Jesse Love claimed the 2019 Gerhardt Classic

The POWRi Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) mighty midgets roared into Madera Speedway on Saturday night July 13 2019 for the 17^th annual Gerhardt Classic and after an intense 50-lap feature the 2018 POWRi BCRA champion, 14-year old Jesse Love came away with a hard-fought victory.

Love laid down the fastest lap in time trials with a blazing lap of 13.907 seconds around the paved 1/3-mile in the 51 Fifty Energy Drink sponsored Van Dyne Engineering midget to edge out  Jerome Rodela in his Trench Shoring-sponsored machine who posted a best lap of 13.997 seconds.

The speedy pair were followed in order by Dylan Nobile, Cody Gerhardt, David Goodwill, Annie Breidnger, David Prickett and JR Williams. Prickett was filling in for Adam Lemke in the experimental Chevrolet stock-block powered midget while Lemke ran a late model race back east.  Two midgets, the machines of Mark Maliepaard and current POWRi BCRA points leader Robert Carson were unable to make the call for qualifying.

Maliepaard and Carson were both able to affect repairs and joined the tail of the heat race line-up, but before the field could take the green flag to start the race, Ms. Bredinger’s #8 machine, scheduled to start on the pole position, encountered mechanical gremlins with its Honda engine and pulled off the track. Annie’s misfortune moved Cody Gerhardt to the pole position with Goodwill alongside for the start of the 8-lap heat race.

Cody led the first circuit, before Rodela passed him for the lead of lap two. Meanwhile, Love maneuvered into third place from his fifth starting position. On lap three, Love moved past Gerhardt into second place, but over the final laps, Jesse could not close the gap on the fleet Rodela machine.  The finishing order was Rodela, Love, Gerhardt, Goodwill, Nobile, Maliepaard, Prickett, Williams and Carson.

The 17^th annual Gerhardt Classic was the final event of a full evening of racing, and the field took the green flag in row of two in lieu of the traditional three-wide start, with Rodela and Love on the front row with teammates Gerhardt and Nobile in the second row. Unfortunately, the field was only comprised of nine cars, as despite the valiant efforts by the crew led by her father, Annie Bredinger’s #8 could not make the starting call.

After the field was introduced to the crowd and the drivers and crew members threw frisbees to the grandstand crowd, the field rolled away and lined up for the start.  At the drop of the green flag, Rodela shot into the lead with Love close behind. By lap five, current points leader Carson retired to the infield, and a few laps later, Goodwill began to pressure Maliepaard for fifth place as the engine in Mark’s car went off-song. 

On lap 15, Goodwill completed the pass and Maliepaard retired his #51 Fit & Finish Hot Rod Interiors Special to the infield. Meanwhile Gerhardt continued to race in third place with Nobile never more than a car length behind him and constantly looking for a way past.

On lap 35 of the 50-lap feature, Love closed to the rear nerf bar of Rodela’s #25 and on lap 37 Jesse made a move underneath Jerome entering turn three but could not make the move stick. Three laps later, as the pair entered turn one, Love made a move to the low side, but the blue #5 slid sideways to a stop in the grass inside turn two which brought out the race’s first caution flag.  Once he restarted the Tres Van Dyne owned #5, Jesse rejoined the field in in fourth place.

When the green flag flew again, it was clear that Jerome Rodela’s car had a mechanical problem, as he was off the pace and dropped to third place as Nobile charged to the lead followed by Love in second place. On lap 44, Rodela rolled his immaculate Toyota-powered maroon #25 to a stop at the end of the front stretch which brought out another caution flag as the Madera track crew pushed Jerome to safety in the infield.

Photo by the author 

As the field rode under the caution flag, the running order was Nobile, Love, Gerhardt, Goodwill, Prickett and Williams. When the green flag re-emerged, Jesse Love hounded Nobile for the lead until he made the winning move on the inside of turns one and two on lap 46 and drove away to win by .459 seconds over Dylan Nobile, with Cody Gerhardt third. 

David Goodwill finished fourth one lap behind the leaders with David Prickett fifth two laps behind and JR Williams in sixth place.  Among the non-finishers the official order was Rodela, Maliepaard, and Carson, and Annie Breidnger who did not start the feature.

The POWRi BCRA midgets will be back in action on the pavement on Saturday August 3 at Evergreen Speedway located on the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe Washington for the Rory Price Memorial presented by Bardahl. 

The race co-sanctioned with the Washington Midget Racing Association (WMRA), held since 2006 honors the memory of Rory Price, who raced midgets and sprint cars with the WMRA, BCRA, USAC, and NSRA clubs. In addition to the POWRi BCRA and WMRA midgets, the program will feature late model stock cars, outlaw figure 8’s and the Hornets class. 

One week later, on August 10^th, the pavement midgets will be joined by the vintage division at the new Stockton 99 Speedway for the Tom Manning Memorial Race.  In addition to the POWRi BCRA midgets, the program will include the Gun Slingers Wing Sprint Car Series, Legends of Kearney Bowl, Focus Midgets, and the Mini Cup class.    

      

Guerrini III sweeps Lakeport (and Ukiah)  back to back 

The POWRi Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) midgets and the vintage division continued the celebration of the club's 80^th year of existence with a visit on July 5^th to the familiar confines of the ¼-mile Lakeport Speedway on the grounds of the Lake County fairgrounds.  

Mark Maliepaard winner earlier this season at Stockton 99 Speedway was unable to diagnosis and apparent ignition problem with the Esslinger engine in his Fit & Finish Hot Rod Interiors Special and withdrew before time trials. 

David Goodwill in his #3 DDS Racing machine edged out Frankie Guerrini in the Bob Rosen #4 midget by only .001 seconds as he posted the quick time of 12.253 seconds on his second timed lap around the Lakeport oval. 

Nine-time POWRi BCRA champion Floyd Alvis was the third fastest qualifier at 12.575 seconds, with JR Williams fourth at 13.725 seconds and current POWRi BCRA points leader and Rookie-of-the-Year contender Robert Carson fifth at 14.240 seconds.

Time trials proved to be the last time anyone topped Guerrini and the potent #4 Mr. Espresso wrenched by Frankie’s dad, Frank. Frankie captured the trophy dash as he executed a nifty outside pass in turn three of leader Alvis on lap two, and streaked to victory over Goodwill, Alvis and Williams.

The heat race featured a fully inverted start, and the drop of the green flag, front row starter JR Williams surged into the lead for the first lap until Guerrini and Goodwill got past JR in turn four on the second of ten laps. Frankie won the race by five car lengths over Goodwill trailed by Williams, Alvis and Carson. 

The starting field for the 30-lap feature was set as an invert of the heat race finish. The near capacity crowd watched as  Floyd Alvis charged into the lead on lap one as Guerrini and Goodwill maneuvered through the field. The speedy pair charged past the green #18 in turn four on the second lap, with Guerrini on the outside and Goodwill on the inside.

Frankie quickly built a five-car lead until he reached lapped traffic, and after he and Goodwill emerged free of the traffic, Guerrini held a ten-car length advantage. Goodwill steadily reeled in the leader over the last half of the race and closed to a five-car length deficit at the checkered flag.

Floyd Alvis finished strong in third place, as Guerrini only lapped the #18 on the race’s final circuit. Robert Carson is the Segur #99 finished fourth two laps behind the leader with JR Williams’ #74 fifth, only two car lengths behind Robert at the finish.

The POWRi BCRA midgets will be in action on July 13^th for Gerhardt Classic at Madera Speedway in a program that will be taped to air at a later date on the MAV television network. The racing program will also include a 100-lap race for the California Challenge Cup stock cars, Focus Midgets, NCMA Sprint cars, Legends of Kearney Bowl, and the CVMS Mini Stock Invasion.   

Author’s note: thanks to the efforts of Bob Roza, we also can share the results of the POWRi BCRA races at Ukiah Speedway on July 6. David Goodwill again topped Guerrini in qualifying, but Frankie once again swept the racing program as he won the trophy dash, the heat race and the feature. The Ukiah feature finish order was Guerrini, Goodwill, Floyd Alvis, JR Williams and Robert Carson.   

POWRi BCRA midgets visit 

Stockton 99 Speedway

On Saturday April 27, the Lucas Oil POWRi Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) midget series made their first 2019 visit to the historic Stockton 99 Speedway to help celebrate the club’s 80^th year of racing. The midgets raced as part of a program that also included the BCRA vintage division, the Gunslingers winged sprint cars, the North State Modifieds, and the Legends of Kearny Bowl.

Unfortunately, during practice, two POWRi BCRA midgets suffered mechanical problems and were forced to withdraw; Cody Jessop’s engine spun a bearing, and David Goodwill’s car broke a throttle shaft. 

Chad Nichols in the #17 Shanoian Esslinger was the first drvier out for time trials and Chad set the mark for others to try to match at 13.005 seconds. Mark Maliepaard in his #51 Fit & Finish Hot Rod Interiors Special was second fastest with his best lap of 13.228 seconds, followed by Frankie Guerrini in Bob Rosen’s #4 midget third fastest at 13.714 seconds. BCRA stalwart JR Williams in the J& J Racing #74 was fourth fastest and fourth-generation racer Robert Carson was the fifth fastest qualifier.

Guerrini and Maliepaard shared the front row for the start of the evening’s 20-lap feature race with quick qualifier Chad Nichols slotted into third place. Guerrini held the point for the first lap before Maliepaard slipped past in turn three into the race lead, then on the next lap Nichols dropped Guerrini to third place. Nichols gave chase to the leader but Maliepaard ran consistently fast laps and Nichols could never get close enough to make a move. 

By the end of the race #51 held a comfortable 4-car advantage over Nichols. Guerrini came home third with JR Williams fourth and rookie of the year contender Robert Carson in fifth place. The feature ran caution flag free and was completed in four minutes, 22 and 92/100 seconds.

The POWRi BCRA midget series kicks off the month of May with an action-packed doubleheader first weekend. The first race on Friday night May 3 at the Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park will have the mighty midgets in action along with the track’s Pro Stock and American Stocks series and the 305-cubic inch winged sprint cars. 

The following day, Saturday May 4 the POWRi BCRA midget series will visit the paved Madera Speedway along with the Legends of the Kearney Bowl, the California Hard Tops, the Western US Midgets, SWT (South West Tour) Trucks, Legends cars and the 100-lap California Challenge Cup for the track’s stock car division.