SARALE CLAIMS INAUGURAL WESTERN COMBO CAR MIDGET NATIONALS

After wrestling his way to the lead aboard the Tony Siedelman #4 Hawk/Gaerte on Lap 7, two-time BCRA Midget champion John Sarale of Stockton roared to victory in the inaugural Western Combo Car Midget Nationals at the gorgeous 3/8-mile Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, CA on Saturday, October 17.

Chasing Sarale to the checkers in the 30-lap green-to-checkers race were five-time SRP track champion Guy Young of Redding in the Dave Thurston #17 TCR/Gaerte,

Danny Parker aboard Bob Roza’s TEAM F.A.S.T. (Fighting Against Steroids Together) #20 Beast/Esslinger, Cheyenne, Wyoming’s Cory Mallo in the #9m Rory Mallo Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec and Lonnie Alton in his #5a Stealth/SuperFocus rounding out the top five.

Dillon Silverman jumped to the early lead aboard Rick Young’s #98 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec from his third starting spot, leading the first two rounds before SRP promoter Faeth charged from sixth, overtaking Silverman for the lead on Lap 3. Faeth led through Lap 6 until ninth-starting Sarale and tenth-starting Siedelman sliced through the pack, with Sarale inheriting the lead on Lap seven when he snuck beneath Faeth exiting Turn 2, with Siedelman making the move under Faeth for second. Guy Young displaced Faeth to move into third on Lap 8. Rick Young dropped out on lap 6 with an ill-handling car.

Seidelman began chasing down teammate Sarale, steadily gaining on the two-time BCRA champ Sarale for several laps. Unfortunately, for Siedelman, mechanical gremlins caused him to exit on Lap 14.

Faeth and Parker were drag racing for several laps mid-pack, with Faeth fighting a tight condition and Parker a loose condition. Parker overtook Faeth for the fourth spot on Lap 18.

Mallo and Alton were battling fiercely for the fifth and six spots when Faeth lost his brakes, making heavy contact with Alton, launching Faeth’s #3 Stealth/Chevy V4 high into the air in turn 4 --- luckily Faeth was able to resume under his own power, avoiding a caution period and exiting the track safely.

After 30 intense, caution-free laps, Sarale claimed the victory by 1.6 seconds over Guy Young, Parker, Mallo and Alton.

Sarale claimed Heat 2 over Young, Parker and fast-qualifier Tony Siedelman in his #24 Hawk/Autocraft VW.

Cameron Park’s Alton claimed Heat 1 over Vacaville’s Rick Holbrook in his #6 ART/Kawasaki Midget Lite, Shingle Springs’ Rick Young in his #99 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec and Silverman.

Holbrook claimed the B-Dash over Chico’s Dillon Silverman in Rick Young’s #98 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec, Mallo and Alton.

Sarale claimed the A-Dash over Guy Young and Siedelman.

Both Dashes awarded cash payouts of $100 to the winner, $50 for 2nd, $30 for 3rd and $20 for 4th place.

Siedelman set fast-time with a 15.606 lap.

For the first time ever on the west coast, Midget Lites were competing on pavement, alongside combo car Midgets with Super Focus, RRE Chevy EcoTec and National Midget engines. The feature race was fully inverted with the fast qualifiers having started in the rear.

Unfortunately, Stu Donaldson’s was lacking luck this weekend, with Mike Donaldson scratching Stu Donaldson’s #8 Stealth/Gaerte after a Heat 1 incident with unrepairable damage, while former BCRA car owner champion Bill Lindsey was forced to scratch in Stu Donaldson’s #8x Stealth/Pontiac after breaking a front axle in Heat 1.

Oakdale’s Dakota Albright made a good impression in his first-ever pavement venture aboard his #35jr ART/Kawasaki Midget Lite, however, was battling oil leak problems all weekend.

“For all that were present it was clear that this formula was a success as there was spirited racing through the pack with all types of engine and chassis formulas. Shasta Raceway Park is committed to making this an annual year-end event and hopes that it will give legitimacy to the Midget combo-car formula,” says SRP promoter Faeth.