BCRA Highlights Halfway Through the 2007 Season

By Robert Haugh

The 2007 DMS Race Products BCRA Midgets series has quickly reached its halfway point following the July 14 race at Santa Maria Speedway.

With the rainout of the April 14 race at Placerville, the BCRA Midgets have partaken in nine races, six on pavement and three on dirt, with nine different winners emerging.

Fist-Time Midget Winners
In only nine BCRA races thus far, four have resulted in first-time BCRA Midget feature winners: Justin Grant at Madera April 28 at the Vukovich Classic, Washington’s Brea Lopez at Eureka on May 19, Shane Golobic at Ukiah on June 9 and Kevin Morris at Lakeport on July 7.

Championship Contenders
Leading the 2007 DMS Race Products Midgets points at the halfway mark is 16-year-old Justin Grant of Ione. Grant chauffeurs his own nine-year-old #30 Beast/Esslinger on pavement and Dave and Wendy Thurston’s #17 Spike/Esslinger on the dirt.

Trailing Grant in second, nearly 100 points behind, is BCRA’s “Ageless Wonder,” 7-time champion Floyd Alvis. The ageless veteran has completed nearly every lap in 2007 and maintains second.

Having his best BCRA season to date, Fresno’s David Prickett lays third, just a few tallies behind Alvis. Prickett chauffeurs the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Hawk/Van Dyne on pavement and a Stealth/Arias on dirt. Prickett’s Arias engine exhausted at the end at the Santa Maria race, therefore he will be campaigning his Van Dyne engine in both cars.

Hoping to catapult his points ranking down the stretch, Sacramento’s Ralphie “The Racer” Cortez rests fourth in the points, mainly due to a DNS at Hanford, a first-lap flip in Placerville and a green-flag-only appearance at Santa Maria. Cortez pilots the #31 Shores-Cortez Special Beast/Sesco-Mopar on pavement and the #31 Walker/Cortez Racing #31 Stealth/Esslinger on dirt.

Hanging onto fifth is 19-year-old BCRA rookie Kevin Morris, who won his first Midget feature at Lakeport Speedway on June 9th. The talented youngster is a multi-time Micro Midget champion, having won numerous races at Delta Speedway in Stockton.

Still in the hunt in seventh is hard-luck plagued Travis Berryhill of American Canyon. Struggling with mechanical gremlins, the veteran BCRA hardcharger hasn’t given up yet, however is sidelined at the moment. He is hoping to have his dirt car ready for the King’s Speedway race in Hanford this weekend.

Santa Rosa’s Gary Dickenson has experienced a strong season in limited appearances, having won his first Trophy dash and fostering his 1st Fast time award. In five races aboard his #8 Stealth/Pontiac, he has garnered top seven or better finishes in every Main event he has competed.

Reigning two-time BCRA champion John Sarale has snagged two runner-ups spots and was hopeful for a hat trick as BCRA champ, but his pavement engine wasn’t ready for the double-points race at Redwood Acres Raceway in May, though he’s been a frontrunner in each BCRA appearance of 2007 thus far.

Former car owner champ Bill Lindsey has been chauffeuring Jim Fowler’s #61 Beast/Esslinger on pavement and Stu Donaldson’s #87 Kane/Chevy II on dirt, however, both cars have battled recent mechanical woes.

Youth, Youth, Youth:
A look at the first half winners indicates youthful dominance. Young guns crossing victory circle include 16-year-old Justin Grant, who won the prestigious Vukovich Classic at Madera Speedway on April 28, 19-year-old Washingtonian Dallas Melby claiming the Shasta Speedway triumph on March 31, fellow 19-year-old Washingtonian Brea Lopez winning the Redwood Acres Raceway romp on May 19, 15-year-old Shane Golobic winning the June 9 Ukiah Speedway race while 19-year-old BCRA rookie Kevin Morris claimed the winner’s share at Lakeport Speedway on June 9.

72-year-old 7-time BCRA champion Floyd Alvis has eluded victory thus far in 2007, despite several strong runs.

The seven-time titlist is sitting second in points behind Ione’s Grant of Ione, who leads Alvis by nearly 100 points, while Fresno’s David Prickett sits third, with Ralphie “The Racer” Cortez in fourth and 19-year-old BCRA rookie Kevin Morris sitting fifth.

20-year-old Brian Gard won the season opener at Kings Speedway in Hanford and 25-year-old Eric Mostin won the June 2 Lakeport race, delighting his hometown crowd for his third career BCRA Midget feature win, all coming at his hometown track.

22-year-old Garrett Hansen, another young gun, claimed the winner’s laurels at the July 14 Santa Maria race.

Speaking of youth, 16-year-old Grant broke the track record at Ukiah Speedway in June. This was the first track record set in several years in BCRA competition.

Pounding the Pavement
Through six pavement races, Grant leads the DMS Race Products 2007 BCRA Midgets series pavement points, largely due to a number of fantastic runs, including his Vukovich Classic win and several Top Fives.

Grant leads the pavement series points with 654 tallies over Cortez by 27 points, with Berryhill another 50 back, then Alvis, Prickett, Bill Lindsey, Dickenson, Morris, Mostin and Golobic in tow, rounding out the Top 10 pavement drivers two-thirds through the pavement portion of the schedule.

Grant also leads the pavement car owner points with 690 tallies over Cortez, 33 tallies back, followed by Alvis, Prickett, Jim Fowler (#61), Berryhill, Dickenson, Del Morris, Mike Mostin and Chris Walker (#10) rounding out the Top 10. Morris likely would be higher in pavement points had he not missed the June 9 Ukiah race because of college commitments.

Pavement enthusiasts look forward to the final three pavement races of the season, September 8 through 22 at Ukiah, Madera and Shasta Speedways respectively on the 8, 15 and 22 of September.

Tossing Dirt
After three dirt races, one being the co-sanctioned race with USAC at Santa Maria, three different victors have emerged with Brian Gard, Robby Flock and Garrett Hansen respectively winning events. Gard won the season opener at King’s Speedway in March, Flock won at Placerville on June 23 and Hansen claimed the win at Santa Maria on July 14.

With the dirt schedule heating up in August, the early dirt points show Morris leading Alvis by 22 markers, ahead of Grant, Prickett, Pete Davis, Gard, two-time reigning BCRA champion John Sarale, Todd Miller, former BCRA car owner champion Cameron Beard, Steve Roza and Cortez.

On the dirt owner’s side, Del Morris leads Alvis by 22 markers, followed by Dave Thurston (#17), Prickett, Bob Roza (#20), Davis (#00), Larry Mertl (#9), Mike Sala (#19w), Mike Sala (#19s) and Mark Borghesani (#57).

If not for splitting dirt car runs for West coast Midget ace Robby Flock, Sala would easily be dominating the dirt owner’s race, having two second-place runs and a feature win with Flock piloting his potent Bob With-powered Midgets.

BCRA has six dirt races remaining, including a four consecutive dirt races throughout August, with the last dirt races being the two-day show at King’s Speedway in Hanford on September 28-29 concluding the DMS Race Products 2007 BCRA Midget series season. Upcoming dirt races include August 4 at King’s Speedway, August 11 at Placerville Speedway, August 18 at Petaluma and August 25 back at King’s Speedway.

New Weight Rule
Designed at limiting costs of Midget racing, BCRA begins implementing a new weight rule starting Saturday, August 4. The new weight rule will now include the driver and safety gear along with the car, with VW-powered cars allowed 1,030 and 1,080 lbs for all other powerplants. BCRA officials have been weighing Midgets at every race so owners can properly adjust their cars to accommodate the new weight requirements.

2007 DMS Race Products BCRA Midgets Season Halfway Summary

Feature Wins (1 each):
Brian Gard, Dallas Melby, Justin Grant, Brea Lopez, Eric Mostin, Shane Golobic, Robby Flock, Kevin Morris and Garrett Hansen.

Top 3 Feature Finishes:
Justin Grant, Robby Flock (3)
John Sarale, Shannon McQueen, Brea Lopez (2)
1 each: Brian Gard, Kevin Morris, Michael Faccinto, Dallas Melby, Eric Mostin, Travis Berryhill, Ralph Cortez, Floyd Alvis and Gary Dickenson

Top 5 Feature Finishes:
Justin Grant (5)
John Sarale, Robby Flock (3)
2 each: Morris, Cortez, Pete Davis, McQueen, David Prickett, Faccinto, Brea Lopez, Dickenson, Gard and Golobic.

Top 10 Feature Finishes:
Grant (7)
Prickett, Cortez (6)
Alvis, Morris, Dickenson (5)
Berryhill (4)
Sarale, Golobic, Flock (3)
11 with 2
13 with 1

Heat Wins:
Ralph Cortez (4)
1 each: Todd Miller, McQueen, Berryhill, Eddie Abrew, Evan Funk, Melby, Mostin, Bill Lindsey, Justin Melton, Prickett, Faccinto, Sarale, Flock, Davis and Grant.

Dash Wins:
Paul Zimmerly (2)
1 each: Dallen McKenney, Dickenson and Berryhill.

Fast Times:
1 each: Flock, Chad Nichols, Garratt Boyden, Golobic, Grant, Melby and Dickenson.

B-Main Wins:
Bill Lindsey (1)