|
BCRA Midgets Revving Into Placerville Saturday,
August 8 27th Annual Jack London bash Picnic & Hall of Fame Precedes Racing Action;
Nine New BCRA Hall of Fame members
By Robert Haugh
The famed Bay Cities Racing Association “Mighty Midgets” continues the Dirt portion of its 66th season of racing on Saturday, August 8 at the smooth and fast 1/4-mile “red clay” Placerville Speedway at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
Among the stellar entries will be 2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant of Ione wheeling the #17 TNT Racesports Dave Thurston Spike/Esslinger, three-time BCRA champion Glenn Carson aboard Doug Bock’s #26 Spike/Esslinger, 7-time BCRA champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis piloting his #18 Champion Automotive Stealth/Gaerte, two-time BCRA champion John Sarale aboard his #32 Stealth/Riolo-Chevy, 1999 BCRA Midget champion and past Placerville Speedway Midget winner Matt Streeter aboard his #14jr Delta Construction/T&T Trucking Spike/Ed Pink Chevy, current BCRA points leader and reigning BCRA Midget champion “Young Lion” Nick Foster, Jr. piloting Jim Fowler’s #1 Zero-Zero Motorsports Beast/Esslinger, 2008 pavement Midget champion and BCRA Rookie-of-the-Year “Nitro” Nick Chivello aboard Bob Roza’s #20 TEAM F.A.S.T. (Fighting Against Steroids Together) Beast/Esslinger, 2007 third-place driver David Prickett of Fresno campaigning the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Stealth/Van Dyne and 17-year-old Cole Peard manning his own #58 Twister F5/Fontana.
Grant claimed victory BCRA Midget gold, triumphing at Placerville on May 30. Grant also claimed two BCRA Dirt events in 2008. Sarale won a BCRA feature on April 18 at Marysville Raceway. Carson picked up a BCRA feature win at Antioch Speedway in July 2008. Streeter claimed victory at Placerville last August, as well as placing second at Placerville in April 2008.
Former Belleville National Midgets winner and USAC-Western States star Robby Flock is expected to be competing aboard Mike Sala’s potent #19s Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar. Flock claimed victory at Placerville in April 2008, as well as securing the track record with an 11.619 qualifying mark. Flock also picked up a win at Placerville in June of 2007. Flock will be joined by a teammate, to be announced later aboard Sala’s #79 Spike/Bob Wirth Chevy.
Other expected entries include Rick Young in his #99 RAM Motorsports Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec, 1997 Silver Dollar Speedway 410 Sprint Car track champion Rick Haugh aboard father Richard’s #5h Maxim/Gaerte, Lakeport’s Bill Lyon aboard his #5n Beast/SCREAM SuperFord, Randi Pankratz aboard her #8 AutoResearch/Fontana, Matt Land in his #91 MotoWear Spike/SCREAM Ford, Pete Davis aboard Dave LaMott’s #0 Stealth/Honda, Dillon Silverman aboard the RAM Racing #98 Stealth/SCREAM Super Ford, Mike Donaldson aboard the #8x Stu Donaldson Stealth/Pontiac, Lonnie Alton in his #5a Stealth/SCREAM SuperFord, two-time Midget Lite champion Doug Hunting aboard father Ted’s #2 A.R.T. Racing Spike/Esslinger, multiple-time BCRA Midget winner Jimmy Christian aboard his #16 Stealth/Riolo Chevy, Carson City’s 75-year-old J.R. Williams aboard his #74 Stealth/SCREAM Ford, Auburn’s Dave Stoltz in his #77 Pacific Flyer/Range Rover V6, Wink Schweitzer in his #60 Stealth/Fontana, Cody Spencer aboard his #34 Stealth/SCREAM SuperFord and other entries that hae not yet pre-registered for the race.
The race will be the fifth of eleven scheduled dirt races --- the BCRA Midgets have competed in four Dirt events thus far, with an early-reason rainout at Placerville on April 11.
Through 13 races, Foster leads the BCRA Midget points over Prickett.
Joining the Midgets on Saturday will be the BCRA Midget Lites, the Placerville Speedway Wingless Sprints and the Placerville Speedway Pure Stocks for a wingless evening of arcing action.
Visit www.bcraracing.com for information on BCRA Midgets and www.placervillespeedway.com for more information on Placerville Speedway.
Prior to the evening’s racing program, the Bay Cities Racing Association honors its fabled history and illustrious past at 27th Annual Jack London Bash Picnic and Hall of Fame at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds picnic area, a brisk walk from the pit gate at the red clay speedway.
Inductees into the 27th Hall of Fame class include Midget drivers Tommy Astone, Jr., Glenn Carson, Danny O’Neill and Terry Tarditi, Midget car owner Guido Ginochio, Hardtop and Midget car owner Bob Consani, BCRA founding member and Roadster division car owner Clem Sala, Hardtop driver Mel Baker and Hardtop owner Harold Murphy.
Tommy Astone, Jr., ran Midgets in the late 60s and early 70s, mostly driving for event namesake and BCRA Hall of Fame member Jack London. Astone ran his first race in 1969, racing with success in BCRA into the 70s before heading to the Midwest to run on a more National level.
Harold Murphy was a frontrunning Hardtop owner in the 60s.
Danny O’Neill ran his own Midget, also having driven to success for Ray Bussell. O’Neill began racing with BCRA in 1969 and scored a pair of second-place points finishes.
Guido Ginochio was a Midget car owner in the late 40s to mid 50s. Ginochio fielded Midgets for several notable drivers, including BCRA Hall of Famer Dickie Reese.
Clem Sala was one of the funding members of BCRA. He was the 1940 and 1941 Roadster division Owner Champion and was also one of the top Mechanics of that time.
Mel Baker was one of BCRA’s Top Hardtop drivers in the 50s, amassing many wins.
Bob Consani was a Hardtop and Midget Car owner. Consani was the 1967 BCRA Indoor Midget Car Owner Champion with Billy Vukovich, Jr., driving and was known for showing up with meticulously maintained and detailed race cars. Consani’s Performance Engine Midgets fielded several great drivers including Davey Hamilton, Hank Butcher, Jimmy Sills, Rick Bussell, Chuck Gurney and Billy Vukovich III. In all, Consani amassed 18 BCRA Midget car owner victories from the 60s through the mid 1990s.
In 1990, Consani recorded five BCRA Midget wins, two each with Sills and three-time BCRA Midget champ Bussell driving and one with Hank Butcher chauffeuring his #4 Pontiacs. In 1991 Sills scored two BCRA wins in the Consani mounts while Idaho’s Davey Hamilton and Butcher each scored one victory for Consani in 1992, with Butcher adding another feature victory for Consani in 1994.
Terry Tarditi is a three-time BCRA Midget champion and ten-time Top 10 Midget driver, Tarditi picked up back-to-back-to-back titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Tarditi also placed second in 1993, third in 1991, fourth in 1995 and 1999, and fifth in 1994. Tarditi piled up six wins in each of his championship seasons, having claimed 33 main even victories in all. The T&T Trucking #64 Midgets also have a bevy of Top 10 owner’s finishes.
Glenn Carson is a three-time BCRA Midget champion, having won BCRA titles in 1992, 1993 and 2000. Carson scored three BCRA Midget wins in each of the 1991 and 1992 championships driving Bernie Pugh’s #70 Pontiac. Carson’s third title, in 2000, came driving Doug Bock’s #26 Midgets. Carson, still actively competing, has 11 total BCRA main event victories and numerous top five finishes.
|
.jpg){kind=icon}
