USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGETS RETURN TO ANTIOCH
By Lance Jennings
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023... The chase for the USAC Western States Midget Championship resumes this Saturday, September 30th at Antioch Speedway. Thanks to the generous sponsorship from Tel Tac Digital Tachometers, the “Chet Thomson Memorial” and final round of the Antioch Challenge Mini Series Presented by Graunstadt Enterprises will pay $2,000-to-win, $1,100-for-second, and $800-for-third. The tenth point race will also feature Dwarf Cars, Super Stocks, and Hardtops. 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 Antioch Challenge Mini-Series Presented by Graunstadt Enterprises consists of the August 5th and September 30th races at Antioch Speedway. Points are kept and the champion will earn $500. $500 will also be awarded to fifth (5th) and tenth (10th) place finishers.
Tickets are still available for the October 7th “Championship Night Banquet” at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park. Starting approximately 30 minutes after the final checkered flag of the “George Snider Classic,” the event is the year-end celebration for the USAC Western States Midgets and the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars. Tickets are $40 until September 30th and will be $50 after that date. The event will have awards, dinner (chicken or tri-tip), photo slide show, beverages, and music. To purchase tickets and RSVP, contact Stephanie Odom at the races or email her at odom.stephanie@me.com.
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.
The “mighty midgets” made their Antioch debut on August 5th and T.J. Smith claimed the victory aboard the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Stewart. That night, Brody Fuson established the track record of 13.882 seconds.
Returning to Antioch, Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) has a 34-point lead over the competition. Driving Rusty Carlile’s #51 RacePa Motorsports / Van Meter Motorsports Spike, Fuson claimed his fourth win of the season at Ventura Raceway on September 9th. At press time, the point leader also has six Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, three Ebbco Offroad / Wireless 101 Hard Charger Awards, eight top-10 finishes, and 63 feature laps led on the season. Brody has eight career victories and is tied with Stan Fox, Michael Lewis, Steve Paden, Dave Steele, and Danny Stratton on the series win list. Fuson will be looking to add Antioch to his resume and get closer to the 2023 championship.
Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, California) is second in the championship point standings. Racing Dean “Kiwi” Alexander’s #5K Wireless 101 / Mobil 1 Spike, Lewis placed fifth in the September 9th feature. To date, 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, nine top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led on the year. Cade has two career wins and will have his sights on winning the Thomson Memorial.
Veteran driver Ron Hazelton (Chatsworth, California) is tied for third in the chase for the championship. The owner/driver of the #15 TRC Transmission / West Evans Motorsports Beast scored eleventh at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on September 9th. At press time, Hazelton has five top-10 finishes in the campaign and will be looking for the first win of his career at Antioch.
C.J. Sarna (Brea, California) is tied with Ron Hazelton for third in the USAC Western States Midget point chase. The owner/driver of the #20 ZMax / Final Final Lifestyle Spike placed seventh the last time out at Ventura Raceway. As this writing goes to press, the 2007 Co-Rookie of the Year has six 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.
Ben Worth (Coalinga, California) sits fifth in the USAC Western States Midget point chase. The pilot of Dean “Kiwi” Alexander’s #5V Wireless 101 / Mobil 1 Spike did not compete at Ventura but has one feature win, six top-10 finishes, and 31 feature laps led in the campaign. The 2019 Rookie of the Year has four career wins and will be looking to gain points with the Saturday night victory.
Leading rookie contender, Ben Covich (Auckland, New Zealand) ranks eighth in the point standings. The owner/driver of the #65 Dean “Kiwi” Alexander / Matt Streeter Racing backed Spike has four top-10 finishes to his credit. The young driver will be looking the upset the field and claim the win at Antioch.
While Ben Covich leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors, he is followed by Samuel May (Oxnard, California), David Gasper (Goleta, California), Kevin Gray (Yuba City, California), Garrett Twitty (Bakersfield, California), Brandon Wiley (Santa Maria, California), Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, California), Nicco Panella (Stockton, California), and Steve Hix (Ventura, California).
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Caden Sarale, T.J. Smith, Danika Jo Faccinto, Marvin Mitchell, Floyd Alvis, Jim Keene, Jerry Kobza, and more.
Antioch Speedway is located on the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds at 1201 West 10th Street in Antioch, California. General Admission Adult tickets are $20, Military tickets are $15, Senior tickets (60 and over) are $15, Child tickets (under 11) are $15, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. 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, Tel Tach Digital Tachometers, 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: 4-Brody Fuson, 1-Jake Andreotti, 1-Cade Lewis, 1-Caden Sarale, 1-T.J. Smith, 1-Ben Worth.
ANTIOCH USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET TRACK RECORD: Brody Fuson – 13.882 (08/05/23)
ANTIOCH USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET WIN: 1-T.J. Smith.
2023 USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Fuson-671, 2. Cade Lewis-637, 3. Ron Hazelton-440, -. C.J. Sarna-440, 5. Ben Worth-434, 6. Randi Pankratz-403, 7. Caden Sarale-332, 8. Ben Covich®-319, 9. Samuel May®-293, 10. David Gasper®-264, 11. Blake Bower-255, 12. Steve Paden-220, 13. Robby Josett-207, --. T.J. Smith-207, 15. Danika Jo Faccinto-187, 16. Marvin Mitchell-170, 17. Bryan Drollinger-169, 18. Kevin Gray®-162, 19. Jake Andreotti-160, 20. Garrett Twitty®-142, 21. A.J. Bender-113, 22. Brandon Wiley®-96, 23. Michael Faccinto-80, 24. Mitchel Moles®-78, --. Chase Johnson-78, 26. Mike Leach Jr.-76, 27. Ryan Bernal-73, 28. Floyd Alvis-61, 29. Jim Keene-52, 30. Nicco Panella®-50, 31. Terry Nichols-42, 32. Colby Johnson-41, 33. Billy Rayburn-40, 34. Jerry Kobza-38, 35. Steve Hix®-37.
ANTIOCH CHALLENGE MINI SERIES PRESENTED BY GRAUNSTADT ENTERPRISES POINT STANDINGS: 1. T.J. Smith-78, 2. Cade Lewis-76, --. Jake Andreotti-76, 4. Ben Worth-71, 5. David Gasper®-64, 6. C.J. Sarna-56, 7. Samuel May®-54, --. Danika Jo Faccinto-54, 9. Nikko Panella®-50, 10. Randi Pankratz-47, 11. Ben Covich®-44, 12. Colby Johnson-41, 13. Ron Hazelton-40, ---. Caden Sarale-40, 15. Marvin Mitchell-39, 16. Jerry Kobza-38, 17. Brody Fuson-34, 18. Kevin Gray®-30.
2023 WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TOP QUALFIER POINTS: 1. Brody Fuson-50, 2. Cade Lewis-30, 3. Caden Sarale-14, 4. Ben Worth-12, 5. C.J. Sarna-11, -. David Gasper®-11, 7. Jake Andreotti-9, 8. Robby Josett-8, 9. Blake Bower-7, --. Randi Pankratz-7, 11. T.J. Smith-6, 12. Michael Faccinto-5, 13. Danika Jo Faccinto-4, 14. A.J. Bender-3, --. Mitchel Moles-3, --. Chase Johnson-3, 17. Brandon Wiley®-2, 18. Ryan Bernal-1, --. Garrett Twitty®-1, --. Ron Hazelton-1, --. Samuel May-1.
2023 SAMMY BAHR FEATURE POINTS: 1. Brody Fuson-563, 2. Cade Lewis-549, 3. Ron Hazelton-408, 4. C.J. Sarna-395, 5. Ben Worth-382, 6. Randi Pankratz-362, 7. Ben Covich®-303, 8. Caden Sarale-287, 9. Samuel May®-255, 10. David Gasper®-232, 11. Blake Bower-223, 12. Steve Paden-199, 13. Robby Josett-180, --. T.J. Smith-180, 15. Danika Jo Faccinto-168, 16. Marvin Mitchell-163, 17. Bryan Drollinger-157, 18. Kevin Gray®-152, 19. Jake Andreotti-137, 20. Garrett Twitty®-130, 21. A.J. Bender-99, 22. Brandon Wiley®-85, 23. Mitchel Moles-67, --. Chase Johnson-67, --. Michael Faccinto-67, 26. Mike Leach Jr.-64, --. Ryan Bernal-64, 28. Floyd Alvis-55, 29. Jim Keene-49, 30. Nicco Panella®-46, 31. Terry Nichols-39, 32. Billy Rayburn-37, 33. Jerry Kobza-35, 34. Steve Hix®-33, --. Colby Johnson-33.
2023 PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1. Cade Lewis-33, 2. Brody Fuson-28, 3. Ron Hazelton-23, 4. Ben Covich®-15, 5. Marvin Mitchell-10, -. David Gasper®-10, 7. C.J. Sarna-9, 8. Caden Sarale-8, 9. Steve Paden-7, --. Robby Josett-7, --. Samuel May-7, 12. Jake Andreotti-6, --. Danika Jo Faccinto-6, 14. Jim Keene-5, 15. Bryan Drollinger-4, --. Garrett Twitty®-4, --. Randi Pankratz-4, 18. Brandon Wiley®-3, 18. Brandon Wiley®-3, --. Michael Faccinto-3, --. Ben Worth-3, 21. 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 (Winner: T.J. Smith)
September 9: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Winner: Brody Fuson)
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.
