NASCAR Veteran Shane Hmiel Makes it Two-for-Two in BCRA
Midget competition
By Robert Haugh
Shane Hmiel (21) passes Dallen McKenney (88) en route to his second
win in as many
Bay Cities Racing Association Midget races contested so for this
season (M&M Photo)
Shane Hmiel and the Marc DeBeaumont lead DMS race products crew in
victory lane
for second straight week after winning the Bay Cities Racing
Association Midget
main event at Madera Speedway in Madera CA. (M&M Photo)
North Carolina’s Sane Hmiel topped another stellar Bay Cities
Racing Association Midget field on Saturday evening, April 5 at the speedy
1/3-mile Madera Speedway in Madera, Ca, wheeling the #21 DMS Race Products
Beast/Esslinger, earning his second consecutive BCRA feature triumph in as many
open-wheel starts.
Hmiel and Dallen McKenney delighted the crowd, with Hmiel chasing down hometown
favorite McKenney of Clovis --- running all over all over McKenney’s rear bumper
until finally overtaking the top spot on lap 23 when McKenney slowed to a stop
on the backstretch, retiring his #88 Beast/Gowens Mopar with just eight laps
remaining.
Hmiel, a former NASCAR Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series driver and son of
former NASCAR crew chief Steve Hmiel, checked out from the field on the ensuing
restart, dominating the final three laps, triumphing over teammate Bobby Grewohl
aboard the DMS Race Products #11d Beast/Esslinger, 2007 BCRA Johnny Boyd
Rookie-of-the-Year Kevin Morris aboard father Del’s #17k Beast/Esslinger, Chad
Nichols aboard his #17n Beast/Esslinger and Scott Nail aboard Stu Donaldson’s
#8x Stealth/Pontiac rounding out the Top Five.
Following the lead five in sixth, the last car running at the checkers, one lap
down, was eight-time BCRA champion Floyd Alvis aboard his #18 Champion
Automotive Stealth/Van Dyne. McKenney was scored in seventh.
Hmiel caressed his way from his ninth starting spot to third by Lap three,
dicing with Fast-timer 17-year-old Michael Faccinto of Hanford for the second
spot, overtaking Faccinto for second on Lap ten, now gunning down McKenney.
Faccinto retired on lap 12 due to brake failure in the Gary Scelzi Racing #41
Beast/Mopar, after moving up from his tenth starting position. Hmiel and
Faccinto swapped the second and third positions several times through lap ten.
2007 BCRA Midget Most Improved driver, Ralphie “The Racer” Cortez dropped out
after four laps with a flat right tire aboard the #31 Shores-Cortez Special
Beast/Sesco-Mopar.
McKenney claimed the winner’s laurels in the Trophy Dash aboard over Hmiel,
Faccinto and Nichols.
Faccinto outpaced the stellar field of BCRA Midgets in qualifying setting fast
time at 14.094.
Scott Nail claimed Heat over Morris, 15-year-old BCRA rookie Kyle Dickerson
aboard Grandfather Harold Dickerson’s #11k Beast/Ed Pink Ford, 2007 BCRA Midget
mechanic-of-the-Year Nick Foster, Jr., aboard Jim Fowler’s #24 Beast/Esslinger
and Alvis.
Hmiel claimed Heat 2 over Grewohl, Nichols, McKenney and Midget Lite grad
“Nitro” Nick Chivello aboard father Daniel Chivello’s #27b Beast/Esslinger.
The BCRA Midget Series continues on Saturday, April 12th, powering into the
Sierra Nevada foothills for the first of three races at John Padjen’s beautiful
¼-mile Placerville Speedway at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds opening the Dirt
portion of Midget schedule.
Visit www.bcraracing.com for additional information on the BCRA Midgets.
Summary:
Qualifying:
1. 41 Michael Faccinto 14.094
2. 21 Shane Hmiel 14.132
3. 17n Chad Nichols 14.152
4. 88 Dallen McKenney 14.203
5. 11d Bobby Grewohl 14.319
6. 27b Nick Chivello 14.402
7. 11k Kyle Dickerson 14.422
8. 31 Ralph Cortez 14.648
9. 17k Kevin Morris 14.715
10. 8x Scott Nail 14.777
11. 8 Mike Donaldson 15.040
12. 18 Floyd Alvis 15.158
13. 24 Nick Foster Jr. 18.570
Dash: McKenney (1), Hmiel (3), Faccinto (4), Nichols (2) 56:03
Heat 1: Nail (4), Morris (5), Dickerson (7), Foster (1), Alvis (2), Cortez (6),
Donaldson (3) 5:14:09
Heat 2: Hmiel (5), Grewohl (2), Nichols (4), McKenney (3), Chivello (1),
Faccinto (6) 9:16:59
Main 30 Laps 14:27:06 (Start position) Laps completed
1. Shane Hmiel (9)
2. Bobby Grewohl (6)
3. Kevin Morris (2)
4. Chad Nichols (8)
5. Scott Nail (1)
6. Floyd Alvis (13) 29 laps
7. Dallen McKenney (7) 22 laps
8. Nick Foster, Jr. (13) 22 laps
9. Nick Chivello (5) 21 laps
10. Kyle Dickerson (4) 19 laps [two-spin rule]
11. Mike Donaldson (11) 19 laps
12. Michael Faccinto (10) 12 laps
13. Ralph Cortez (3) 4 laps
Lap leaders: 1-3 Nail, 4-22 McKenney, 23-30 Hmiel
