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BCRA Midgets Revving Into Hanford on Saturday, April 19
By Robert Haugh
The famed Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets 65th season of racing continues this Saturday, April 19 at the smooth and fast 3/8-mile King’s Speedway in Hanford, CA.
The race will be the second of ten total dirt races, and first of four at the wonderful King’s Speedway. The Midgets also compete at King’s Speedway on August 23 and September 26 and 27 for the Tachi Open Wheel Invitational. The Midgets were slated to open their season on March 22 at King’s Speedway, but Mother Nature forced the cancellation of that event.
Hanford’s own 17-year-old young gun Michael Faccinto will be among the top contenders vying for the $1,000-to-win feature, piloting the #41 Gary Scelzi Motorsports Spike/Mopar, which he chauffeured to victory circle at the last BCRA Midget race at King’s on September 29, 2007, as well as a second-place run at King’s in late August 2007.
Among the approximately two dozen stellar entries will be 17-year-old reigning BCRA champion Justin Grant wheeling the #17 TNT Racesports Dave & Wendy Thurston Spike/Esslinger, 7-time BCRA champion Floyd Alvis, “The Ageless Wonder” piloting his #18 Champion Automotive Stealth/Esslinger “Green Beret, 2007, 1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter aboard his #14jr Spike/Van Dyne, 2007 third-place driver David Prickett of Fresno campaigning the Neverlift Motorsports #15 TCR/Van Dyne, Clovis’ Steve Roza aboard Bob Roza’s #20 Beast/Esslinger, second-place pointsman Scott Nail piloting Stu Donaldson’s #8x Stealth/Pontiac, Nick Foster, Jr., manning Jim Fowler’s #24 Beast/Esslinger, 15-year-old Cole Peard aboard his #58 F5 Twister/Fontana and 2007 BCRA Johnny Boyd Rookie-of-the-Year 20-year-old Kevin Morris driving father Del’s #17k Spike/Esslinger. Morris currently leads the Midget points heading into this weekend.
Prickett led several laps aboard the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Stealth/Van Dyne last year, finishing second and sixth at two King’s races in August 2007, while Grant placed third twice, as well claiming fourth-place and seventh-place finishes at the speedy Dirt oval in 2007.
Additional slated entries include three-time BCRA champion Glenn Carson manning Doug Bock’s #26 Spike/Esslinger, former BCRA car owner champion and multi-time Midget and Midget Lite feature winner Cameron Beard in Dave LaMott’s #0 Stealth/Honda, Todd Miller driving Larry Mertl’s #9 Stealth/Esslinger, 15-year-old Britton Bock campaigning his own #62 TCR/Pontiac.
Other possible, but not pre-entered Midgets include Hanford’s Jared Little aboard his #23 Beast/Mopar, three-time BCRA feature winner Chris Rahe aboard the Jon Rahe #3 Stealth/Fontana, Dave Stoltz aboard his #77 Pacific Flyer/Range Rover V6, Pete Davis in his #00 Beast/Esslinger, Randi Pankratz aboard her #8 Autoresearch/Fontana, Fresno’s Dallen McKenney aboard his #88 TCR/Goewens Mopar and last week’s victor Robby Flock aboard Mike Sala’s #19s Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar.
Through three races in 2008, Kevin Morris leads the points battle entering Saturday’s race. Closely trailing Morris in second is Scott Nail, with Nick Foster, Jr. sitting fourth. Having fought mechanical gremlins early in the season, seven-time champion Floyd Alvis, “The Ageless Wonder” sits in fifth position.
Joining the Midgets on Saturday will be the BCRA Vintage Midgets, National Wing 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Stock Cars and American Stocks.
Visit www.bcraracing.com for information on BCRA Midgets and www.kingsspeedway.net for additional information on King’s Speedway.
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