Saturday Chili Bowl Wrapup

22nd Annual Dodge Chili Bowl Nationals Bass Pro Shops Saturday Night Finale Championship Feature BCRA-affiliated Results

-By Robert Haugh

There was no BCRA representation in Saturday night's 50-lap championship feature at the 22nd Annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway before a capacity crowd at Tulsa's QuikTrip Center and before a worldwide television audience on HBO Pay-Per-View courtesy of Lucas Oil.

However, with a record Chili Bowl Midget Nationals field of 274 competitors from 29 different states as well as Canada and Australia, nearly three dozen BCRA-affiliated entries tried valiantly at making it into Saturday night’s prestigious 24-car Chili Bowl Nationals A-main, many having made strong statements and working their way through the “alphabet soup,” only to fall short.

Former BCRA car owner champion and multi-time BCRA Midget and Midget Lite feature winner Cameron Beard started the night early, in K-Main 2, but missed transferring to the respective J-Main by one spot, coming home fifth aboard Larry Mrytl’s #9b Stealth/Esslinger. Making his first Midget start aboard the Chris Walker Bay Muffler #10w Stealth/Esslinger, T.J. Smith came home 11th with Nebraska’s Trish Dover following in 12th aboard Lance Pierovich’s #6p Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar.

Joining Beard in the “just shy” role early on was Sunnyvale’s Doug Dewitt, also snaring a “one-shy” fifth place finish in K-Main 2 in the DeWitt #11d Stealth/Fontana. 2007 BCRA Midget Lite champion Doug Nunes, who was welcomed to the Chili Bowl with a vicious flip on Tuesday night moved forward in the same race, but came home seventh in his rookie Chili Bowl appearance aboard the Blackwell Motorsports #27c Stealth/Gaerte.

Two-time BCRA Midget Lite champion Jeff Griffin settled for seventh in J-Main 1 aboard his #50j Stealth/Esslinger, with Connecticut’s Kelly Ferrell coming home 15th aboard Chris Walker’s Bay Muffler #10f Stealth/Esslinger --- one of four Bay Muffler Chili Bowl entries.

16-year-old BCRA rookie Cole Peard claimed second in J-Main 2 aboard Gordon and Elisa Peard’s #58 Twister/Fontana, advancing to I-Main 2 where he was relegated to a 16th-place finish.

After suffering from mechanical gremlins Friday in his preliminary night’s qualifier, American Canyon’s Travis Berryhill was looking to make a run through the alphabet soup, surging forward in taking second in I-Main 1 aboard the Berryhill Racing Spirit of American Canyon #11z Stealth/LJ’s Chevy Gaerte, moving into H-Main 1 where he picked up tenth.

Seven-time BCRA champion and 2007 car owner champion Floyd Alvis scored a sixth-place run in I-Main 2, two spots short of transferring to H-Main 2.

Chico’s Ryan Kaplan was shuffled back-and-forth in an incident-marred H-Main 2, finally coming home sixth, two spots shy of transferring on in the alphabet soup.

2000 BCRA champion Thomas Meseraull won the G-Main 1 aboard the #132 RFMS Racing Spike/Esslinger over three-time BCRA titlist Glenn Carson aboard Doug Bock’s #26 Spike/Esslinger, with both advancing to F-Main 1, however, neither managed to transfer any further. Leading 2007 BCRA rookie Kevin Morris finished 13th in F-Main 1 aboard father Del’s #17m Spike/Esslinger.

14-year-old New Yorker Coleman Gulick battled past veteran Kevin Olson on the eighth lap to win G-Main 2 in BCRA veteran Pete Davis’ #00 Hothead Engine Heaters Stealth/Esslinger. Gulick surged as high as fifth in F-Main 2, but came shy of picking up a transfer spot in seventh. Mike Spencer, driving multiple-time BCRA feature-winning car owner Mike Sala’s #19w settled for sixth in G-Main 2.

Making his first Dirt Midget start aboard Oklahoman Mike Beason’s #36k Stealth/Pink Chevy, Justin Melton drove to a second-place finish in F-Main 2, earning a spot in E-Main 2. Melton drove one of the DMS Race Products house #11 Beast/Esslingers in 2007.

Also making his first Midget start, Kyle Larson scored a ninth-place run in F-Main 1 aboard the #27d Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte. Carson, a G-Main transfer finished right behind Larson in tenth.

Tehachapi’s Shannon McQueen battled her way to a sixth place finish aboard her #7s Spike/Esslinger in E-main 1, two shy of transferring.

Fresno’s David Prickett picked up the last transfer spot in E-Main 2 aboard the Neverlift Motorsports #15n Stealth/Van Dyne finishing fourth just ahead of fifth-place Shane Golobic aboard the Chris Walker Bay Muffler #10 w Stealth/Esslinger. F-Main transfer Melton finished twelfth with Oklahoma’s Michelle Decker in 13th aboard McQueen’s #7mx Spike/Esslinger and Troy Rutherford 15th aboard Mike Sala’s #19s Spike/Bob Wirth Chevy.

Scott Pierovich led wire-to-wire in D-Main 1, earning him a spot in C-Main 1, but he was only able to move up and finish ninth aboard father Lance’s #35p Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar in C-Main 1, missing the cut to transfer by three positions.

Driving the Chris Walker Bay Muffler #10m, Mason Moore placed third in D-Main 1 behind Pierovich in his first Midget start, earning a transfer spot to C-Main 1 as well. Moore was involved in a myriad of incidents in C-Main 1, finishing 19th.

2003 Midget champion Matt Streeter claimed 16th in D-Main 1.

Former Midget Lite ace Brad Sweet of Grass Valley placed second in D-Main 2 aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing #49e Spike/Mopar with 2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant coming home fifth aboard the Dave and Wendy Thurston TNT Racesports #17t Spike/Esslinger ST, both fostering transfer spots to C-Main 2. Chad Boat placed eighth in father Billy’s #30 Spike/Esslinger while Prickett managed 11th after transferring from D-Main 2. 2006 BCRA dirt rookie-of-the-year Darrin Bolton was involved in a multi-car tangle that relegated him to 12th.

Two-time 2007 BCRA feature winner Chris Rahe wheeled the #3c Jon Rahe Stealth/Fontana to eighth place in C-Main 1 after being involved in a Lap 1 tangle-up that caused him to overturn his mount and start at the rear.

Tagging the rear of C-Main 2, 2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant wheeled the Thurston #17t Spike/Esslinger as high as eighth before overturning and finishing 14th.

After working an agreement with Cliff Blackwell on Monday, Warsaw, Indiana’s Tony Elliott, a Chili Bowl and open-wheel veteran, chauffeured the Blackwell Motorsports #27b Stealth/Gaerte to a 17th-place run in B-Main 1. Elliott was scored as high as eighth before handling issues caused him to spin and tag the rear.

After staring near the rear of C-Main 2 after transferring from both C-Main 2 and D-Main 2, Sweet was involved in multiple incidents in B-Main 2, dropping him to finish 11th after running as high as second.

K Main 1: 5. Cameron Beard, Atwater, CA, #9b Larry Myrtle Stealth/Esslinger; 10. T.J. Smith, Fresno, CA, #10t Chris Walker Stealth/Esslinger; 11. #Trish Dover, Springfield, NE, #6p Lance Pierovich Stealth/Wirth Mopar

K Main 2: 5. Doug DeWitt, Sunnyvale, CA, #11d DeWitt Stealth/Fontana; 7. #Doug Nunes, Kingsburg, CA, #27c Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte

J Main 1: 7. Jeff Griffin, St. Helena, CA, #50j Griffin Stealth/Esslinger; 15. Kelly Ferrell, Chaplin, CT, #10f Chris Walker Stealth/Esslinger

J Main 2: 2. Cole Peard, Quincy, CA, #58 Peard Twister/Fontana

I Main 1: 2. Travis Berryhill, American Canyon, CA, #11z Berryhill Racing Spirit of American Canyon Stealth/LJs Chevy Gaerte

I Main 2: 6. Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA, #18 Champion Automotive Stealth/Esslinger; 16. Cole Peard

H Main 1: 10. Travis Berryhill

H Main 2: 6. Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA, #21k Ken Kaplan Stealth/Fontana

G Main 1: 1. Thomas Meseraull, Fresno, CA, #132 RFMS Racing Spike/Esslinger; 3. Glenn Carson, Concord, CA, #26 Doug Bock Spike/Esslinger

G Main 2: 1. Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, NY, #00 Pete Davis Hot Head Engine Heaters Stealth/Esslinger; 6. Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA, #19w Mike Sala Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar

F Main 1: 9. Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA, #27d Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte; 10. Glenn Carson; 13. Kevin Morris, Ripon, CA, #17k Del Morris Spike/Esslinger; 15. Thomas Meseraull

F Main 2: 2. Justin Melton, Flower Mound, TX, #36j Mike Beason Stealth/Pink Chevy; 7. Coleman Gulick

E Main 1: 6. Shannon McQueen, Tehachapi, CA, #7s McQueen Spike/Mopar

E Main 2: 4. David Prickett, #15 Neverlift Motorsports Stealth/Van Dyne; 5. Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA, #10w Chris Walker Stealth/Esslinger; 12. Justin Melton; 13. Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK, #7mx McQueen Spike/Esslinger; 15. #Troy Rutherford, Ojai, CA, #19s Mike Sala Spike/Bob Wirth Chevy

D Main 1: 1. Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA, #35p Lance Pierovich Spike/Wirth Mopar; 3. Mason Moore, Princeton, CA, #10m Chris Walker Stealth/Esslinger; 16. Matt Streeter, Galt, CA, #14jr Spike/Pink Chevy

D Main 2: 2. Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA, #49e Kasey Kahne Racing Spike/Mopar; 5. Justin Grant, Ione, CA, #17t Thurston Spike/Esslinger; 8. Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ, #30 Billy Boat Spike/Esslinger; 11. David Prickett; 12. Darrin Bolton, El Dorado Hills, CA, #XX Bolton Stewart/Mopar

C Main 1: 8. Chris Rahe, Placentia, CA, #3c Jon Rahe Stealth/Fontana; 9. Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 19. Mason Moore; 20. Greg Bragg, Visalia, CA, #05b Mike Walker Stealth/Honda

C Main 2: 5. Brad Sweet; 14. Justin Grant

B Main 1: 17. Tony Elliott, Warsaw, IN, #27b Blackwell Motorsports Stealth/Gaerte

B Main 2: 11. Brad Sweet; 17. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA, #70 Hansen’s Welding Spike/Fontana

-By Floyd Busby

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2008

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12:
WRAP-UP.....One returns quite exhausted after the annual Chili Bowl!....but it sure is worth it!....more than 280 midgets under one gigantic roof. The best midget drivers, period!....bumping into friends and acquaintances who you only see there.....only at the Chili Bowl.

Among those who I "bumped" in to was Mason Cook. For you newcomers of the past twenty-five or so years, Mason was one of BCRA's top car owners. His cars were not only fast, but always among the best appearing. Burt Foland captured several mains in Mason's car.

A number of "our guys" really looked good. If you've been to the Chili Bowl, you know that a myriad of situations can take you from a transfer spot to the next stage to sitting idle in the pits.  Our newly crowned champion Justin Grant represented BCRA well, as did many others, including former champions Floyd Alvis, Matt Streeter and Thomas Meseraull. Travis Berryhill was in fine form, but mechanical woes followed him even into the final night.

I hope that the photos that I submitted over the four nights in which I manned my Nikon gave you some insight and enjoyment of the Chili Bowl and our contingent of real racers. A special thanks to webmaster Dennis Daniel for all of the work required over the four nights to post the photos.