BRODY FUSON GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE AT PETALUMA
By Lance Jennings
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA – JULY 26, 2022… Leading all 30-laps, young Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) roared to last Saturday’s victory at Petaluma Speedway. Driving Rusty Carlile’s #51 RacePa Motorsports / W.E. Spike, Fuson earned his second $1,200 USAC Western States and BCRA Midget win of the season. Starting on the pole position, Brody avoided trouble and stormed to a half-lap triumph over point leader and fast qualifier Michael Faccinto, Blake Bower, Jake Andreotti, and Travis Buckley.
Fuson began the eighth point race by qualifying sixth overall and placing fourth in his heat race. After earning his fourth career win, last year’s runner-up has climbed to second in the point chase.
Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) earned his third Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the year by posting a time of 15.102 seconds over the 17-car roster. Driving the Graunstadt Enterprises #14-*J T&T Trucking / Gary Silva Ranches Spike, Faccinto ran second to Ben Worth in his heat race and finished second in the feature after restarting at the back when problems sent him to the work area. The 2018 champion left the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds with an 84-point advantage.
Making his first start in Matt Streeter’s #14JR T&T Trucking / Gary Silva Ranches Spike, Ben Worth (Coalinga, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Jordan Hanni Well Drilling Heat Race #1. The 2019 Rookie of the Year qualified seventh overall and finished twelfth in the main event after a tangle ended his night. At press time, Worth is ranked third in the point standings heading to Santa Maria on August 13th.
Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, California) won Petaluma’s 10-lap Ammonia Refrigeration Service Heat Race #2. Piloting the Pete Davis owned #00 Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters / Buchanan Automotive Stealth, Andreotti was eighth fast in time trials and charged from eighth to fourth in the feature. After the checkered flags waved, the young driver has climbed to sixth in the chase for the championship.
Danika Jo Parker (Oakdale, California) earned the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award with an eighth place run from fifteenth. Driving the family owned #13 Rosa Motorsports / Sala Racing Spike, Parker qualified fifteenth overall and ran seventh in her heat race. Heading to Santa Maria, the BCRA rookie is eleventh in the USAC Western standings.
Rookie driver Thomas Esberg (Kelseyville, California) earned the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish in the main event. Racing his #8X T&A Automotive / S&K Automotive Stealth, Esberg was eleventh quick in time trials and finished sixth in his heat race. Thomas left Petaluma Speedway ranked thirteenth in the point standings.
The USAC Western States Midgets will return to action on Saturday, August 13th, at Santa Maria Raceway in Santa Maria, California.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks Ammonia Refrigeration Service, AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Elk Grove Ford, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Hoosier Racing Tire, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Vahlco Wheels, 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.
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 23, 2022 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California –Co-Sanctioned with BCRA
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Michael Faccinto, 14J, Graunstadt-15.102; 2. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-15.248; 3. Blake Bower, 9, Boscacci-15.269; 4. Daniel Whitley, 3F, Finkenbinder-15.439; 5. Travis Buckley, 7NZ, Buckley-15.485; 6. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-15.558; 7. Ben Worth, 14JR, Streeter-15.598; 8. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-15.645; 9. Michael Snider, 6K, Snider-15.779; 10. A.J. Bender, 1X, LKK-15.869; 11. Thomas Esberg, 8X, Esberg-16.558; 12. Dave Stoltz, 77, Stoltz-16.591; 13. Anthony Esberg, 1K, Esberg-16.827; 14. Floyd Alvis, 18, Champion-17.204; 15. Danika Jo Parker, 13, Parker-17.271; 16. Darin Snider, 6X, Snider-NT; 17. Kevin Gray, 7L, Gray-NT.
JORDAN HANNI WELL DRILLING FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Worth, 2. Faccinto, 3. Buckley, 4. Bower, 5. M.Snider, 6. T.Esberg, 7. Parker, 8. A.Esberg. NT.
AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SERVICE SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Andreotti, 2. Sarale, 3. Bender, 4. Fuson, 5. Stoltz, 6. Whitley, 7. D.Snider, 8. Alvis. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Brody Fuson (1), 2. Michael Faccinto (6), 3. Blake Bower (4), 4. Jake Andreotti (8), 5. Travis Buckley (2), 6. Caden Sarale (5), 7. Michael Snider (9), 8. Danika Jo Parker (15), 9. Anthony Esberg (13), 10. Floyd Alvis (14), 11. Daniel Whitley (3), 12. Ben Worth (7), 13. Thomas Esberg (11), 14. Dave Stolz (12). NT.
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**Whitley flipped on lap 1 of the second heat. Sarale, Andreotti, and A.Esberg flipped on lap 2 of the feature. Bender, D.Snider, and Gray did not start feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Fuson
ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Danika Jo Parker (15th to 8th)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Thomas Esberg
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-550, 2-Brody Fuson-466, 3-Ben Worth-449, 4-Blake Bower-445, 5-Travis Buckley-442, 6-Jake Andreotti-387, 7-A.J. Bender-382, 8-Caden Sarale-303, 9-Michael Snider-292, 10-Austin Liggett-251.
TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-31, 2-Ben Worth-25, 3-Shane Golobic-12, --Jake Andreotti-12, --Blake Bower-12, 6-Brody Fuson-10, 7-Chase Johnson-6, --Mitchel Moles-6, --Travis Buckley-6, 10-Austin Liggett-5, --Robby Josett-5, --Colton Raudman-5, --Caden Sarale-5.
PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-A.J. Bender-20, --Travis Buckley-20, 3-Caden Sarale-18, --Michael Faccinto-18, --Danika Jo Parker-18, 6-Brody Fuson-17, 7-Randi Pankratz-16, 8-Thomas Esberg-15, 9-Anthony Esberg-14, 10-Ben Wiesz-12, --Jake Andreotti-12.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: August 13 – Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, California