Justin Grant Claims First Dirt Midget Victory at King’s
Speedway
By Robert Haugh
Chauffeuring Dave and Wendy Thurston’s RacingForTheTroops.com
#17 Spike/Esslinger, reigning BCRA champion Justin Grant diced for the lead for
over 20 laps with Chris Rahe and polesitter Dallen McKenney before finally
checking out on Lap 22 en route to capturing his second-career BCRA feature
victory at the lightning fast and smooth 3/8-mile King’s Speedway in Hanford, CA
on Saturday, April 19.
After dicing back-and-forth dozens of times throughout the race, Grant overtook
Chris Rahe on lap 22, checking out for the final eight laps taking his
second-career BCRA feature victory over Rahe, Clovis’ Dallen McKenney, Randi
Pankratz aboard her #8 Autoresearch/Fontana and Bobby Boone aboard the Martens
#97 entry.
Exciting the King’s Speedway crowd, 17-year-old Grant, three-time BCRA feature
winner Chris Rahe and Clovis’ McKenney aboard his #88 TCR/Goewens Mopar often
battled three-wide, constantly swapping positions.
Rahe blistered from his outside-third row starting spot to take second from
Grant by the completion of Lap 2 aboard the #3 Jon Rahe Stealth/Fontana.
Powering off of Turn three, Grant overtook Rahe for the lead, making a
three-wide pass of Rahe going high while Rahe went low, with a slower car
sandwiched between the two on Lap 22.
Only two cautions slowed the action-packed race:
Nick Foster, Jr. and Steve Roza came together on lap three, causing Roza’s mount
to do a full 360 spin --- flipping over while Scott Nail tagged Roza with
nowhere to go. Roza was unable to restart.
1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter spun on Lap 7 and returned, however, dropped
out a couple laps later.
Seven-time BCRA champion Floyd Alvis, BCRA’s “Ageless Wonder” scratched his #18
Champion Automotive Stealth/Esslinger “Green Beret,” after losing an engine
during Heat 1, while David Prickett scratched the #15 Neverlift Motorsports TCR/Van
Dyne after Heat 1 with engine issues as well.
McKenney claimed Heat 1 aboard his #88 TCR/Goewens Mopar over Grant, Scott Nail
aboard Stu Donaldson’s #8x Stealth/Pontiac, Nick Foster aboard Team Fowler’s #24
Beast/Esslinger and Steve Roza aboard Bob Roza’s #20 Beast/Esslinger.
Randi Pankratz claimed Heat 2 over Rahe, Boone, Streeter aboard his own #14jr
Spike/Ed Pink Ford and 16-year-old Cole Peard aboard his #58 Twister
F-5/Fontana.
Rahe set the pace in qualifying, setting fast time at 16.724.
The BCRA Midgets now take a two-week hiatus, returning to the pavement on
Saturday May 3 at Ukiah Speedway and Saturday May 10 at Madera Speedway. Visit
www.bcraracing.com for additional information on the Bay Cities Racing
Association Midgets.
Summary:
Qualifying:
1. Chris Rahe, 3 Rahe, 16.742
2. Kevin Morris, 17k Morris, 16.791
3. Matt Streetet, 14jr Streeter, 16.901
4. Cole Peard, 58 Peard, 17.154
5. Bobby Boone, 97 Martens, 17.172
6. David Prickett, 15 Neverlift Motorsports, 17.188
7. Randi Pankratz, 8 Pankratz, 17.217
8. Dallen McKenney, 88 McKenney, 17.17.224
9. Justin Grant, 17 Thurston, 17.226
10. Dave SToltz, 77 SToltz, 17.598
11. Nick Foster, Jr., 24 Fowler, 17.622
12. Scott Nail, 8x Stu Donaldson, 17.778
13. Steve Roza, 20 Bob Roza, 17.853
14. Floyd Alvis, 18 Alvis, 18.040
15. Mike Gehringer, 27 Gehringer, 19.006
Heat 1: 1. Dallen McKenney, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Scot Nail, 4. Nick Foster, Jr.,
5. Steve Roza, 6. Mark Gehringer, 7. Dave Stoltz, 8. Floyd Alvis
Heat 2: 1. Randi Pankratz, 2. Chris Rahe, 3. Bobby Boone, 4. Matt Streeter, 5.
Cole Peard, 6. Kevin Morris, 7. David Prickett. 2:22.84
Main Event 30 Laps (start position in parentheses) NT
1. Justin Grant (2)
2. Chris Rahe (6)
3. Dallen McKenney (1)
4. Randi Pankratz (4)
5. Bobby Boone (3)
6. Kevin Morris (8)
7. Matt Streeter (5)
8. Scott Nail (12)
9. Cole Peard (7)
10. Nick Foster, Jr. (9)
11. Dave Stoltz (10)
12. Mike Gehringer (13)
13. Steve Roza (11)
Lap leaders: 1-20 McKenney, 21 Rahe, 22-30 Grant
