Becker Claims Gold in Gold Country Midget Shootout

Disclosure: This article in no way is an official article endorsed by, nor representing BCRA. The views are independent to the author. This article was written as a service to the racers and to give credit to the racers and teams involved. 

By Robert Haugh

After picking off David Prickett on Lap 26, Auburn’s Sean Becker piloted Mile Sala’s #19w Stealth/Bob Wirth Chevy to victory lane on the red clay of Placerville Speedway on Saturday, June 2, claiming his first-ever Midget win in the Bay Cities Racing Association event that featured several visiting teams and drivers.

Becker started ninth, moving into fifth on the opening lap, benefiting from a series of early race cautions that included National Sprint Car Hall of Famer “Buckwheat” Jimmy Sills tipping over in Turn 1 in Dave & Wendy Thurston’s #11 Spike/Esslinger after contact with another car.

Following Sills’ tipover (minimal damage), Lonny Alton unfurled the second of three first-lap cautions, spinning his #5a Stealth/Gaerte in Turn 3. On the ensuing restart, Alton and second-place BCRA pointsman Gary Conterno tangled, ending the evening for both, Alton due to the two-spin rule, with Conterno towed off on the hook with front end damage.

After early race cautions settled down, 2000 BCRA champion Matt Streeter of Galt cruised to the lead in his #14JR Delta Demolition-T&T Trucking Spike/Ed Pink Chevy for the lead on the high side, pulling to a sizeable lead until Prickett, Becker and a charging Shane Golobic of Fremont began reeling him in.

Manning the Neverlift Motorsports/David Prickett Racing #15 Spike/Van Dyne Chevy, Fresno’s Prickett surpassed Streeter for the lead on Lap 12 as leaders began lapping slower cars. Becker displaced Streeter for second on Lap 13, setting his sights on former BCRA champion Prickett, who had built a steady lead.

Charging hard on the high line while getting through lapped traffic, Becker spooled in Prickett on Lap 26, taking the lead on Lap 27 as Prickett clung to the bottom, trapped behind a slower car, with Becker passing Prickett and the lapped car on the high groove, going on to win by nine tenths over Prickett.

Coming to the checkers on the final lap, Shane Golobic spun while running third in Doug Bock’s #26 Spike/Esslinger, ending the race under yellow-checkers after 29 completed laps. Golobic steadily marched from his eighth starting spot up to third place on Lap 19, where he remained until the final lap.

After getting shuffled from the Top 3, Streeter and the lapped car of Vacaville’s Rick Holbrook made contact in Turn 3 on Lap 18, with Streeter relegated to starting eleventh on the ensuing restart. Streeter rebounded to claim a Top 5 finish, finishing fifth.

Following Becker to the checkers were Prickett, Scott Pierovich in his #35 Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar, Bakersfield’s Wink Schweitzer in Brad Dodenhoff’s #9b EMC/Fontana and Streeter rounding out the Top 5.

Oakdale’s Danny Parker claimed sixth in Bob Roza’s #21 Stealth/Esslinger followed by Howard Ferguson, Jr. in Karl Hokanson’s #98, three-time BCRA champion Nick Foster, Jr. of San Jose in his #1 Beast/Esslinger, Atascadero’s Randi Pankratz in her #8x Edmunds AutoResearch/Fontana and Angwin’s Britton Bock in his #67 Spike/Esslinger rounding out the Top 10. After his spin, Golobic was scored eleventh.

Seven-time BCRA champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis and Holbrook rounded out the finishing order of the cars running at the finish. Oregon’s Rob Lindsey sputtered to the pit area on the opening lap, only to return later, battling apparent fuel-related gremlins in his #23 Lindsey Motorsports Ellis/Pontiac.

Pankratz claimed Heat 1 over Pierovich.

Becker claimed Heat 2 over Prickett.

Golobic claimed Heat 3 over Sills, with Golobic fostering the fastest lap of the evening, a 12.169 lap during the Heat.

Prickett was the fastest during Hot laps with a 12.796 mark followed by Streeter, Sills, Pierovich and Cole Wood in the #17w Elk Grove Ford Spike/Esslinger.

Notes: J.R. Williams exited Heat 1 in his #74 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec after losing a drive belt and dropping oil.

Bill Lindsey battled mechanical gremlins in Stu Donaldson’s #8 Stealth/Pontiac, completing just one lap in each the Heat and Main event.

Current second-place BCRA points man Gary Conterno’s #18a Stealth/Wesmar seized during warm ups. Luckily for Conterno’s championship hopes, Neverlift Motorsports/David Prickett Racing came through, showing great sportsmanship, offering their #151 Spike/Van Dyne Chevy to Conterno, so as to allow him to start the Heat and Feature to maintain points. With the Snider’s missing the race due their unexpected and tragic shop fire on Friday evening, the points were critical for Conterno’s championship hopes, who narrowly trailed Alvis heading into the Placerville race.

Article on the fire and video here:

http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25320:friday-night-fire-destroys-garage-race-cars&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197

West Coast Open Wheel Update

By Robert Haugh

Sure, it’s been a while – sometimes life catches up with us!

Before I continue this very belated update, be looking for an announcement soon about when the premiere issue of Western Open Wheel Racing Magazine will become available – it’s in the delayed planning stages right now, but expect the premiere issue to be launched in time for the 2013 Chili Bowl!

After getting through some early season jitters with Mother Nature, the West Coast Open Wheel scene is on fire, with some very competitive racing having taken place throughout the West Coast.

USAC-Western States Midgets

Bakersfield’s Shannon McQueen holds the overall series lead, having compiled three Top 5 runs and four Top 10 runs in five races, maintaining consistency against stellar competition. McQueen leads former BCRA driver champion and 2011 USAC-WS car owner champion David Prickett by 18 tallies, followed by Indiana’s Cole Carter, Prickett’s Neverlift Motorsports teammate Connor Kassik of Arizona and former USAC-WS champion Alex Schutte. McQueen chauffeurs the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger on Dirt and the McQueen/Eskesen/Rescino Racing #7 Beast/Mopar on pavement.

Hollister Young Gun Ryan Bernal is making waves, having claimed feature wins at the season opener at Silver Dollar Speedway in March and also recently at King’s Speedway in Hanford, manning the Josh Ford Racing #73 Ellis/Fontana. Bernal also set fast time in Hanford. Bernal will be competing in a Keith Kunz Midget at the Hut 100 this weekend in Indiana. Bernal also sports a USAC-CRA Sprint Car win at Ocean Speedway.

Other USAC-WS wins on the year include McQueen Racing teammate Michelle Decker at Bakersfield, Chad Nichols in his #17 Orange Rocket Beast/Esslinger at Madera and Indiana’s Brad Kuhn at Santa Maria in Mason Cook’s #10. Carter has compiled two seconds and a third in Cook’s #10 mounts.

Prickett narrowly leads the Dirt points over McQueen, having garnered third, fourth, fifth and sixth place feature finishes, as well as two hard charger awards.

King of the West Sprint Cars

The King of the West 410 Sprint Cars have had an amazing season thus far, with several highlights, including Rutherford’s Rico Abreu picking up the win at the fabled ½-mile Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend during the Tribute to Gary Patterson – the track is just five minutes from his hometown!

Through eight races (May 28), Jonathan Allard leads the KWS points over Tim Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Evan Suggs and Bobby McMahan. Abreu also picked up a KWS win at Tulare on May 12 – his first-ever Wing 410 victory. Allard has compiled two wins (Marysville, Chico) while Tim Kaeding has amassed three wins (Antioch, Placerville and Calistoga) with Kyle Larson having a win at Tulare.

Civil War 360 Sprint Cars

After two early season rainouts, The CA Civil War series has finally started getting going. Through three races, Kyle Hirst leads the Civil War series standings over Colby Wiesz, reigning champion Andy Forsberg, Stephen Allard and Greg DeCaires. Hirst, Forsberg and Brett Rollag have wins on the season.

BCRA Midgets

Through three races, 7-time BCRA champion, “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis of San Carlos leads the driver’s standings by eight markers over teammate Gary Conterno, followed closely by Vacaville’s Rick Holbrook and Lakeport brothers Darin and Michael Snider. BCRA winners thus far include Chico’s Robbie Whitchurch (Marysville), Tanner Swanson (Madera in Bob Rosen’s #4 Mr. Espresso Beast/Fontana) and Kevin Morris at Lakeport in his father Del’s #17 Beast/Esslinger. Peggy Holbrook leads the car owner’s standings over Alvis’ #83, Lauren Snider’s #2k and #6k mounts and Morris’ #17. On the Dirt side, after one race, Alvis leads Oregon’s Rob Lindsey, Conterno and Holbrook. On the pavement side, after two races, Michael Snider leads Morris, Darin Snider and Alvis.

Of note was the return of Sacramento’s Ralph Cortez in his #31 Beast/Sesco Mopar at Lakeport. Cortez wasn’t planning on competing, as he is trying to sell the #31 that has not seen a track in three years – after a little nagging by fellow competitors, Cortez wound up setting the fastest lap of the evening, finishing fourth in the feature, despite not seeing seat time in three years. Cortez plans on competing on June 23 at All-American Speedway in Roseville. For information on Cortez’ car, visit: http://bcraracing.com/classifieds/comments.php?DiscussionID=156&page=1#Item_0

Pleasant Hill’s Mike Donaldson took a wild ride at Madera Speedway, resulting in what many consider a miracle that he walked away with only severe bruises and a lot of pain. His car was completely thrashed, and word is the Stu Donaldson’s stable of Midgets are parked indefinitely after Mike’s hard impact.

BCRA Midget Lites

After three races and an early season rainout, Scott Kinney leads the standings in the Fonseca/Johnson Racing Red Hawk Casino #9 having gone three-for-three, winning all three Midget Lite features, leading over former Midget standout Craig Dillard in Wayne Albright’s #72s, Dakota Albright in father Wayne’s #35jr, Marshall Sexton in his #62 and the “Flyin’ Fisher” Rick Soto in his #30. Longtime Midget Lite supporters Hoover Racing have struggled with mechanical gremlins all season, fielding three cars for brothers Richie and Joey Hoover and Craig Holsted.

BCRA was well-represented in the first “Civil War Clash” against the California Lightning Sprints at Bakersfield Speedway on May 12, with BCRA contingent taking the Top 4 spots, with Kinney, Cameron Beard, Dakota Albright and Dillard taking the top spots. Kinney charged from ninth in the feature to take the win. Kinney’s other victories came at Placerville on May 5 and April 28.

Western Performance Parts Born

Fresno’s David Prickett has officially announced the formation of Western Performance Parts, an open wheel performance supplier that will carry a number of components, catering to Midget and Sprint Car teams and more. Western performance Parts is taking and cataloguing inventory and hopes to open in early June, with an expected “opening” no later than June 15. Some of the products they will carry include XRP, AutoMeter, Afco, K&N, Wilwood, Simpson, MPD, Winters, Barnes, Hoosier, Racing Optics, Aurora Rod Ends, Eibach and Schoenfeld. You can reach Western Performance Products at 559-485-7442. A Web site will soon follow.

ASCS Northwest Sprint Cars

After two races over Memorial Day weekend at Gray’s Harbor Raceway in Elma, WA, Roger Crockett is leading the series standings over Brock Lemley, Henry VanDam, Travis Rilat and Rick Fauver. Crockett and Lemley each scored a feature win. The series is idle until a June 22 event at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon.

ASCS Southwest Sprint Cars

Through five races, Rick Ziehl leads the standings over Dalten Gabbard, Lance Norick, Joshua Williams and J.T. Imperial. Ziehl, Tony Bruce, Jr., Jason Johnson, Dustin Morgan and Donny Wood each have a single win on the season.

WMRA Midgets

The WMRA Midgets have held two events, May 19 at South Sound Speedway and May 26 at Monroe Speedway. Evan Margeson swept both events, claiming feature wins, Heat wins and fast time awards. Margeson’s 13.014 was a new track record at South Sound.

RMMRA Midgets

Rain has delayed the Rocky Mountain Midget season, with their season opener now slated for June 8 at 1-76 Speedway in Fort Morgan, CO.

MISC.

Former BCRA Midget champion Matt Streeter leads the Antioch Speedway Wingless Sprint points, having claimed two feature wins. Three-time BCRA Midget champion Nick Foster, Jr. of San Jose scored his first Wingless Spec Sprint Car win at Chowchilla Speedway on memorial Day weekend, and also claimed second at Ocean Speedway on May 4.

BEYOND THE WEST

For longtime Western Open Wheel racing fans, you were certainly tuning in to the Indy 500, which saw California transplant Bryan Clauson competing – thought not the results expected, everyone that knows B.C. and his family is proud of his efforts, and here’s hoping Clauson is back at the 500 next year!

Though we attempt to include a large amount of information, we cannot cover every Open Wheel event on the West Coast on a regular basis. Please encourage your race organizations, tracks, sponsors and PR people to submit press releases and results to use at: wowracingnews@gmail.com

West Coast Wednesday Chili Bowl Qualifying Night Results

By Robert Haugh

Though no West Coast entries took Wednesday’s River Spirit Casino Qualifying Night Chili Bowl feature, the West Coast was well-represented with Danny Stratton (Riverside, CA) claiming second (behind only Sammy Swindell) aboard Steve & Diana Hampton’s #77S Hampton’s Kustom Works-Twister Chassis-Fasco-Penske Shocks Twister/Esslinger.

Stratton was the only West Coaster to crack the Top Five on Wednesday’s action, but eight West Coast entries started the A-Main, with five of eight Heat races being won by West Coast entries (Robbie Whitchurch, Shaun Insley [Bondio entry], Jace VanderWeerd, Jason Leffler and Brent Camarillo).

2011 A-main starter and 11-time A-main starter Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) had a strong run going until a last lap tangle in lapped traffic in Keith Kunz Motorsports’ #71 Great Clips-ASE-TRD-Toyota-IWX-Advanced Racing Bullet/Speedway Toyota, with Leffler getting scored 16^th.

Three-time A-main qualifier and past qualifying night A-main winner Josh Ford (Oxnard, CA) drove his way to a Top 10 run, placing tenth from his sixteenth starting spot in Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products-A&A Precision Machine-Berry Pack-JFM-Pacific Coast Maint. Spike/Bob Wirth. Ford drove from tenth to fifth in A-Qualifier 2.

2010 BCRA champion and 2011 USAC-Western States runner-up and car owner champion David Prickett (Fresno, CA) had a roller coaster of an evening in the Neverlift Motorsports #15P Crysalli-Manitowoc-Fruitful Juice-Prickett's Dist. Spike/Van Dyne Chevy. After dropping a rocker arm during Hot Laps, the Neverlift crew, including multiple-time Midget and Sprint Car feature winner Scott Pierovich repaired Prickett’s mount just in time for David to drive from fifth to third in Heat 3, then win A-Qualifier from the outside pole over Sammy Swindell. Prickett battled handling issues in the A-Main, coming home 19^th.

Past A-main starter Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) climbed up to twelth from 24th aboard the Loyet Motorsports #05T Vacuworx International-Loyet Landscape Maintenance Inc.-Meramec Heights Collision Center-Butler Built Professional Seat Systems-Beaver Stripes & Graphics Spike/Esslinger after transferring into the A-Main through the C and B Mains.

Jace VanderWeerd (Visalia, CA) claimed the best finish of all Wednesday West Coast Chili Bowl rookies, finishing 17^th aboard Ron VanderWeerd’s #8V VanderWeerd Construction-Battery Worx Spike/Stanton Mopar.

1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter (Galt, CA) claimed 22^nd in his #14JR S&S Automotive-T&T Trucking-ART Enterprises Spike/S&S Chevy.

Chris Ennis’ (San Diego, CA) A-Main came to an early end in Calvin Martens’ #86E Woodworks Unlimited-Ryni Mfg.-Awesome Raceware-Hooker Harness-Spy Optics TCR/Esslinger, after contact with another car, Ennis took flight, officially scored 23^rd.

New Zealand’s Shaun Insley claimed seventh in Andy Bondio’s #47x Barnes Oil Pumps-Advanced Suspension-Kenny's Components-Brown & Miller Bondio/Barnes.

USAC/CRA Sprint Car champion Mike Spencer (Temecula, CA) couldn’t get luck on his side, first dropping out of Heat 3 before the drop of the green flag, then after moving from 14^th to fifth in C-Main 1, dropped out with a flat tire in the Proflyer Enterprises #51S Pecon Builders-Proflyer Racing Engines-Weiler Farms Spike/Proflyer.

Bob Lawlor’s (San Carlos, CA) Chili Bowl debut came to an abrupt end in Floyd Alvis’ #83X B.L. Transport-Champion Automotive-Lindsey Enterprises-F&D Welding Stealth/Gaerte after some sort of mechanical gremlin led to his mount heading nearly full speed into the wall in Heat 6.

Additional West Coast entries on Wednesday included Matt Hummel (San Jose, CA) in the Kasey Kahne Racing #9H Factory Kahne-Ollie’s Bargain Outlet-ASE-Sage Fruit Spike/Speedway Engines, Cole Peard (Quincy, CA) in Gordon & Alisa Peard’s #58 Peard Trucking-Yeley Racing F5 Twister, Kevin Michnowicz (Lomita, CA) in Ron Bach’s #21JR Ron Bach Const-T-Shirts by Timeless-Fabozzi Metal Works-Doug's Auto Body Spike/Gaerte, Josh Pelkey (Peoria, AZ) in Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12 JR ABC Body Shop-NAPA Martin Seniour-Electromotive-Total Seal Rings Spike/Esslinger, Dustin Weland (Parker, CO) in Erich Weland’s #88W Boesel Ent-Bad Company-Threaded Ink Media Beast/Scat V4, Brent Camarillo (Camarillo, CA) in Bill Camarillo’s #51 Agromin-UniCor-Roy's Towing-Waste Management-Open Range Spike/Ed Pink Chevy, Jimmy Voitel (Covina, CA) in his own #21V So-Cal Performance-Arts & Letters Signs-KAR Construction-E&R Glass-Tony Maro Auto Body Ellis/Van Dyne Chevy, 16-year-old Harli White (Lindsay, OK) aboard Shannon McQueen’s (Bakersfield, CA) #7W American Waste Control-Waurika Truck & Tire-Quantum Consulting-K&N Filters-Eibach Springs Spike/Esslinger, Tyler Reddick (Corning, CA) aboard the 2B Racing Champion Oil-Integra Shocks-Benic Enterprises Beast/Fontana, Mike Lapp (Goodyear, AZ) aboard his own #8 Stealth/Chevy II-Fontana, Ricky Wright, Jr. (Ponca City, OK via San Jose, CA) in Doug & Britton Bock’s #35W GetSom Sports TCR/Esslinger and Robbie Whitchurch (Chico, CA) in the Whitchurch & Sons Trans. #82W Whitchurch & Sons Trans.-Cycleland-Fauver Race Engines Stealth/Mopar.

Full Wednesday West Coast Results from Wednesday’s River Spirit Casino Qualifier Results from the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals:

Heat 1: 2. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 3. #14JR Matt Streeter, Galt, CA; 6. #35W (Bock) Rick Wright Jr., Ponca City, OK; 7. #8 Mike Lapp, Goodyear, AZ


Heat 2: 2. #21V Jimmy Voitel, Covina, CA; 3. #77S Danny Stratton, Riverside, CA7. #05T Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA


Heat 3: 3. #15P David Prickett, Fresno, CA; 6. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard, CA; 7. #9H Matt Hummel, San Jose, CA; 9. #51S Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA


Heat 4: 1. #82W Robbie Whitchurch, Chico, CA


Heat 5: 1. #8V Jace VanderWeerd, Visalia, CA; 2. #86E Chris Ennis, San Diego, CA; 6. #88W Dustin Weland, Parker, CO


Heat 6: 1. #47X Shaun Insley, Royal Oak, NZ; 7. #21JR Kevin Michnowicz, Lomita, CA; 8. #83X Bob Lawlor, San Carlos, CA


Heat 7: 1. #71 Jason Leffler, Long Beach, CA; 3. #7W Harli White, Lindsay, OK; 5. #12JR Josh Pelkey, Peoria, AZ


Heat 8: 1. #51 Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 3. #2B Tyler Reddick, Coming, CA;


C Main 1: 6. Hummel, 9. Spencer, 10. Weland, 11. Michnowicz DNS – Lawlor


C Main 2: 2. Taylor, 10. Lapp, 11. Wright


A Qualifier 1: 1. Prickett, 3. Streeter, 6. Pelkey, 8. VanderWeerd


A Qualifier 2: 2. Stratton, 3. Insley, 4. Ennis, 5. Ford, 9. Peard


A Qualifier 3: 2. Leffler,  6. Reddick, 8. Voitel


A Qualifier 4: 8. Camarillo, 9. Whitchurch 10. White


B Main 1: 3. VanderWeerd 13. White, 14. Whitchurch


B Main 2: 4. Taylor, Snohomish, 7. Camarillo 8. Reddick* 10. Peard 12. Pelkey, 15. Voitel *Penalized a spot for hitting the restart cone


 “A” Main: 2. Stratton, 7. Insley, 10. Ford, 12. Taylor, 16. Leffler, 17. VanderWeerd, 19. Prickett, 22 Streeter, 23. Ennis

Visit www.chilibowl.com for complete information on the 26^th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, and check back here at Western Open Wheel Racing News for detailed West Coast results, http://wowracingnews.blogspot.com

Midget Schedules to Be Released Soon

With the annual Race Promoter's Workshop in Reno, NV now completed, West Coast series and track schedules will soon begin to be released.

The biggest news in Midget racing on the West Coast, is bar none the departure of David Prickett from the BCRA Board of Directors to become USAC Western State's Midget series Director. Prickett served on the Bay Cities Racing Association Board of Directors for the past two years, and had worked diligently to help move Midget racing forward in California. By the way, he was the 2010 BCRA Midget champion.

Early indications are that USAC will return to many of the tracks it has competed at in previous years, likely with some new additions as well. Expected USAC Midget venues include Ventura Raceway, which has been host to a number of USAC/VRA Midget races the past several years, Bakersfield Speedway, Santa Maria Speedway and Silver Dollar Speedway.

Expected BCRA venues Placerville Speedway (home of the annual jack London Bash Picnic and Hall of Fame for a number of years), Silver Dollar Speedway (likely WITH USAC), Marysville Raceway Park, Shasta Raceway Park, Petaluma Speedway, Lakeport Raceway and Ukiah Speedway.

Rumors abound that USAC and BCRA will be featured at the Gold Cup race of Champions once again - of which they were the last two years (rainout two years ago). It is possible that Midgets will also be on the bill other times at SDS in 2012.

I'd expect Kenny Shepherd's Madera Speedway (pavement) and Chowchilla Raceway (dirt) will see Midget action as well.

Time will tell. This scribe eagerly awaits the release of the schedules.