Manning his own #17 “Orange Rocket” Beast/Esslinger, Colma’s Chad Nichols surged to a half-second victory in Bay Cities Racing Association/USAC-WS co-sanctioned Pombo Classic on Saturday, July 18 at the speedy 1/3-mile Madera Speedway’s Super Saturday #4 presented by Inside Lines Apparel & Graphics.
After passing pole sitter Nick Foster, Jr. on Lap 3, Nichols led the remaining 37 laps en route to his first BCRA Midget victory in 12 years.
The caution flag was unfurled on Lap 10 when Jerome Rodela and Garrett Hansen retired with separate mechanical gremlins. Rodela exited due to braking issues in his #25 Trench Shoring Gerhardt/Toyota while Hansen exited aboard the Hansen’s Welding #70 Beast/Fontana with a broken throttle cable.
The other race caution came on Lap 13 when Fresno’s David Prickett spun the Neverlift Motorsports #15 Stealth/Van Dyne in Turn 2. From then to the finish 28 laps later, fans watched in awe as Nichols and three-time 2009 BCRA winner and fast-qualifier Tanner Swanson were racing side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper, dicing with one another to claim the win.
Following Nichols to the checkers was Swanson aboard the McKenney Motorsports #88 Beast/Goewens Mopar only a half-second back, reigning BCRA champion and current 2009 points leader “Young Lion” Nick Foster, Jr. aboard the Jim Fowler #1 Zero-Zero Motorsports Beast/Gaerte, BCRA Midget Lite grad and 2009 BCRA pavement rookie-of-the-year and pavement Midget champion “Nitro” Nick Chivello aboard Daniel Chivello’s #27b Beast/Esslinger and Prickett rounding out the Top five and finishing order.
Nichols is the first driver not named Swanson to win in Midget competition at Madera in 2009. Tanner claimed victories on April 4 and June 13 while brother Kody triumphed on April 25 and May 9.
Alamo’s Scott Pierovich, Manteca’s Kyle Dickerson and Redding’s Alex Schutte all scratched before the feature due to mechanical woes.
This scribe believes that this is Nichols’ sixth-career BCRA win, as well as his sixth-career fast-time accolade. Nichols’ last BCRA feature win was in October 1997 at Stockton 99 Speedway. Nichols, a pavement specialist, claimed four feature victories in 1997, three behind-the-wheel of George Zarounian’s #67, all at Stockton 99, as well as the October win at Ukiah aboard BCRA Hall of Famer Bob Rosen’s #4 Hyder. Nichols also picked up his only (to this scribe’s knowledge) winged Midget feature win in 1995 at the defunct Silver State Raceway in Carson City, Nevada in a Lloyd Hemman Hyder. Nichols’ previous fast-time accolades came thrice at Madera, once at Silver State and once at Stockton 99, from 1995 through 1998.
Chad is the son of 1973 BCRA Midget champion and Hall of Famer Ken Nichols.
Foster continues leading the 2009 BCRA points standings over Prickett, while Hansen maintains the USAC-WS points lead.
The BCRA Midgets take a two-week hiatus before returning to action on Saturday August 8 at Placerville Speedway. The El Dorado County Fairgrounds will host BCRA’s annual Jack London Bash Picnic and Hall of Fame earlier that day. Visit www.bcraracing.com for additional information on the BCRA Midgets.
Qualifying: 1. Tanner Swanson, Kingsburg, 88 McKenney, 13.788; 2. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, 70 Hansen, 13.794; 3. Jerome Rodela, El Monte, 25 Rodela, 14.018; 4. Chad Nichols, Colma, 17 Nichols, 14.204; 5. Kyle Dickerson, Manteca, 11k Dickerson, 14.270; 6. Nick Chivello, Manteca, 27b Chivello, 14.420; 7. Nick Foster, Jr., San Jose, 1 Fowler, 14.540, 8. David Prickett, Fresno, 15 Neverlift Mtspts., 9. Scott Pierovich, Alamo, 35 Pierovich, NT; 10. Alex Schutte, Redding, 12k Kruseman, NT
Feature 40 laps: 1. Nichols, 2. Swanson, 3. Foster, 4. Chivello, 5. Prickett, 6. Rodela, 7. Hansen
Lap leaders: 1-2 Foster, 3-40 Nichols
Dash: 1. Nichols, 2. Rodela, 3. Hansen, 4. Swanson
