FACCINTO CONTINUES WINNING WAYS AT BAKERSFIELD

By Lance Jennings

JUNE 18, 2018… Powering by Jake Swanson after a restart with 20-laps in the books, Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) raced to victory last Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway. Faccinto’s triumph marked his second consecutive Light Up The World USAC Western States Midgets presented by CBD Living Water feature win and the seventh of his career. Swanson, hard charger Robby Josett, point leader Alex Schutte, and Robert Dalby followed Faccinto to the checkered flags.

Starting on the outside of the front row, young Robert Dalby grabbed the early lead. Looking for his first series win, Dalby set a fast pace as track conditions were changing. Behind the leader, Faccinto, Schutte, and Swanson were having a torrid battle for the second, third, and fourth spots. As Dalby preferred the outside line, Schutte broke free on the low groove to take the lead at lap 15. As Schutte was settling in to the top spot, Swanson slipped by both drivers from third to take command on the next circuit. With the lead secured, Swanson was extending his head, but a flip by JFM teammate Dylan Ito on lap 20 halted the action. Now in second, Faccinto made the most of the opportunity and slid by Swanson after the restart to take the top spot. From there, Faccinto shook free from all challengers to lead the final 10-laps and earn the $1,200 win at “The West’s Fastest 1/3-Mile High Banked Clay Oval.”

Racing the Dodenhoff Motorsports’ #9D Lightning Medical / Rocket Sports & Entertainment, Michael Faccinto has won two out of three races in the young season. The former Calistoga Louie Vermeil Classic winner began his night by earning the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the stout 22-car field. In heat race action, Michael finished second to Swanson to earn a spot in the main event inversion. After the win, Faccinto has jumped from seventh to second in the point chase with two top-10 finishes and 29 feature laps led.

Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) raced hard at Bakersfield to lead five laps but had to settle for second after starting sixth. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Naturipe / Sun Valley Ag Service TCR, Swanson was tenth quick in time trials and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. After his first start of 2018, the defending USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion is twentieth in the point standings.

Robby Josett (Santa Clarita, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with a third place run from eleventh. Driving his #2 Walker Air Filtration / Morse Muffler Spike, Josett qualified seventeenth overall and scored fourth in his heat race. Heading to Petaluma, Robby sits fifth in championship points with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and two top-10 finishes to his credit.

Alex Schutte (Redding, California) battled hard at Bakersfield with Faccinto, Dalby, and Swanson to lead one lap before taking fourth at the finish line. Racing the Schutte / McElwee #29 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte was twelfth fast in time trials and won the 8-lap Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. The point leader has 25-point advantage with one feature win, three heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 18 feature laps led on the year.

Robert Dalby (Anaheim, California) led the opening 14 laps before claiming fifth in the 30-lap feature. Piloting the family owned #4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Dalby qualified fourteenth overall and ran second to Frankie Guerrini in his heat race. At press time, Robert ranks fourth in the championship chase with three top-10 finishes in the campaign.

Frankie Guerrini (San Rafael, California) raced to victory in the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Driving the family owned #63 F&F Racing / Davis Motorsports Spike, Guerrini was eighth quick in time trials and placed seventh in the main event. To date, the former BCRA Champion is sixth in the point chase with two top-10 finishes and 11 feature laps led on the season. 

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water will take a break before returning to action on Saturday, July 21st, at Rick Faeth’s Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, California. Located on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, the “Jack London Hall of Fame Race” is co-sanctioned with the BCRA Midgets and will also feature 360 Wing Sprints, 600 Micro Sprints, and Mini Stocks. For more information, visit www.petaluma-speedway.com or call 707.763.RACE (7223).

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water thanks Hoosier Tire, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

For more information on the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. 

Loudpedal Productions has USAC Western States Midget DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.

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LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER RACE RESULTS: June 16, 2018 – Bakersfield, California – Bakersfield Speedway

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Michael Faccinto, 9D, Dodenhoff-14.129; 2. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-14.521; 3. David Prickett, 24X, Neverlift-14.533; 4. Daniel Anderson, 77, Anderson-14.536; 5. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-14.635; 6. Ronnie Gardner, 2X, Neverlift-14.653; 7. Bryan Drollinger, 71, Drollinger-14.744; 8. Frankie Guerrini, 63, Guerrini-14.814; 9. Ariel Biggs, 1P, Nichols-14.874; 10. Jake Swanson, 73X, Ford-15.024; 11. Ashley Hazelton-Heredia, 15, Hazelton-15.045; 12. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-15.047; 13. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-15.108; 14. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-15.135; 15. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-15.149; 16. Clayton Ruston, 7R, CR-15.160; 17. Robby Josett, 2, Josett-15.161; 18. Kyle Beilman, 31, Beilman-15.380; 19. Dylan Ito, 73, Ford-15.395; 20. Tristan Guardino, 16K, Kruseman-15.614; 21. Sterling Cling, 6K, Kruseman-15.895; 22. Cody Swanson, 71S, Campbell-NT.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. J.Swanson, 2. Faccinto, 3. Anderson, 4. C.Swanson, 5. Pankratz, 6. Ruston, 7. Drollinger, 8. Ito. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Guerrini, 2. Dalby, 3. McQueen, 4. Josett, 5. Guardino, 6. Sarna, 7. Hazelton-Heredia. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Schutte, 2. Prickett, 3. Gardner, 4. Cling, 5. Beilman, 6. Mitchell, 7. Biggs. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Michael Faccinto (3rd), 2. Jake Swanson (6th), 3. Robby Josett (11th), 4. Alex Schutte (4th), 5. Robert Dalby (2nd), 6. Cody Swanson (10th), 7. Frankie Guerrini (5th), 8. Randi Pankratz (13th), 9. C.J. Sarna (17th), 10. Shannon McQueen (8th), 11. Clayton Ruston (16th), 12. Kyle Beilman (15th), 13. Marvin Mitchell (18th), 14. Ashley Hazelton-Heredia (20th), 15. Tristan Guardino (14th), 16. David Prickett (1st), 17. Daniel Anderson (7th), 18. Dylan Ito (22nd), 19. Sterling Cling (12th), 20. Ronnie Gardner (9th), 21. Ariel Biggs (21st), 22. Bryan Drollinger (19th). NT

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**Cling flipped on lap 11 of the feature. Ito flipped on lap 20 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Dalby, Lap 15 Schutte, Laps 16-20 J.Swanson, Laps 21-30 Faccinto

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Robby Josett (11th to 3rd)

LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER POINT STANDINGS: 1. Alex Schutte-220, 2. Michael Faccinto-195, 3. Shannon McQueen-187, 4. Robert Dalby-183, 5. Robby Josett-180, 6. Frankie Guerrini-168, 7. Clayton Ruston-158, 8. Ronnie Gardner-154, 9. Cory Elliott-146, 10. C.J. Sarna-140, 11. David Prickett-133, 12. Marvin Mitchell-117, 13. Dylan Ito-112, 14. Kyle Beilman-109, 15. Randi Pankratz-96, 16. Maria Cofer-95, 17. Bryan Drollinger-93, 18. Austin Liggett-81, 19. Ryan Bernal-79, 20. Jake Swanson-75.

2018 LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER SCHEDULE

DATE-TRACK-LOCATION

July 21: *Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (Jack London Hall of Fame Picnic Event)

August 11: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)

September 1: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)

September 2: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)

September 15: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA

October 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA

October 27: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA

November 17: #Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (November Classic)

November 22: #Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix)

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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with BCRA Midgets.

# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.

This schedule is subject to change.