AUSTIN LIGGETT IS BACK ON TOP AT PLACERVILLE

PLACERVILLE, CA – JULY 14, 2021… Starting from the pole position, point leader Austin Liggett (Linden, CA) led all 30-laps to take Saturday’s “Gold Dust Fever” win at Placerville Speedway. Driving the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Liggett Trucking Spike, Liggett earned his second $1,200 USAC Western States Midget win of the campaign. “Sugar” Shane Golobic, Merced winner Chase Johnson, “Fireball” Maria Cofer, and fast qualifier Michael Faccinto chased Liggett to the finish line.

Before scoring the fourth USAC Western States Midget win of his career, Liggett and his team had to change an engine after the previous night’s action at Merced. With the new power plant installed, Austin qualified seventh overall and placed fourth in his heat race. The former USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion left the El Dorado County Fairgrounds with a 40-point advantage over the competition. 

2019 Champion, Michael Faccinto (Hanford, CA) returned to USAC competition and earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Driving Marcie Campbell’s #7J Marcie Campbell Realtor Spike, Faccinto posted a time of 12.603 on the quarter-mile oval over the 16-car field. Michael finished fifth in his heat race and scored fifth in the main event after starting eighth.

C.J. Sarna (Brea, CA) scored the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award with an eighth place run in the main event from thirteenth. Piloting his #20 ZMAX Spike, Sarna was thirteenth fast in time trials and placed seventh in his heat race. The former co-rookie of the year has climbed to fourth in the chase for the championship. 

By virtue of her thirteenth place finish, Randi Pankratz (Atascadero, CA) earned the Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award. Racing the family owned #8 HASA Pool Products Edmunds, the veteran driver qualified eleventh overall, finished sixth in her heat race, and is now tied for nineteenth in the point standings.

The 10-lap heat race victories went to Ben Worth (Extreme Mufflers First Heat), and Maria Cofer (Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Second Heat).

On Saturday, July 31st, the USAC Western States Midgets will return to Petaluma Speedway (Petaluma, CA). The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will join the action packed card at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds.

The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. 

For more information on the 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.

FloRacing.com has live, flag-to-flag coverage of the USAC Western States Midget Series. You can catch the action by subscribing to FloRacing on a monthly or yearly basis to view their huge catalog of live and on-demand auto racing and sporting events.

USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 10, 2021 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California – “Gold Dust Fever”

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Michael Faccinto, 7J, Campbell-12.603; 2. Maria Cofer, 57, Cofer-12.651; 3. Shane Golobic, 07W, Wood-12.707; 4. Chase Johnson, 73, Ford-12.745; 5. Blake Bower, 9, Boscacci-12.766; 6. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-12.537; 7. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.809; 8. Dylan Bloomfield, 14JR, Brown-12.914; 9. Ben Worth, 5K, Alexander-13.069; 10. Tony Gualda, 73X, Ford-13.421; 11. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-13.447; 12. Kyle Mentch, 35, Pierovich-13.865; 13. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-13.891; 14. Ben Wiesz, 21, Wiesz-13.895; 15. Jarrett Soares, 12, Soares-13.964; 16. Beau Lemire, 14, Lemire-17.157.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Worth, 2. Bower, 3. Golobic, 4. Liggett, 5. Faccinto, 6. Pankratz, 7. Sarna, 8. Soares. NT.

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Cofer, 2. Fuson, 3. Bloomfield, 4. Johnson, 5. Mentch, 6. Wiesz, 7. Gualda, 8. Lemire. NT.

FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Austin Liggett (1), 2. Shane Golobic (5), 3. Chase Johnson (4), 4. Maria Cofer (6), 5. Michael Faccinto (8), 6. Brody Fuson (2), 7. Blake Bower (3), 8. C.J. Sarna (13), 9. Ben Weisz (14), 10. Kyle Mentch (12), 11. Jarrett Soares (15), 12. Ben Worth (7), 13. Randi Pankratz (11), 14. Dylan Bloomfield (9). NT.

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**Bloomfield flipped on lap 1 of the feature. Lemire and Gualda Did Not Start.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Liggett.

ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: C.J. Sarna (13th to 8th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Randi Pankratz

NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Austin Liggett-483, 2-Blake Bower-443, 3-Brody Fuson-422, 4-C.J. Sarna-358, 5-Ben Worth-351, 6-Shannon McQueen-320, 7-Maria Cofer-282, 8-David Prickett-279, 9-Chase Johnson-236, 10-Jarrett Soares-212.

NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: July 31 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California