Sunday, February 24, 2019


2018 BCRA Championship Awards Banquet






On a rainy Saturday night on February 2, 2019 the drivers, car owners, crews and officials of the Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1051 in Ripon California to share the successes of the 2018 season.

Following the cocktail hour and a delicious dinner, after recognition of the 2018 Hall of Fame inductees and the 2018 BCRA Board of Directors members and track officials, the highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony hosted by Kevin Triplett to honored the series’ 2018 top performers.

For the BCRA midget lites division, Hunter Kinney captured the 2018 driver’s championship followed by Scott Kinney, Dakota Albright, Brad Dillard, and Terry Bergstrom in fifth place. Sixth through tenth place went to Brandon Leedy, Danika Jo Parker, Steve Brown, Gus Carcione, and Ric Johnson respectively.   

Scott Kinney captured both first and second place finishes in the 2018 BCRA Midget Lite owner’s championship, while Dakota Albright took third place ahead of Craig Dillard and Kenneth Bergstrom. Sixth through tenth place for the owners went to Brian Fonseca, Danika Jo Parker, Steve Brown, Gus Carcione, and Jim Riddell.

Among the special awards for the BCRA midget lites division, Dave LaManna was presented with the Tom Boune Midget Lite Sportsmanship Award, while Rod Browning earned the John & Gladys Soares Sr. Memorial Perseverance Award. Ken Bergstrom was the winner of the Morrie Caudle Midget Lite Mechanic of the Year award and Brandon Leedy was the recipient of the Tracy Taylor Most Improved Driver of the Year award. BCRA vintage division stalwart Bob Mastroleo won the Pete Baraldi Best Appearing Car Award for non-competition vehicles.

Turning to the BCRA midget division, Maria Cofer won the 2018 dirt series drivers’ championship followed by David Prickett with the ageless Marvin Mitchell in third place. Robert Dalby from Anaheim California was the fourth-place finisher in the dirt series, trailed by the always-smiling JR Williams in fifth place. Among the dirt series car owners, John Cofer captured the title followed by Neverlift Motorsports, Marvin Mitchell, J & J Associates and Robert Dalby.  John Cofer was awarded the prestigious Lloyd Nygren Sportsmanship Award for his tireless assistance to many competitors throughout the season.   

The 2018 BCRA pavement series championship was captured by driver Chad Nichols and Team 17, with Mark Maliepaard in second place as both the driver and car owner. Young phenom Jesse Love III scored third place in the drivers’ pavement championship and his car owner Tres Van Dyne nailed down third place in the pavement series.

Maria Cofer scored a solid fourth place for the pavement series for herself as the driver for her pavement car owners, the Arata’s Storcks Garage. Cody Jessop scored fifth place in the pavement drivers’ championship and scored the Johnny Baldwin Most Improved Driver award for the 2018 BCRA midget season. J & J Associates, owner of the #74 midget driven by JR Williams scored a fifth-place finish in the pavement owners championship.

With the 2018 BCRA overall midget driver’s champion Jesse Love III racing in Las Vegas, his mother Liz accepted his 2018 championship trophy and the Johnny Boyd Rookie of the Year trophy. Second through fifth in the overall drivers’ championship were in order Maria Cofer, Chad Nichols, and Mark Maliepaard as JR Williams rounded out the top five finishers.  

In addition to the 2018 overall BCRA Car Owner Championship Tres Van Dyne also copped the Pete Baraldi Best Appearing Car Award for competition vehicles and the Morrie Caudle Midget Mechanic of the Year. Team 17 garnered second place honors in the overall championship, trailed by Mark Maliepaard, J & J Associates and John Cofer to round out the top five overall owners.

The Bay Cities Racing Assocation offers our thanks to all our sponsors, fans, officials and competitors for their contributions to the club’s safe and successful 2018 season, and looks forward to our bright prospects for the 2019 season.     

   


Sunday, February 17, 2019


The Twisted Mistress Model A coupe 



At the outdoor Prestone® Antifreeze display at the 2018 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) the author spotted this cool 1931 Ford Model A hot rod that the owner Randy Weaver calls “The Twisted Mistress.”







The rod was built by Weaver Customs in West Jordan, Utah with obvious 6-inch chopped top and the body channeled over the custom-built frame with Heidt’s independent front suspension and finished in Axalta Sand Bronze paint with the interior trimmed with Hydes black Italian leather.



The car is powered by a twin-turbocharged twin-turbo 401 cubic inch Ford Racing V-8 engine connected to a C6 automatic transmission and 9” Ford rear end.  The Model A rides on 18-inch front and 20-inch rear Detroit Steel Wheel Company Artillery wheels wrapped in Toyo Proxes low-profile tires.



This cool coupe will cross the auction block at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale in January 12-20, 2019.



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All photographs by the author 




Saturday, February 2, 2019


“Eat’n Dollars” Pulling tractor

a typical John Deere 4010 tractor

Between 1961 and 1963, John Deere Company produced more than 59,000 series 4010 tractors which were powered by 6-cylinder 378 cubic-inch engines that produced 80 horsepower which made the 6300-pound 4010 one of the most powerful two-wheel drive tractors at that time. Interestingly, Elvis Presley owned a 1963 4010 which he used at his Mississippi ranch and Graceland estate; his restored 4010 tractor with a loader attachment is on display at the Elvis Presley Auto Museum.

author photo


The John Deere 4010 lightweight super stock “Eat’n Dollars” tractor on display at the Sawblade.com booth at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis Indiana has a triple-turbocharged 505 cubic-inch alcohol-fueled six-cylinder engine that develops more than 3000 horsepower.  

author photo


Obviously, the original John Deere frame would be overwhelmed by that much power, so “Eat’n Dollars” rides on a chrome moly tube Component chassis with a 47.2 SFI roll-cage and custom-built spindle arm assembly and hubs to support the front of the tractor.  

photo courtesy David Esteb


Driver David Esteb of Franklin Indiana began competitive pulling when he was just 16 years old but stepped away to work as a carpenter and farmer before he returned to the sport a dozen years ago. Esteb has competed in the Lucas Pro Pulling League (LOPPL) Champions Tour ARP lightweight super stock class since 2011, and David and his wife Janet were honored as the LOPPL “Puller of the Year” in 2017.  David finished seventh on the 2018 LOPPL Champions Tour, and second in points for the Beck's Hybrid Light Super Stock class with the Indiana Pulling League.  

During the 2018 season Sawblade.com was the presenting sponsor for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series(ASCS), as well as supporting the sprint car team of Scott Bogucki. Sawblade.com also supported teams in the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League (LOPPL) and the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series (LODBRS).



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