By Robert Haugh
Roaring to victory in dominating fashion, Colma’s Chad Nichols claimed the Bay Cities Racing Association Midget pavement opener wheeling his #17 “Orange Rocket” Beast/Esslinger to victory on Saturday, April 3 at the gorgeous 3/8-mile Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, CA.
Eighth-starting Nichols moved into third place on Lap 1 and moved into second on Lap 2. After overtaking early race leader “Young Lion” Nick Foster, Jr. on Lap 6, Nichols surged to the victory leading the remaining 25 laps en route to claiming the green-to-checkers 30-lap feature by over a straightway. Nichols began lapping cars on Lap 9 and lapped all the way to fifth-place!
Following Nichols to the checkers were 2008 BCRA Midget champion Foster of San Jose aboard Jim Fowler’s #1 Zero-Zero Motorsports Windows Unlimited Beast/Esslinger (combo car), Washington’s Snake Livernash aboard his #13 Beast/Esslinger and Redding’s Guy Young aboard Rick Faeth’s #3x Beast/Chevy V4 (combo car) in fourth.
Rounding out the Top five was Visalia’s Scott Nail, one lap down aboard his #16 Stealth/Riolo Chevy (combo car), who qualified fourth quick on two-year-old tires! Nail thanks Rick Young, Stu Donaldson, Frank Goularte and several others who helped him get his Dirt car switched over for pavement.
Shasta Raceway Park promoter and longtime Midget owner/driver Rick Faeth claimed sixth aboard his SRP #3 Stealth/V4, with former BCRA Midget car owner champion Bill Lindsey of San Carlos aboard Stu Donaldson’s Farajian Farms-Rite-Way Wire & Wheels #8x Stealth/Pontiac in seventh, Chico’s Dillon Silverman aboard the RAM Racing #12 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec in eighth and Cameron Park’s Lonny Alton rounding out the finishing order in ninth aboard Lana Alton’s #5a Stealth/SCREAM SuperFocus. Vacaville’s Rick Holbrook placed tenth aboard his #6 A.R.T./Suzuki after dropping out after only a few laps.
Seven-time BCRA Midget champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd Alvis of San Carlos battled mechanical gremlins aboard his Champion Automotive-Interstate Batteries #18x Stealth/Van Dyne “Green Beret” throughout the evening, and scratched prior to the feature with apparent fuel-related issues, believed to possibly be a cam drive. Alvis seems to have a jinx at SRP, where he has experienced mechanical gremlins at almost every SRP event over the past several years.
Besides dominating the feature, Nichols set fast time at 15.189, as well as claiming the Dash from fourth-to-first and Heat 2 from sixth-to-first.
Nichols claimed the 4-lap Dash over Young, Nail and Livernash.
Nichols claimed the 8-lap Heat 2 over Foster, Livernash, Young, Faeth and Nail.
Silverman claimed the 8-lap Heat 1 over Alton, Lindsey and Holbrook. Alvis did not start the Heat. This was the first-ever Heat win for the new economical RRE Chevy EcoTec power plant in BCRA competition.
With his second-place run, Foster continues leading the 2010 BCRA Midget championship race over Nail, Silverman, Alton, Lindsey and Alvis.
The BCRA Midgets continue their 67th season of racing on Saturday, April 10 at the 1/4-mile Placerville Speedway at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Visit www.bcraracing.com for additional information on the BCRA Midgets. Visit www.mmracingphotos.com for additional photos.
SUMMARY:
Feature (start): 1. Nichols (8), 2. Foster (4) 3. Livernash (7), 4. Young (6), 5. Nail (5), 6. Faeth (3) 7. Lindsey (1), 8. Silverman (10) 9. Alton (9)10. Holbrook (10) 11. Alvis (2)-DNS
Lap leaders: 1-5 Foster, 6-30 Nichols
Dash: 1. Nichols, 2. Young, 3. Nail, 4. Livernash
Heat 2: 1. Nichols, 2. Foster, 3. Livernash, 4. Young, 5. Faeth, 6. Nail
Heat 2: 1. Silverman, 2. Alton, 3. Lindsey, 4. Holbrook, 5. Alvis-DNS
Qualifications: 1. Nichols, 17 Nichols, 15.189; 2. Livernah, 13 Livernash, 15.529; 3. Young, 3x Faeth, 15.709; 4. Nail, 16 Nail, 15.906; 5. Foster, 1 Fowler, 16.013; 6. Faeth, 3 Faeth, 16.364; 7. Alvis, 18x Alvis, 16.623; 8. Lindsey, 8x Donaldson, 16.835; 9. Holbrook, 6 Holbrook, 16.914; 10. Alton, 5a Alton, 17.170; 11. Silverman, 12 RAM, 17.626