USAC Regional Preview: 6/20/2019
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINT BATTLE RESUMES AT VENTURA
By Lance Jennings
#4D Robert Dalby (Lance Jennings Photo)
JUNE 18, 2019… After a schedule break, the USAC Western States Midgets will battle at Ventura Raceway, this Saturday, June 22nd. Promoted by Jim Naylor, the fourth point race is the first of four appearances at the 1/5-mile oval. Saturday’s event will also feature the VRA Dwarf Cars, VRA Senior Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, and Focus / WMR Midgets. The Pit Gates will open at Noon, the Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, and Racing at “The Best Little Dirt Track in America” is set for 5:30pm. For more information, visit the track’s website at venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
Since May 24, 1986, 145 USAC Western States Midget events have been held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Sleepy Tripp claimed the inaugural victory and leads all drivers with eighteen Ventura wins. At press time, Johnny Cofer holds the 1-lap qualifying record of 11.675 that was set on November 18, 1995. A complete series win list at Ventura is at the bottom of this release.
Entering the fourth point race, there have been two different winners. Making his first career start, Ben Worth won the season opener at Bakersfield on April 6th. Then, Liggett topped the April 20th debut at Merced and Santa Maria on April 27th.
After his second win of the campaign at Santa Maria, Austin Liggett (Tracy, CA) has a 29-point advantage over the competition. Racing the family owned Liggett’s #83 Excel Environmental Services / Liggett Trucking Spike, Liggett also has one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes, and 13 feature laps led to his credit. The rookie point leader and defending USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion will be looking to add Ventura to his win list.
Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, CA) ranks second in the championship point standings. Driving the family owned #11E Capital E Trucking / Nagel Earthworks Spike, Elliott led eight laps at Santa Maria before scoring fourth at the checkered flags. To date, the 2015 Rookie of the Year has posted two heat race victories and three top-10 finishes on the season. Cory has two career wins and will have his sights on his first triumph at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
Shannon McQueen (Bakersfield, CA) is tied for third in the USAC Western Midget point chase. Piloting the McQueen Racing #7 Simpson Race Products / Lucas Oil Bullet, McQueen placed fifth in the Santa Maria feature. At press time, the 2012 Champion has three top-10 finishes and will be looking for her first win of the season.
Robert Dalby (Anaheim, CA) is tied with McQueen for third in the chase for the championship. Racing the family owned #4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Dalby earned the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and ran second to Austin Liggett at Santa Maria. To date, the young driver has posted two top-10 finishes and will have his sights on his first career win this Saturday night.
David Prickett (Fresno, CA) sits fifth in the Western States point standings. Piloting the Neverlift Motorsports’ #22Q Crysalli Artesian Water / Western Performance Spike, Prickett scored an eighth-place finish on April 27th after starting twelfth. At press time, the 2012 Dirt Series Champion has one heat race victory, two hard charger awards, and three top-10 finishes to his credit. David will be looking to claim his first win of the season at Ventura.
While Liggett leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors, Ben Worth (Coalinga, CA), Jackson Dukes (Clovis, CA), Troy Morris III (Bakersfield, CA), Mike Leach Jr. (Orange, CA), and Ricky Lewis (Oxnard, CA) are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are C.J. Sarna, Marvin Mitchell, Randi Pankratz, Kyle Beilman, Cody Swanson, Dylan Ito, Jake Swanson, Michael Faccinto, “The Panda” Terry Nichols, Alex Schutte, “Fireball” Maria Cofer, Bryan Drollinger, and more.
Ventura Raceway is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California. Adult tickets are $15, Senior tickets (60 and older), Active Military tickets (ID Required), and Student tickets (with ID) are $11. Kids tickets (12 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks AMSOIL, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
For more information on the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC Western States Midget Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
FloSports has USAC Western States Midget live videos and on-demand coverage available for purchase at www.floracing.com.
#5$ Danny Smith (Sapulpa, Okla.) (Jeff Taylor Photo)
USAC WSO TOUR RISES FRIDAY AT CREEK COUNTY
Sapulpa, Oklahoma (June 17, 2019)………USAC Wingless Sprints Oklahoma hits the midway point of three-straight weekends of racing with this Friday’s event at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla.
This marks the second appearance by USAC/WSO this season at Creek County following Andrew Deal’s victory on the last weekend of April. Danny Smith (Sapulpa, Okla.) ran second in that one to Deal (Caney, Kans.) followed by Tim Kent (Bristow, Okla.), Cameron Hagin (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Johnny Kent (Kiefer, Okla).
J. Kent leads the standings following last Friday’s triumph at Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, Okla., 14 points in front of Smith, T. Kent, defending champion Brett Wilson (Sapulpa, Okla.) and Noah Harris.
Friday’s event also features the POWRi West Midgets and Dwarf Cars.
USAC WINGLESS SPRINTS OKLAHOMA POINTS: 1-Johnny Kent-400, 2-Danny Smith-386, 3-Tim Kent-383, 4-Brett Wilson-376, 5-Noah Harris-357, 6-Cameron Hagin-350, 7-Waylon Weaver-320, 8-Ryan Dean-313, 9-Cody Jarvis-300, 10-J.C. Wilson-297.
#14 Connor Gross (Asbury, N.J.) (Jacob Seelman Photo)
NASHVILLE, MALTA, MONTPELIER, OH MY, AWAIT BIG USAC SPEED2 MIDGET WEEKEND
Speedway, Indiana (June 17, 2019)………Three USAC Speed2 Midget series prepare for this weekend’s tripleheader of racing action featuring the DMA, Eastern and Midwest Thunder divisions in Malta, N.Y., Nashville, Tenn. and Montpelier, Ind., respectively.
This Friday, June 21, marks the first of two races this season for the DMA Midgets at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y. Jason Goff and Will Hull won last year’s races at Albany-Saratoga. East Montpelier, Vermont’s Hull leads the standings following last weekend’s victory at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vt.
On Saturday, June 22, the Eastern Midgets make their debut on the ΒΌ-mile at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee. Nolan Allison (Greensboro, N.C.) was victorious in the most recent round at Virginia’s Shenandoah Speedway on the first of June and leads the standings coming in.
After three consecutive rainouts, Montpelier Motor Speedway in Montpelier, Ind. is more than eager to welcome the Midwest Thunder Midgets this Saturday night, June 22. Three races have been run thus far, two at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway won by Aaron Leffel (Springfield, Ohio) and Chett Gehrke (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and once at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway won by Leffel, the two-time and defending series champ who leads the series standings.
Saturday at Albany-Saratoga, pit gates open at 4pm, grandstand at 5pm and racing at 7pm. Adult general admission tickets are $11, kids 11 and under are $2. Pit passes are $20 for members and $25 for non-members.
Saturday at Nashville, pits open at 9am, grandstands at 2:30pm and racing at 5:30. General admission tickets are $10 for seniors and military, $8 for kids 6-12, $5 for ladies and Kids 5 and under are free.
Saturday at Montpelier, gates open at 3pm, cars on track at 5pm and racing at 6:30pm. Adult general admission tickets are $15, kids 12 and under are free (with paid adult). Pit passes are $30 apiece.
USAC SPEED2 DMA MIDGET POINTS: 1-Will Hull-375, 2-Seth Carlson-357, 3-Joe Krawiec-337, 4-Dean Christensen-310, 5-Justin Phillips-277, 6-Manny Dias-276, 7-T.J. Foster-243, 8-Adam Whitney-233, 9-Dan Douville-227, 10-Justin Sheridan-226.
USAC SPEED2 EASTERN MIDGET POINTS: 1-Nolan Allison-212, 2-Alex Murray-209, 3-Jessica Bean-191, 4-Connor Gross-197, 5-Eric Lewis-172, 6-Preston Lattomus-154, 7-Daytona Spicola-154, 8-Neal Allison-135, 9-Bronzie Lawson-85, 10-Sam Hatfield-75.
USAC SPEED2 MIDWEST THUNDER MIDGET POINTS: 1-Aaron Leffel-207, 2-Stratton Briggs-158, 3-Gunnar Lucius-144, 4-Cory Guingrich-142, 5-Ian Creager-135, 6-Kyle Kriegbaum-135, 7-Alex Watson-134, 8-Zane Briggs-115, 9-Chris Bounds-113, 10-Jacob Denney-107.
LINKS
Visit USAC’s official website at www.USACracing.com.
Follow USAC on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usacnation.
Like USAC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usacracing.
Be sure to follow USAC on Instagram at www.instagram.com/usacnation.
Subscribe to FloRacing.com – http://bit.ly/2TVlkHe to watch USAC racing live and on-demand all year long.
Sources: Richie Murray/USAC PR