RONNIE GARDNER SCORES WIN #20 AT BAKERSFIELD
By Lance Jennings
MARCH 15, 2017… Slipping past Nic Faas on lap six, Ronnie Gardner (Corona, California) claimed last Saturday’s season opener at Bakersfield Speedway. For Gardner, the $1,200 win after starting seventh was his twentieth career Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget victory. Cory Elliott, Faas, Frankie Guerrini and Terry Nichols followed the four-time and defending champion to the checkered flags.
Racing the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Pac Springs / Wilwood Brakes Stewart, Ronnie Gardner moves into fourth on the series win list behind Sleepy Tripp, Robby Flock, and Billy Boat. Gardner earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award over the twenty-three car roster and placed third in his heat race. Heading to Placerville on March 29th, Ronnie holds a three point lead over the competition.
Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, California) had a solid night and finished second in front of his hometown fans. Driving the family owned #11E FK Indy / Oilwize Spike, Elliott qualified third overall and won the 8-lap Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3. The 2015 Rookie of the Year heads to the “Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown” ranked second in points.
After leading the first five laps, Nic Faas (Huntington Beach, California) settled for third in the Bakersfield main event. Piloting Jerome Rodela’s #25X Trench Shoring / Ed Pink Racing Engines Breka, Faas was second fast in time trials and won the night’s Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #3 with a late surge over Randi Pankratz. The 2008 Champion and Rookie of the year left Bakersfield sitting third in the point chase.
Frankie Guerrini (San Rafael, California) raced to fourth at Bakersfield from twelfth. Driving the family owned #63 F&F Racing / Davis Motorsports Stealth, Guerrini qualified eighteenth overall and scored fifth in his heat race. The former BCRA Champion heads to Placerville Speedway ranked fourth in the championship points.
“The Panda” Terry Nichols (Delano, California) rebounded from restarting at the back to claim fifth in the 30-lap main event. Racing his #1P Rex & Tracie / Masters Design & Construction Spike, Nichols had trouble in time trials, placing twenty-third and scored third in his heat race. The 2009 West Coast Sprint Rookie of the Year left Bakersfield sitting fifth in the chase for the championship.
Rookie contender Mason Daniel (Visalia, California) earned the night’s Esslinger Engineering Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with an eighth place run from nineteenth. Piloting the family owned #33 Young’s Racing / Dylon Risk Management Spike, Daniel was nineteenth quick in time trials and placed seventh in his heat race. The micro sprint veteran ranks ninth in the point standings.
Robert Dalby (Anaheim, California) won the night’s 8-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving the family owned #4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Dalby qualified seventh overall and placed eleventh in his heat race. The RMMRA feature winner heads to Placerville sitting eleventh in the point chase.
On Wednesday, March 29th, the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midgets will travel to Placerville Speedway for the “Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown.” Located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville, California, the event also features the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars. More event and ticket information can be found at www.placervillespeedway.com or calling 530.344.7592.
The Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Esslinger Engineering, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, 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 BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 11, 2017 – Bakersfield, California – Bakersfield Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-12.988; 2. Nic Faas, 25X, Rodela-13.044; 3. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-13.088; 4. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-13.109; 5. Michael Faccinto, 35F, MF-13.116; 6. Courtney Crone, 25, Rodela-13.133; 7. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-13.189; 8. J.J. Ercse, 9E, Dodenhoff-13.212; 9. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-13.277; 10. Matt Mitchell, 75, Mitchell-13.331; 11. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-13.404; 12. Tyler Dolacki, 18, Dolacki-13.412; 13. David Prickett, 22Q, Neverlift-13.448; 14. Maria Cofer, 57, Cofer-13.498; 15. Austen Figueroa, 49JR, Bach-13.500; 15. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-13.554; 17. Bryan Drollinger, 71, Drollinger-13.566; 18. Frankie Guerrini, 63, Guerrini-13.661; 19. Mason Daniel, 33M, Daniel-13.742; 20. Clayton Ruston, 7X, Ruston-13.856; 21. Robby Josett, 2, Josett-13.888; 22. Ron Hazelton, 15, Hazelton-14.119; 23. Terry Nichols, 1P, Nichols-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Dalby, 2. Mitchell, 3. Gardner, 4. McQueen, 5. Sarna, 6. Prickett, 7. Daniel, 8. Hazelton. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Faas, 2. Pankratz, 3. Nichols, 4. Ercse, 5. Cofer, 6. Ruston, 7. Drollinger, 8. Faccinto. NT
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Elliott, 2. Ennis, 3. Crone, 4. Guerrini, 5. Dolacki, 6. Josett, 7. Figueroa. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Ronnie Gardner (7th), 2. Cory Elliott (1st), 3. Nic Faas (2nd), 4. Frankie Guerrini (12th), 5. Terry Nichols (8th), 6. Courtney Crone (9th), 7. J.J. Ercse (11th), 8. Mason Daniel (19th), 9. Randi Pankratz (5th), 10. Chris Ennis (6th), 11. Robert Dalby (3rd), 12. Clayton Ruston (17th), 13. Austen Figueroa (21st), 14. C.J. Sarna (13th), 15. Matt Mitchell (4th), 16. Shannon McQueen (10th), 17. Maria Cofer (14th), 18. Tyler Dolacki (15th), 19. David Prickett (16th), 20. Robby Josett (18th), 21. Ron Hazelton (22nd), 22. Bryan Drollinger. (20th) NT
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**Dolacki flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 Faas, Laps 6-30 Gardner
ESSLINGER ENGINEERING HARD CHARGER: Mason Daniel (19th to 8th)
LIGHT UP THE WORLD BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1. Ronnie Gardner-82, 2. Cory Elliott-79, 3. Nic Faas-77, 4. Frankie Guerrini-66, 5. Terry Nichols-64, 6. Courtney Crone-62, 7. J.J. Ercse-54, 8. Randi Pankratz-53, 9. Mason Daniel-51, 10. Chris Ennis-50, 11. Robert Dalby-49, 12. Clayton Ruston-42, 13. Matt Mitchell-40, 14. Austen Figueroa-39, . C.J. Sarna-39, . Shannon McQueen-39, 17. Maria Cofer-33, 18. Tyler Dolacki-31, 19. David Prickett-28, 20. Robby Josett-26, 21. Bryan Drollinger-25, 22. Ron Hazelton-24, 23. Michael Faccinto-13.
2017 LIGHT UP THE WORLD BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
March 29: Placerville Speedway – Placerville, CA (Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown)
April 8: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA
May 13: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
July 15: *Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (Jack London Hall of Fame Picnic Event)
August 19: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
September 2: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 3: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 7: *Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions)
September 16: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
September 30: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
October 28: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 18: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
November 23: #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.