BRODY FUSON SWEEPS PLACERVILLE RETURN
PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA - JULY 9, 2023… When the checkered flag waved at Placerville Speedway, Brody Fuson of Bakersfield, California swept last Saturday night’s program. The USAC Western States Midget point leader earned the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, won his 10-lap heat race, topped the 30-lap, $1,500-to-win “Sammy Bahr / Esslinger Engineering Feature,” and earned the night’s hard charger / best passing job honors. Defending champion Michael Faccinto, Randi Pankratz, Danika Jo Faccinto, and Ron Hazelton rounded out the top five drivers at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
Driving Rusty Carlile’s #51 RPM Motorsports / Van Meter Motorsports Spike, Fuson topped the qualifying charts with a time of 12.210 seconds over the modest 12-car field. In heat race action, the young driver was not to be denied and raced to the first heat race victory sponsored by Jordan Hanni Well Drilling. Starting sixth on the grid of the main event, Brody used the outside lane of the north turns to move forward and grab the top spot from Michael Faccinto with ten laps remaining. From there, Fuson sailed to his third victory of the season and claimed the night’s Ebbco Offroad Hard Charger Award. With seven career wins, Brody extended his point lead to 58 markers heading to Petaluma.
Hanford, California’s Michael Faccinto returned to USAC Western States Midget action and raced to victory in the night’s second 10-lap heat race backed by Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters. Piloting the Graunstadt Enterprises #14J T&T Trucking / Gary Silva Ranches Spike, Faccinto qualified second overall and started fifth in the main event. Charging forward, the two-time champion took command from polesitter Blake Bower on the fourth circuit and set a torrid pace on the quarter-mile oval. While moving through lapped traffic, Fuson slipped by for the lead and Michael had to settle for second at “Knoxville on the Hill.”
Before the night began, the drivers used a pill draw to set the qualifying order. Two “lucky pill draw awards” were available and claimed by Randi Pankratz and Danika Jo Faccinto. Pankratz earned the Rod End Supply Award, was fifth quick in time trials, placed third in her heat race, and scored third in the feature in the Wally Pankratz owned #8 HASA Pool Products Spike. Danika claimed the Extreme Mufflers Award, qualified third overall, ran second in her heat race, and finished fourth in the feature driving Dan Parker’s #13 Roza Motorsports Spike.
On Saturday, July 22nd, the USAC Western States Midget Series will travel to Petaluma Speedway for their only appearance at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. For more event information, visit petalma-speedway.com.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Ebbco Offroad, Esslinger Engineering, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing, Graunstadt Enterprises, High Tech Performance, Hoosier Racing Tires, Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Wireless 101, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the USAC Western States Midget Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC Western States Midget Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 8, 2023 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-12.210; 2. Michael Faccinto, 14J, Graunstadt-12.314; 3. Danika Jo Faccinto, 13, Parker-12.542; 4. Cade Lewis, 5K, Alexander-12.616; 5. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-12.636; 6. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-12.790; 7. Blake Bower, 00, Davis-12.885; 8. Ben Worth, 14JR, Streeter-13.092; 9. Ron Hazelton, 15, Hazelton-13.579; 10. Kevin Gray, 7L, Gray-14.110; 11. Ben Covich, 65, Covich-14.470; 12. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-NT.
JORDAN HANNI WELL DRILLING FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Fuson, 2. D.Faccinto, 3. Pankratz, 4. Bower, 5. Hazelton. NT.
HOT HEAD COMPETITION ENGINE HEATERS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. M.Faccinto, 2. Worth, 3. Lewis, 4. Mitchell, 5. Gray, 6. Sarna. NT.
SAMMY BAHR FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Brody Fuson (6), 2. Michael Faccinto (5), 3. Randi Pankratz (2), 4. Danika Jo Faccinto (4), 5. Ron Hazelton (9), 6. Ben Worth (8), 7. Ben Covich (11), 8. Marvin Mitchell (12), 9. Blake Bower (1), 10. Cade Lewis (3), 11. Kevin Gray (10), 12. C.J. Sarna (7). NT.
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Bower, Laps 4-19 M.Faccinto, Laps 20-30 Fuson
ROD END SUPPLY PILL DRAW: Randi Pankratz
EXTREME MUFFLERS PILL DRAW: Danika Jo Faccinto
EBBCO OFFROAD HARD CHARGER: Brody Fuson (6th to 1st)
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-474, 2-Cade Lewis-416, 3-Ben Worth-363, 4-Ron Hazelton-301, 5-C.J. Sarna-257, 6-Blake Bower-255, 7-Randi Pankratz-245, 8-Steve Paden-220, 9-Samuel May-193, 10-Ben Covich-179.
NEW WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-32, 2-Cade Lewis-17, 3-Caden Sarale-8, --Ben Worth-8, --C.J. Sarna-8, 6-Blake Bower-7, 7-Jake Andreotti-6, --Robby Josett-6, 9-David Gasper-5, --Randi Pankratz-5, --Michael Faccinto-5.
NEW SAMMY BAHR FEATURE POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-399, 2-Cade Lewis-363, --Ben Worth-321, 4-Ron Hazelton-279, 5-C.J. Sarna-227, 6-Blake Bower-223, 7-Randi Pankratz-218, 8-Steve Paden-199, 9-Ben Covich-170, 10-Samuel May-167.
NEW PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Cade Lewis-29, 2-Brody Fuson-20, 3-Ron Hazelton-18, 4-Ben Covich-10, 5-Steve Paden-7, --David Gasper-7, --Robby Josett-7, 8-Jake Andreotti-4, --Bryan Drollinger-4, --Garrett Twitty-4, --C.J. Sarna-4, --Marvin Mitchell-4.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: July 22 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California
