USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGETS DEBUT AT ANTIOCH SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
AUGUST 2, 2023... For the first time in series history, the battle for the USAC Western States Midget Championship heads to Antioch Speedway, this Saturday, August 5th. Thanks to the generous sponsorship from Ken Graunstadt and Turn Fun, the “Fan Appreciation Night” and first round of the Antioch Challenge Mini Series will pay $2,000-to-win. The eighth point race will also feature IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Stock Cars, Wingless Sprints, and Mini Stocks. Located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch, California, the Pit Gates will open at 2:00pm, the Front Gates open at 4:00pm, with Racing scheduled for 6:00pm. For more event information “Where Action is The Attraction,” visit the track’s website at antiochspeedway.com or call 925.779.9220. The event will be broadcast on FloRacing.com.
Graunstadt Enterprises has increased the night’s purse and has added a bonus of five (5) gallons of fuel to the first ten (10) drivers that check in. Second place in the 30-lap feature will pay $1,000, third will earn $800, fourth will claim $600, and fifth will take home $500.
The Antioch Challenge Mini-Series Presented by Graunstadt Enterprises will consist of the August 5th and September 30th races at Antioch Speedway. Points will be kept and the champion will earn $500. $500 will also be awarded to fifth (5th) and tenth (10th) place. The September 30th race will have a normal paying purse at this time. Officials are looking for more sponsorship and drivers must attend both events to be eligible for bonus pay.
Grandstand tickets for “Fan Appreciation Night” is $5 and there will be live music. The spectator gates will open at 4:00PM and parking is priced at $10 by the fair board.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- MEMBERSHIPS / TEMPORARY PERMITS: All racers MUST PURCHASE their USAC license / membership or temporary permit (TP) online PRIOR TO THE EVENT at usaclicense.com. Season memberships come with extra insurance.
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: B&B: FRAC-0375-S w/side outlet, COAST FABRICATION: 300x625x17-2s, 350x625x17-2s, 400x625x17-2s, EXTREME: 3515-3030 (15” Long 5” round shell with 3”inlet & 3” outlet), 3615-3030 (15” Long 6” round shell with 3” inlet & 3” outlet), 3515-3030-8 (15” Long 5” round shell with 3”inlet & 3” outlet with turnout), 3615-3030-8 (15” Long 6” round shell with 3” inlet & 3” outlet with turnout), FLOWMASTER: (BCRA Approved) 13009130, 13509130, 13509135, SCHOENFELD: 14272535, 14272730-78, RODELA FAB: 2557-01 *Failure to comply with the muffler rule will risk disqualification from the event.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- RULE BOOK: The USAC Western States Midget Rule Book can be found online at usacracing.com.
- California state protocol calls for competitors, crews, officials, and anyone on the grounds to practice safe social distancing, proper sanitizing, and follow local regulations regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
In addition to championship points, every event will award points for the season-long Woodland Auto Display Top Qualifier Standings and the unsponsored Passing Master Standings. Drivers that finish in the top-3 in Woodland points will take home $500-for-1st, $300-for-2nd, and $200-for-3rd. Last season, Michael Faccinto earned Top Qualifier honors and veteran driver Randi Pankratz passed the most cars in the main events.
Heading to the Antioch debut, Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) has a 62-point lead over the competition. Driving Rusty Carlile’s #51 RacePa Motorsports / Van Meter Motorsports Spike, Fuson finished second to Caden Sarale at Petaluma on July 22nd. To date, the point leader has three feature wins, four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, three Ebbco Offroad / Wireless 101 Hard Charger Awards, seven top-10 finishes, and 53 feature laps led on the season. Brody has seven career wins and will be looking to add Antioch to his resume.
Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, California) ranks second in the chase for the championship. Racing Dean “Kiwi” Alexander’s #5K Wireless 101 / Mobil 1 Spike, Lewis finished third at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds oval. At press time, the young driver has one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, three Ebbco Offroad / Wireless 101 Hard Charger Awards, seven top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led on the year. Cade has two career wins and will have his sights on winning this Saturday night.
Ben Worth (Coalinga, California) sits third in the USAC Western States Midget point standings. The 2019 Rookie of the Year did not compete at Petaluma but has one feature win, five top-10 finishes, and 31 feature laps led in the campaign. Ben has four career wins and is looking for a ride to race at Antioch Speedway.
Veteran driver Ron Hazelton (Chatsworth, California) is fourth in the championship standings. The owner/driver of the #15 TRC Transmission / West Evans Motorsports Beast scored an eighth place finish at Petaluma Speedway. At press time, Hazelton has five top-10 finishes in the campaign and will be looking for his first career win at Antioch.
C.J. Sarna (Brea, California) ranks fifth in the Western States point chase. The owner/driver of the #20 ZMax / Final Final Lifestyle Spike scored fourth in the July 22nd feature at Petaluma. As this writing goes to press, the 2007 Co-Rookie of the Year had four top-10 finishes to his credit. Sarna has one career victory and will have his sights on winning the $2,000 victory at Antioch Speedway.
Leading rookie contender, Samuel May (Oxnard, California) ranks eighth in the point standings. Racing Steve Lambert’s #55 Employee Benefit Systems Incorporated / Josh Ford Motorsports Triple X, May has one Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award and two top-10 finishes on the year. The young driver will be looking the upset the field and claim the Saturday night win.
While Samuel May leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors, he is followed by Ben Covich (Auckland, New Zealand), Garrett Twitty (Bakersfield, California), David Gasper (Goleta, California), Brandon Wiley (Santa Maria, California), Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, California), Kevin Gray (Yuba City, California), and Steve Hix (Ventura, California).
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Blake Bower, Caden Sarale, Danika Jo Faccinto, Marvin Mitchell, Floyd Alvis, and more.
Antioch Speedway is located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch, California. General Admission tickets are $5 and parking is priced at $10 by the fair board. For more event information, visit the track’s website at antiochspeedway.com or call 925.779.9220.
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, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos, Turn Fun, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Wireless 101, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
For more information on the USAC Western States Midget Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at 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.
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USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET CHAMPIONS: 1982-Jeff Heywood, 1983-Sleepy Tripp, 1984-Tommy White, 1985-Sleepy Tripp, 1986-Robby Flock, 1987-Sleepy Tripp, 1988-Sleepy Tripp, 1989-Robby Flock, 1990-Sleepy Tripp, 1991-Sleepy Tripp, 1992-Sleepy Tripp, 1993-Robby Flock, 1994-Johnny Cofer, 1995-Billy Boat, 1996-Jay Drake, 1997-Ricky Shelton, 1998-Rick Hendrix, 1999-Marc DeBeaumont, 2000-Wally Pankratz, 2001-Danny Ebberts, 2002-Robby Flock, 2003-Steve Paden, 2004-Johnny Rodriguez, 2005-Jerome Rodela, 2006-Jerome Rodela, 2007-Johnny Rodriguez, 2008-Nic Faas, 2009-Garrett Hansen, 2010-Alex Schutte, 2011-Cory Kruseman, 2012-Shannon McQueen, 2013-Ronnie Gardner, 2014- Ronnie Gardner, 2015-Ronnie Gardner, 2016-Ronnie Gardner, 2017-Ronnie Gardner, 2018-Michael Faccinto, 2019-Robert Dalby, 2020-NO AWARD, 2021-Blake Bower, 2022-Michael Faccinto.
2023 USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET WINS: 3-Brody Fuson, 1-Jake Andreotti, 1-Cade Lewis, 1-Caden Sarale, 1-Ben Worth.
2023 USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Fuson-555, 2. Cade Lewis-493, 3. Ben Worth-363, 4. Ron Hazelton-357, 5. C.J. Sarna-328, 6. Randi Pankratz-305, 7. Blake Bower-255, 8. Ben Covich®-225, 9. Caden Sarale-223, 10. Steve Paden-220, 11. Samuel May®-193, 12. Bryan Drollinger-168, 13. Robby Josett-143, 14. Garrett Twitty®-142, 15. Danika Jo Faccinto-133, 16. Kevin Gray®-132, 17. Marvin Mitchell-131, 18. David Gasper®-120, 19. A.J. Bender-113, 20. Brandon Wiley®-96, 21. Jake Andreotti-84, 22. Michael Faccinto-80, 23. Mitchel Moles®-78, ... Chase Johnson-78, 25. Mike Leach Jr.-76, 26. Ryan Bernal-73, 27. Floyd Alvis-61, 28. T.J. Smith-59, 29. Terry Nichols-42, 30. Steve Hix®-37.
2023 WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TOP QUALFIER POINTS: 1. Brody Fuson-38, 2. Cade Lewis-22, 3. Caden Sarale-12, 4. C.J. Sarna-11, 5. Ben Worth-8, 6. Blake Bower-7, -. Randi Pankratz-7, 8. Jake Andreotti-6, -. Robby Josett-6, 10. David Gasper®-5, --. Michael Faccinto-5, 12. Danika Jo Faccinto-4, 13. A.J. Bender-3, --. Mitchel Moles®-3, --. Chase Johnson-3, 16. T.J. Smith-2, --. Brandon Wiley®-2, 18. Ryan Bernal-1, --. Garrett Twitty®-1, --. Ron Hazelton-1.
2023 SAMMY BAHR FEATURE POINTS: 1. Brody Fuson-466, 2. Cade Lewis-427, 3. Ron Hazelton-328, 4. Ben Worth-321, 5. C.J. Sarna-288, 6. Randi Pankratz-276, 7. Blake Bower-223, 8. Ben Covich®-216, 9. Steve Paden-199, 10. Caden Sarale-192, 11. Samuel May®-167, 12. Bryan Drollinger-157, 13. Garrett Twitty®-130, 14. Marvin Mitchell-126, 15. Robby Josett-125, 16. Kevin Gray®-123, 17. Danika Jo Faccinto-116, 18. David Gasper®-107, 19. A.J. Bender-99, 20. Brandon Wiley®-85, 21. Jake Andreotti-70, 22. Mitchel Moles®-67, --. Chase Johnson-67, --. Michael Faccinto-67, 25. Mike Leach Jr.-64, --. Ryan Bernal-64, 27. Floyd Alvis-55, 28. T.J. Smith-49, 29. Terry Nichols-39, 30. Steve Hix®-33.
2023 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, 13. Brandon Wiley®-3, --. Michael Faccinto-3, 15. Danika Faccinto-2, --. Ben Worth-2, 17. Chase Johnson-1, --. Blake Bower-1.
2023 USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
March 18: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (RAINED OUT)
March 25: Antioch Speedway – Antioch, CA (RAINED OUT)
April 15: Merced Speedway – Merced, CA (Winner: Ben Worth)
April 29: The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Jake Andreotti)
May 6: Placerville Speedway – Placerville, CA (RAINED OUT)
May 27: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Winner: Brody Fuson)
June 10: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Winner: Brody Fuson)
June 24: Merced Speedway – Merced, CA (Winner: Cade Lewis)
July 8: Placerville Speedway – Placerville, CA (Winner: Brody Fuson)
July 22: Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (Winner: Caden Sarale)
August 5: Antioch Speedway – Antioch, CA (Antioch Challenge #1 Presented by Graunstadt Enterprises / $2,000-to-Win)
August 26: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (CANCELLED)
September 9: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
September 30: Antioch Speedway – Antioch, CA (Antioch Challenge #2 Presented by Graunstadt Enterprises)
October 7: The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, CA (With USAC West Coast Sprint Cars / Championship Night / George Snider Classic / Awards Banquet)
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TBA = To Be Announced.
SE = Special Event / Non-Points.
This schedule is subject to change.
