CODY FENDLEY GETS FIRST WIN AT PLACERVILLE’S “GOLD DUST FEVER”

PLACERVILLE, CA – JULY 14, 2021… In one of the most contested main events in USAC West Coast Sprint Car history, Cody Fendley (Placerville, CA) emerged victorious last Saturday at Placerville Speedway. Piloting Jessica Russell’s #73C Russell Bookkeeping / ADCO Driveline Triple X, Fendley held off Merced winner Ryan Bernal in a green-white-checker shootout to earn his first USAC triumph in front of his hometown fans. Bernal, Kalib Henry, Jarrett Soares, and Arizona’s Logan Calderwood rounded out the top-five drivers.

With ten official lead changes between Brody Fuson, Bernal, new track record holder Kaleb Montgomery, Jake Morgan, and Fendley, race fans in attendance were highly entertained. The final ten laps on the technical surface spotlighted a torrid battle between Montgomery and Morgan for the top spot. Taking the white flag, leader Morgan had his eyes on his first USAC win, but those dreams were dashed. Reaching the final corners, contact with Montgomery ended the race for both drivers. Third running Fendley inherited the lead and sailed to the “Gold Dust Fever” checkered flags.

Before scoring his first career USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph, Cody Fendley qualified third overall and placed fifth in his heat race. In limited starts, Fendley left the El Dorado County Fairgrounds ranked tenth in points.

For the second night in a row, Kaleb Montgomery (Templeton, CA) posted a new track record and claimed the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Driving the family owned #3 Mission Country Properties / David Crye Maxim, Montgomery registered a time of 11.658 on the quarter-mile oval over the 24-car field. Kaleb finished third in his heat race, earned the Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award with a thirteenth place finish, and currently sits fourth in the point chase.

Shane Hopkins (Placerville, CA) scored the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award for the second consecutive night. Driving Brian Sperry’s #51X C&H Veteran Enterprises Kunz, Hopkins had a sixth place run from eighteenth. 

In his second USAC West Coast start, Heath Holdsclaw (Loomis, CA) won the night’s Saldana Racing Products Spec Award. Piloting Russell Case’s #33H Intents Racing Spike, Holdsclaw was seventeenth quick in time trials, ran fifth in his heat race, and was the highest finishing Spec Sprint by placing seventeenth in the main event.

The night’s 10-lap heat race victories went to Kalib Henry (Extreme Mufflers First Heat), point leader D.J. Johnson (Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars Second Heat), and Jake Morgan (Competition Suspension Incorporated / Ultra Shield Race Products Third Heat).

The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars are back in action on Saturday, July 31st at Petaluma Speedway (Petaluma, CA). The USAC Western States Midgets will share the spotlight at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. 

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, 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 West Coast Sprint Car Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

FloRacing.com has live, flag-to-flag coverage of the USAC West Coast Sprint Car 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 WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 10, 2021 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California – “Gold Dust Fever”

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-11.658 (New Track Record); 2. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-11.772; 3. Cody Fendley, 73C, Russell-11.832; 4. Ryan Bernal, 17W, Wood-11.833; 5. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-11.888; 6. Brody Fuson, 51, Van Meter-11.952; 7. Kalib Henry, 33K, Case-11.973; 8. Kyle Edwards, 39, Edwards-12.147; 9. Jake Hodges, 4X, Hodges-12.155; 10. Tanner Boul, 99T, Boul-12.158; 11. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-12.270; 12. Cody Smith, 5, Smith-12.401; 13. Jarrett Soares, 12, Soares-12.452; 14. Nate Shank, 1, Shank-12.461; 15. Jake Morgan, 2SB, Miller-12.490; 16. Tuesday Calderwood, 4, Calderwood-12.505; 17. Heath Holdsclaw, 33H, Case-12.523; 18. Shane Hopkins, 51X, Sperry-12.562; 19. Jimmy Trulli, 33T, Trulli-12.567; 20. Braidon Moniz, 22JR, Moniz-12.595; 21. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-12.605; 22. Matt Streeter, 11, Silva-12.650; 23. Michael Faccinto, 8, Richardson-NT; 24. Jacob Tuttle, 3F, Finkenbinder-NT.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT RACE: (10 laps) 1. Henry, 2. Soares, 3. Montgomery, 4. Bernal, 5. Boul, 6. T.Calderwood, 7. Trulli, 8. Streeter. NT, 

SWAY-A-WAY TORSION BARS SECOND HEAT RACE: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. Edwards, 3. Schank, 4. Moniz, 5. Holdsclaw, 6. L.Calderwood, 7. Liggett. NT.

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS THIRD HEAT RACE: (10 laps) 1. Morgan, 2. Hopkins, 3. Smith, 4. Fuson, 5. Fendley, 6. Hodges, 7. Timmons, 8. Tuttle. NT.

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Cody Fendley (8), 2. Ryan Bernal (4), 3. Kalib Henry (2), 4. Jarrett Soares (14), 5. Logan Calderwood (12), 6. Shane Hopkins (18), 7. Tuesday Calderwood (16), 8. Jake Hodges (10), 9. Cody Smith (13), 10. Austin Liggett (9), 11. D.J. Johnson (5), 12. Jake Morgan (7), 13. Kaleb Montgomery (6), 14. Nate Schank (15), 15. Kyle Edwards (1), 16. Tanner Boul (11), 17. Heath Holdsclaw (17), 18. Braidon Moniz (20), 19. Jimmy Trulli (19), 20. Brody Fuson (3), 21. Ryan Timmons (21), 22. Matt Streeter (22). NT.

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*Morgan flipped on lap 29 of the feature. Faccinto and Tuttle did not start feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Fuson, Lap 3 Bernal, Lap 4 Fuson, Laps 5-6 Montgomery, Laps 7-8 Fuson, Laps 9-19 Montgomery, Lap 20 Morgan, Laps 21-22 Montgomery, Laps 23-29 Morgan, Lap 30 Fendley

ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Shane Hopkins (18th to 6th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Kaleb Montgomery

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS SPEC AWARD: Heath Holdsclaw

NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-D.J. Johnson-400, 2-Austin Liggett-353, 3-Ryan Timmons-319, 4-Kaleb Montgomery-257, 5-Ryan Bernal-241, 6-Tanner Boul-238, 7-Brody Roa-229, 8-Kyle Edwards-217, 9;Jarrett Soares-211, 10-Cody Fendley-210.

NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE: July 31 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California