 3, Rick Faeth Stealth/Chevy V4
19. Dave Stoltz, 18.593, 77, Stoltz Pacific Flyer/Buick V6
20. Tanner Swanson, 18.852, 27c, Cliff Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte
21. Allan Ballard, 19.824, 54, Ballard
22. Scott Nail, 22.402, 8, Stu Donaldson Stealth/Pontiac