Friday Chili Bowl Highlights

-By Robert Haugh

After winning Heat 8 and placing fifth in A-Qualifier 4, 2006 BCRA feature winner Greg Bragg secured enough points to make the A-main, capturing 11th aboard Mike Walker’s #05b Walker Wood Products Stealth/Honda.

Making his first Midget start, Silver Dollar Speedway Sprint Car regular Mason Moore piloted the #10m Chris Walker Bay Muffler Stealth/Esslinger to second in Last Chance Race 2, allowing him to transfer to A-Qualifier 3 where he placed tenth. Starting near the rear of B-Main 2, Moore catapulted the Walker mount to a valiant sixth-place run, however, two spots shy of transferring to the A-Main.

Leading 2007 BCRA rookie Kevin Morris won Last Chance Race 1, advancing to A-Qualifier 1 where he finished 11th aboard father Del’s #17k Spike/Esslinger.

Aboard multi-time BCRA feature winning car owner Mike Sala’s #19w Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar, Mike Spencer placed fourth in last Chance 1, ending his night.

Battling mechanical gremlins all evening, Travis Berryhill failed to start Last Chance Race 4 in the Berryhill Racing “Spirit of American Canyon #11z Stealth/LJ’s Chevy Gaerte. Berryhill placed seventh in Heat 1 fighting apparent fuel issues.

Fresno’s David Prickett claimed fourth in Heat 4 in the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Stealth/Van Dyne, twelfth in A-Qualifier 4 and eleventh in B-Main 2.

Making his first Midget appearance, Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson placed fourth in Heat 9, tenth in A-Qualifier 1 and 15th in B-Main 1 aboard the Cliff Blackwell Motorsports #27d Stealth/Gaerte.

Heat 1: 7. Travis Berryhill, American Canyon, CA, #11z Berryhill Racing “Spirit of American Canyon Stealth/LJ’s Chevy Gaerte
Heat 6: 4. David Prickett, Fresno, CA, #15n Neverlift Motorsports Stealth/Van Dyne; 5. Mason Moore, Princeton, CA, #10m Chris Walker Bay Muffler Stealth/Esslinger
Heat 7: 7. Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA, #19w Mike Sala Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar
Heat 8: 1. Gregg Bragg, Visalia, CA, #05b Mike Walker Walker Wood Products Stealth/Honda; 5. Kevin Morris, Ripon, CA, #17k Del Morris Spike/Esslinger
Heat 9: 4. Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA, #27d Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte
Last Chance 1: 1. Kevin Morris; 4. Mike Spencer
Last Chance 3: 2. Mason Moore
Last Chance 4: DNS- Travis Berryhill
A Qualifier 1: 10. Kyle Larson; 11. Kevin Morris
A Qualifier 3: 10. Mason Moore
A Qualifier 4: 5. Greg Bragg; 12. David Prickett
B Main 1: 15. Kyle Larson; 16. Kevin Morris
B Main 2: 6. Mason Moore; 11. David Prickett
A Main: 18. Greg Bragg

-By Floyd Busby

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2008

Friday's racing card included only three regular BCRA entries. They included Travis Berryhill, #11z Berryhill Racing Stealth/LJ's Chevy Gaerte; David Prickett, #15n Neverlift Motorsports Stealth/VanDyne and Kevin Morris, #17k Del Morris Spike/Esslinger.

Berryhill experienced motor problems early. The crew worked hard, first thinking it was the battery, but unfortunaty, the problem was a broken lifter, putting them out for the evening (they'll be ready for Saturday's finale).

Both Prickett and Morris made it into the B-Mains.
Morrris had won his Last Chance Race, sending him directlly to an A-Qualifier. He finished 11th and ran the 1st B-Main, experiencing problems to tally him last. Prickett was in the 4th A-Qualifier, and he too had problems and finished last.

All entries compete Saturday with a wild night of attempting to move up through the ranks into the next series of events, all eyeing a covented starting spot in the main event, won last year by Tony Stewart!

Earlier in the day, the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame held its annual induction ceremonies.
This marked the first time that the event was held in Tulsa and a turnout of about 200 people came to witness the induction of ten midgeteers and enjoy a buffet lunch in a building adjacent to the racing arena. BCRA was represented at the BCRA Table by National Hall of Fame member Floyd Alvis, Vince Prickett, Bob Roza, Justin Grant, Dave Thurston, and yours truly. Four beautifully restored vintage midgets were displayed. The masters of ceremony(s) were noted motor sports writer Dave Argabright and announcer Pat Sullivan. There to received his induction was Lloyd Ruby (if you don't recognize his name then you're not a historical buff).

When shooting at the Chili Bowl there are about 30 photographers at each turn.... A VERY CROWDED SITUARTION!.... As I am only shooting the BCRA affiliated racers, I step back from my position so as not to block any of the other photographers. I keep my camera handy just in case!.....So, if something spectacular happens I sometime shoot it anyway, even though the other photogs are in the foreground....the following is several examples of perhaps a couple dozen shots of this nature that I took Friday evening: