West Coast Wednesday Chili Bowl Qualifiers

By Robert Haugh

West Coast entries topping Wednesday’s Chili Bowl qualifying night include 2011 A-main starter and 11-time A-main starter Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) in Keith Kunz Motorsports’ #71 Great Clips-ASE-TRD-Toyota-IWX-Advanced Racing Bullet/Speedway Toyota, three-time A-main qualifier Josh Ford (Oxnard, CA) in Keith Ford’s #73 King Racing Products-A&A Precision Machine-Berry Pack-JFM-Pacific Coast Maint. Spike/Bob Wirth and past A-main starter Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) 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.

Previous series champions competing on Wednesday include 1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter (Galt, CA) in his #14JR S&S Automotive-T&T Trucking-ART Enterprises Spike/S&S Chevy, 2010 BCRA champion David Prickett (Fresno, CA) in the Neverlift Motorsports #15P Crysalli-Manitowoc-Fruitful Juice-Prickett's Dist. Spike/Van Dyne Chevy and USAC/CRA Sprint Car champion Mike Spencer (Temecula, CA) in the Proflyer Enterprises #51S Pecon Builders-Proflyer Racign Engines-Weiler Farms Spike/Proflyer.

Additional West Coast entries include 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, Chris Ennis (San Diego, CA) in Calvin Martens’ #86E Woodworks Unlimited-Ryni Mfg.-Awesome Raceware-Hooker Harness-Spy Optics TCR/Esslinger, 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 and Shaun Insley (Royal Oak, New Zealand) in Californian Andy Bondios’ #47x Barnes Oil Pumps-Advanced Suspension-Kenny's Components-Brown & Miller Bondio/Barnes.

Of Wednesday’s West Coast entrants, only Leffler made the 2011 A-Main.

Rookies entries include 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, Jace VanderWeerd (Visalia, CA) aboard Ron Vanderweerd’s #8V VanderWeerd Construction-Battery Worx Spike/Stanton Mopar, Robbie Whitchurch (Chico, CA) in the Whitchurch & Sons Trans. #82W Whitchurch & Sons Trans.-Cycleland-Fauver Race Engines Stealth/Mopar and Bob Lawlor (San Carlos, CA) in Floyd Alvis’ #83X B.L. Transport-Champion Automotive-Lindsey Enterprises-F&D Welding Stealth/Gaerte.

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

West Coast Chili Bowl Tuesday Qualifying Night Results

By Robert Haugh

The West Coast was well represented in Tuesday’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals qualifying night one, with Elk Grove, CA’s Kyle Larson taking home the victory aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports’ #67 Advanced Racing-Kwik Change-IWX-Hoosier Bullet/TRD-Toyota. Larson started outside of Row 2 and quickly took the lead in the opening laps of the 25-lap qualifier. With his win, Larson is guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s 50-lap Chili Bowl finale. Larson began the evening by placing third in Heat 5 and placing second, from seventh in A-Qualifier 4. In all, the West Coast has nine drivers in the A-main lineup, six from California and three from Arizona. West Coast entries claimed five of the eight Heat race wins,

In addition to Larson eight other West Coast entries making it into Tuesday’s A-Main, including 2004 BCRA Midget champion and three-time (2009-2011) A-main qualifier Thomas “T-Mez” Meseraull (San Jose, CA) in Mark Bush’s #2T EF-65 Hand Cleaner-markbushassociates.com Spike/Esslinger, who advanced as high as seventh in the opening laps before catching the inside burm, flipping and ending his night in 24^th. Meseraull won Heat 1 and claimed third in A-Qualifier 3. "It's the Chili Bowl. If you're not going for it, go home," said Meseraull in a post-flip interview with AMy Loyet on the racinboys.com audio broadcast.


Three-time A-main qualifier Casey Shuman of Rattlesnake Bend, AZ placed sixth, advancing six spots from his 12^th starting position aboard Hans Lein’s #2H Lein Acres-Midstate Equipment-Blue River Ag Spike/Esslinger. Shuman claimed second in Heat 1 and second in A-Qualifier 3.

Multiple-time open wheel champion and 13-time Chili Bowl A-main qualifier Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tuscon, AZ ralied from 17^th to finish ninth in Danny Lendich’s #3NZ Lucal Oil-Impact-Wendy’s-Hoosier Tire Spike/Esslinger. Coons placed second in Heat 6 and sixth in A-Qualifier 4, then transferred to the A-main by winning B-Main 1.

Riverside, CA’s Darren Hagen started third and fell back early, but bounced back to place tenth in RFMS Racing’s #3 RFMS-Liberty Village-McGaladrey & Pullen Spike/Esslinger. Hagen claimed second in Heat 2 and won A-Qualifier 1.

Three-time Arizona Midget racing champion R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ) claimed 11^th aboard Bobby Martin’s #51J Weiler Farms-Fontana Engines-Pecon Builders-G.T. Trucking-BG Chemicals Spike/Fontana. Johnson claimed the win in Heat 5 and fourth in A-Qualifier 2.

2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant (Ione, CA) claimed 14^th chauffeuring Larry Gardner’s #35 CB Fabrication-Ancient Element Massage Therapy-Ultra-Shield Seats-Hinchman Race Suits Stealth/Frampton Gaerte. Grant won Heat 8 then placed fourth in A-Qualifier 3.

Jonathan Henry (Stockton, CA) claimed 19^th aboard Graunstadt Enterprises’ #88H Ellis/Fontana. After winning Heat 2. Henry claimed fifth in A-Qualifier 4, then transferred to the A-main by placing third in B-Main 1.

2009 A-main qualifier Bobby Michonowicz (Lomita, CA) started fourth in B-Main 2, and after being shuffled around claimed 12^th aboard Ron Bach’s #49JR Ron Bach Construction-T-Shirts by Timeless-Fabozzi Metal Works-Doug’s Auto Body-Drake Spike/Esslinger.

7-time BCRA champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis (San Carlos, CA) claimed tenth in B-Main 2 in his Champion Automotive #18 Stealth/Wesmar and

Kody Swanson (Kingburg, CA) was fighting fuel-related gremlins aboard Mountain View, CA car owner Cliff Blackwell’s #27 Stealth/Yates Ford, settling for seventh in Heat 3. Swanson advanced the Blackwell mount as high as third from ninth in C-Main 1, then fell out when he spun, again fighting gremlins that caused the car not to run through the corners.

Britton Bock (Angwin, CA) will be running the alphabet soup on Saturday in his #67X McNamara Electric-Mike Bock Driveline Service of Santa Rosa-Pete’s Tractor Service Spike/Esslinger after getting tangled up in someone else’s mess in both Heat2 and C-Main 2. Bock was running in a transfer spot in C-Main 2 before getting tangled up.

T.J. Smith (Fresno, CA) just couldn’t get any luck going his way aboard the Neverlift Motorsports #15N Crysalli-Manitowoc-Fruitful Juice-Prickett’s Dist.-David Prickett Spike/Van Dyne Chevy, first bending a front axle in A-Qualifier 4 after a spin occurred in front of him, then cutting a left rear tire in B-Main 1.

Kyle Smith (Moorpark, CA), the West Coast’s lone rookie entry on Tuesday did not get any rookie luck aboard his own #55 Agromin-Open Range Petroleum-Waste Management-Roy’s Towing-Unicor Spike/Chevy, involved in early Heat race and C-Main tangle-ups resulting in a DNF in C-Main 2.

FULL WEST COAST RESULTS
Heat 1: 1. #2T Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA; 2. #2H Casey Shuman, Rattlesnake Bend, AZ; 6. #55 Kyle Smith, Moorpark, CA
Heat 2: 1. #88H Johnathon Henry; 2. #3 Darren Hagen, Riverside, CA; 6. #67X Britton Bock, Angwin, CA; 8. #9B Harris Brooks, Houston, TX
Heat 3: 2. #9D Sean Dodenhoff, Bakersfield, CA; 4. #49JR Bobby Michnowicz, Lomita, CA; 7. #27 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, CA
Heat 4: 1. #05R Ryan Pace, Brownsburg, IN; 7. #73F Greg Edenholm, Malibu, CA; 8. #11XC Steve Newman, Steamboat Springs, CO
Heat 5: 1. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 3. #67 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA; 5. #8B Bob Ream Jr., Glendale, AZ
Heat 6: 2. #3NZ Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, AZ; 3. #15N T.J. Smith, Fresno, CA
Heat 7: 3. #18A Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA
Heat 8: 1. #35 Justin Grant, Ione, CA; 6. #77D Dalten Gabbard, Peoria, AZ
C Main 1: 6. Edenholm,; 9. Gabbard; 11. K. Swanson; DNS Newman
C Main 2: 5. Brooks; 8. Bock; 10. K. Smith
A Qualifier 1: 1. Hagen
A Qualifier 2: 4. R.J. Johnson; 7. Ream Jr.; 8. Dodenhoff; 10. Alvis
A Qualifier 3: 2. Shuman; 3. Meseraull; 4. Grant, 6. Bobby Michnowicz
A Qualifier 4: 2. Larson; 5. Henry; 6. Coons, Jr.; 10. T.J. Smith
B Main 1: 1. Coons Jr; 3. Henry; 12. Michnowicz; 14. T.J. Smith
B Main 2: 10. Alvis; 11. Ream Jr; 15. Dodenhoff
 “A” Main: 1. Larson; 6. Shuman; 9. Coons, Jr; 10. Hagen; 11. R.J. Johnson, 14. Grant,; 19. Henry; 24. Meseraull
Vacuworx International Race of Champions (20 laps)
VIROC IV: 4. #05G Damion Gardner, Concord, CA; 6. #39C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 9. Larson; 12. #71 Jason Leffler, Long Beach, CA; 13. #21K Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA

Visit www.chilibowl.com for more information on the 26^th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Chili Bowl West Coast Entries - An early Look

West Coast Has Strong Chili Bowl Ties – Over 50 West Coast Entries Already Entered as Chili Bowl Pre-Entry Deadline Nears

By Robert Haugh

With up to over 250 entries, it’s no wonder that the 26^th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the Super Bowl of Midget racing.

Attracting the best Midget racers from throughout the U.S. and beyond, as well as a myriad of racing stars from an array of series including NASCAR, NHRA, WOO, it’s no surprise that with the pre-entry deadline looming on December 15, there are already over 50 drivers and teams from the West Coast gunning at winning the 26th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and capturing the coveted Golden Driller trophy awarded on Saturday, January 14^th.

An array of West Coast Midget champions, feature winners, veterans, young guns and car owners, many representing the Bay Cities Racing Association, USAC-Western States, Washington Midget racing Association, Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association and the Northwest Wingless Tour and NOMA Midgets are already entered in the 26^th Annual Chili Bowl.

With so many championships, feature wins and accolades amidst the field, we will start with recent West Coast Midget champions: 2011 USAC-Western States and VRA Midget champion Cory Kruseman (two-time Chili Bowl champion, 2004, 2000) aboard the Kruseman Motorsports #21k Lucas Oil Spike/Esslinger, 2009 BCRA champion and 2011 USAC-Western States Car owner champion David Prickett of Fresno, CA piloting the Neverlift Motorsports #15p Manitowoc-Prickett’s Distributing-Crysalli-Fruitful Juice Spike/Van Dyne Chevy, 2011 BCRA Dirt Midget champion Shannon McQueen of Tehachapi, CA in the McQueen Racing #7 Murf Dogg Racing-R.C. 4 Less-American Waste Control-Simpson Race Products-K&N Filters Spike/Esslinger, 2007 BCRA champion Justin Grant of Ione, CA chauffeuring Larry Gardner’s #35 Stealth/Frampton Gaerte, 7-time BCRA champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis manning his Champion Automotive #18 Stealth/Wesmar, 2004 BCRA champion and multi-time feature winner Thomas Meseraull wheeling Mark Bush’s #2T EF-65 Hand Cleaner Spike/Esslinger, former Chili Bowl winner and former USAC/CRA champion Damion Gardner of Concord, CA in the Loyet Motorsports #05g Spike/Esslinger, 1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter of Galt, CA in his #14jr  S&S Automotive-T&T Trucking-ART Enterprises Spike/S&S, multiple-time Silver Crown and Sprint Car champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell, CA aboard the #2 Keith Kunz Motorsports entry and former NWWT and NOMA Midget champion Time Pyle of Gresham, Oregon in his #71p Spike/Brayton.

Joining the all-female McQueen Racing stable will be Guthrie, Oklahoma’s Michelle Decker aboard Shannon McQueen’s #7d Waurika Truck & Tire-Carter Custom Finishes-Starship Trucking-Simpson Race Products-Quantum Consulting Spike/Esslinger and Lindsay, Oklahoma’s Harli White (16-year-old Chili Bowl rookie) aboard McQueen’s #7w American Waste Control-Waurika Truck & Tire-Quantum Consulting-K&N Filters-Eibach Springs Spike/Esslinger.

Joining the Neverlift Motorsports team will be Lake Havasu City, Arizona’s Connor Kassik, the 2011 USAC-Western States Rookie-of-the-Year piloting the Neverlift Motorsports #15k Crysalli-Manitowoc-Fruitful Juice-Prickett’s Distributing TCR/Chevy and Fresno’s T.J. Smith aboard the #15s Neverlift Motorsports Crysalli-Manitowoc-Fruitful Juice-Prickett’s Distributing Spike/Van Dyne Chevy. Smith is coming off of a stellar Chili Bowl run in a McQueen racing mount in 2011, in which he advanced to B-Main 2.

Alvis’ 2012 Chili Bowl foray will see him team with San Carlos’ Bob Lawlor in Alvis’ #83x B.L. Transport-Champion Automotive-Lindsey Enterprises-F&D Welding Stealth/Gaerte. It will be Lawlor’s first Chili Bowl appearance.

Joining the potent Kruseman stable are Las Vegas’ Patrick Clark in the #17k Kruseman Motorsports Spike/Esslinger, Omaha, Nebraska’s Brian Deegan in the #38k Kruseman Motorsports Spike/Esslinger and the #12k Kruseman Motorsports Spike/Esslinger entry with a driver TBA.

Other top West Coast entrants include two-time A-main qualifier Shane Golobic of Fremont, CA aboard Doug Bock’s #26 Get Som Sports-Bicycles Inc. (Ft. Worth, TX)-Country Builders-Piners Welding Supply & Driveline Service Spike/Esslinger, American Canyon’s Travis Berryhill aboard the Manic Racing #11b Vallejo Coin Exchange-Red Line Oil-Racing 2 Cure-Fairfield Inn & Suites-Advance Racing Stealth/Fontana, current NASCAR Truck series driver Cole Whitt (2011 A-Main eighth place finisher) of Alpine, CA aboard the Dooling Machine Inc. #63 Spike/Esslinger, two-time (2008, 2009) A-Main qualifier Josh Ford of Oxnard, CA in the Keith Ford #73 Spike/Bob Wirth, 2010 A-Main qualifier Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, CA aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports #67, NASCAR veteran Jason Leffler aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports #71, Stockton’s Johnathon Henry aboard the Graundstadt Enterprises #88 Ellis/Fontana, Angwin’s Britton Bock in his #67x McNamara Electric-Mike Bock-Driveline Service of Santa Rosa-Pete’s Tractor Service Spike/Esslinger, Washington native Gary Taylor aboard the Loyet Motorsports #05g Spike/Esslinger, Arizona’s Chad Boat aboard Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12b Spike/Esslinger, Bakersfield’s Sean Dodenhoff aboard his #9d Spike/Fontana, Texas’ Harris Brooks in Dodenhoff’s #9b EMC/Fontana, Rutherford, CA’s Rico Abreu in the Keith Kunz Motorsports #67k, Cole Peard of Quincy, CA in Gordon & Alisa Peard’s #58 F5 Twister, Riverside’s Darren Hagen in the #3 RFMS Racing Spike/Esslinger, Corning, CA’s Tyler Reddick in the 2B Racing #2b Spike/Fontana, Arizona’s Josh Pelkey aboard Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12jr Spike/Esslinger, Brent Camarillo in Brian Camarillo’s #51 Spike/Ed Pink Chevy, Brian Camarillo in the Bill Camarillo #22 Spike/Fontana, Moorpark, CA’s Kyle Smith  in his own #55 Spike/Chevy, Ronnie Gardner in the #71s Keith Ford Spike/Esslinger, Danny Stratton, Arizona’s Terry Goodwin in Misty Goodwin’s #2g Spike/Fontana, Lomita’s Kevin Michonowicz in the #21jr Ron Bach Spike/Gaerte Bobby Michonowicz in the #49jr Ron Bach Spike/Esslinger and Oklahoma’s Ricky Wright aboard the #35w Douglas & Britton Bock Get Som Sports TCR/Esslinger.

Veteran Chili Bowl owner Cliff Blackwell, of Mountain View, CA has three of his #27 Stealth’s entered with drivers TBA. Veteran Car owner Mike Sala has his #19w Stealth/Wirth Chevy entered with a driver TBA.

West Coast rookie Chili Bowl entrants include Ryan Bernal of Hollister aboard the Tom Ford #72 King Racing Products-A&A Precision Machine-Berry Pack-JFM/Bob Wirth, Anaheim’s Jake Swanson aboard the Swanson Motorsports #05h Goodwine Glass-Lucas Oil-Crower Performance Stealth/Honda, Greg Edenholm of Malibu, CA aboard  Keith Ford’s #73f Spike/Bob Wirth, Rauma, Finland’s Markus Niemela in the #81 Steve Watt Stealth/Sala Chevy, Arizona’s Mike Lapp in his own #8 Stealth/Chevy II-Fontana, Oregon’s Vinny Villeggiante in his own #6y Spike/Gaerte, Auburn, CA’s Cole Wood aboard Matt Wood’s #17w Spike/Esslinger and Lindsay, Oklahoma’s Harli White in the Shannon McQueen #7w American Waste Control-Waurika Truck & Tire-Quantum Consulting-K&N Filters-Eibach Springs Spike/Esslinger. White made her Midget debut this past October, earning a Top Five finish, and has also competed well in the Tulsa Shootout in a number of race classes. Niemela made his Midget debut at Ventura with three second-place runs. Bernal made waves throughout California showing poise behind-the-wheel of Sprint Cars.

Other expected entries, not yet entered include multiple-time 2011 feature winner Scott Pierovich, Pleasanton’s Pete Davis, the Walker-Racing-Bay Muffler #10 stable, Robby Josett, past BCRA and WMRA feature winner and WMRA champion Evan Margeson, Randi Pankratz, Wink Schweitzer and the ever-popular Swanson brothers, Tanner and Kody from Kingsburg, CA, who have dominated many Midget and Sprint Car events in the past several years.

Of the West Coast entries, Cole Whitt, Damion Gardner, Cory Kruseman, Shane Golobic, Jason Leffler and Thomas Meseraull made the A-Main in 2011, with Whitt finishing eighth. Other West Coast entries making the dual B-Mains last year included Bud Kaeding, Danny Stratton, Robby Josett and T.J. Smith. Washington native Gary Taylor also narrowly missed the A-main on Saturday.

Whitt has competed in the A-man for the past four years, with a high of second in 2010, while Meseraull has competed in the last three A-Mains with a high of 16^th in 2009. Golobic has raced in the last two A-Mains with a high of 17^th in 2011.

Damion “The Demon” Gardner, who won the Chili Bowl in 2008 is looking for his second podium finish in the A-Main after finishing 14^th in 2011, missing the A in 2010 and settling for 19^th in 2009.

After making the A-Main in 2008, Bobby Michonowicz will be hoping to make it back into the finale, after having two B-Main runs and a disappointing 2011 C-Main finish after transferring from the D.

Larson claimed tenth in the 2010 Chili Bowl.

We have tried to include every entry, whether owner, driver or team with West Coast ties in this report, however, we apologize for any errors or omissions from this article, as there are expected to be over 250 entries in the 26^th annual Chili Bowl. Please make this scribe aware of any such omissions.

The 2012 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals revs up on Tuesday, January 10 and concludes with Saturday’s feature races on January 14.

To view the entire entry list, visit www.chilibowl.com.

For detailed reports and updates on West Coast Chili Bowl entries, please visit http://wowracingnews.blogspot.com