BCRA: Brad Loyet Wins BCRA Chowchilla Race

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Twenty one midgets signed in for a Halloween Special Bay Cities Racing Association, (BCRA) race at the fast and always entertaining Chowchilla Fairgrounds 1/3 mile dirt Speedway. After prior evening and morning showers, the track was fast and smooth for the final race of the storied Bay Cities season. Entries included visiting drivers from as far away as Rhode Island, (Eli Despairs), and Brad Loyet from Illinois. The evening racing started out with heats, and to the disappointment of the crowd, 7 time BCRA Champion Floyd Alvis scratched from his pole position in Heat #1 with oiling problems in his recently rebuilt motor. 2009 BCRA Champion David Pricket took the lead in his Spike/Van Dyne and lead for the first 5 laps until a yellow flag was displayed for a spin by Chris Ennis. When racing resumed, Prickett continued to lead over Greg Bragg in Dave LaMont's Honda powered TCR and fast closing Loyet in his Spike/Esslinger. On the last lap, Loyet made a high side pass and took the checkered flag over Prickett, Bragg, Shannon McQueen in her immaculate #7 Spike/Esslinger, and Shane Golobic in long time BCRA car owner Doug Bock's Spike/Esslinger. The second heat had 10 starters with the 5 Loyet team car with Ben Vincent scratching. Dillon Silverman in the Ram/Spike/Ecotec took the lead over Britton Bock in his own TCR/Esslinger. Dan Parker in the Roza Stealth/Esslinger followed in third and passed both Bock and Silverman to take the lead on lap 2 followed closely by young Sean Dodenhoff of Bakersfield in his Spike/Fontana machine. Silverman eventually pulled into the infield with fuel pressure issues. During this time, a young TJ Smith in the McQueen team car was moving up and pressuring Parker and made a fine textbook pass on the high side to take the win over Parker, Jimmy Sills, Sean Dodenhoff, and Keith Bloom in the Matt Streeter 14 car.

The Main Event was next, and during this time the track was drying out with teams searching for the right shocks and tires for the changing slick track. Parker and Prickett, both BCRA regulars, were on the front row of the 19 starters. Parker took the early lead with the crowd closely following the 2nd row cars of Loyet and Smith. On lap 2, several cars got together with the cars of 2010 BCRA Champion Nick Foster Jr, and Dodenhoff eliminated. Several laps later, the 10 car with Rhode Island visitor DeShaires and McQueen got together for another yellow. A lap later, another yellow flew for DeShaires who lost a front wheel. Parker continued to lead until Loyet made his move out of turn 4 and quickly stretched his lead. During the mid laps, several cars moved to the front including those of Sills, Golobic and Bloom. While the track was taking its toll on tires and brakes, the cars of David Prickett, followed by Russ Prickett, who was returning to racing after a 30 year retirement, and everyone's favorite, JR Williams drove to the pits. Several laps later, Bragg also shut his car down with low oil pressure. At the finish it was Loyet first in a dominating run followed by Smith, Sills, Golobic, and Bloom in 5th. Finishing 6th was Silverman, followed by Pete “Hothead” Davis, Parker, McQueen, and Ennis.

Summary:

Main Event Finish: Loyet, Smith, Sills, Golobic, Bloom, Silverman, Davis, Parker, McQueen, Ennis, Bragg, Williams, R Prickett, Shupe, D Prickett, DeShaires, Bock, Dodenhoff, Foster...Alvis (DNS), Vincent (DNS)
Heat 1: Loyet, D Prickett, Bragg, McQueen, Golobic, Davis, Foster, Ennis, DeShires, Alvis (DNS)
Heat 2: Smith, Parker, Sills, Dodenhoff, Bloom, Bock, Shupe, Williams, R Prickett, Silverman