LIGUORI, RANKINE #1 AT SPEEDROME; SCHROCK, FARLEY TOPS AT ORANGE SHOW

USAC’s Western Ford Focus and Young Guns series continue this week with races at Watsonville, Calif. and Stockton, Calif. Friday’s racing at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville includes the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint cars and Saturday’s races are at Stockton 99 Speedway.


 


Joe Liguori of Tampa, Fla. and Ross Rankine of Willard, Ohio earned USAC Ford Focus and Young Guns feature victories respectively Wednesday at the Indianapolis (Ind.) Speedrome on “Mel Kenyon Night.” Liguori emerged the winner of the 40-lap Ford Focus race in his Pit Stop BBQ/C & R Racing Beast, taking the lead from Jake Blackhurst and Tyler Cottongim in turn three on the final lap! Cottongim led the first 39 laps but slipped behind Blackhurst at the start of the final lap. Cottongim made a bid to regain the,” lead in turn three but Liguori slipped under both to post the win and take over the Midwest Ford Focus point lead.


 


In the 25-lap Young Guns race Rankine benefited from a tangle between leaders Gage Walker and Cooper Clouse on the final lap and emerged the winner of the 25-lap contest in his Rankine Manufacturing Stealth. Walker finished second ahead of Clouse and Stevie Kuhn. Kuhn led the first 13 laps before sliding into the wall, then Clouse led the next 11 until the last-lap tangle.


 


Drivers Eli Schrock of Jeffersonton, Va. and Austin Farley of Brighton, Colo. gave car owner Ron Sutton a “sweep” of Saturday night’s USAC Ford Focus and Young Guns features at the Orange Show Speedway in san Bernardino, Calif. Schrock led all 30 laps of the Western Ford Focus race to beat Cody Gerhardt, Jessica Clark, Shawn Buckley and Wally Pankratz.


 


In the Orange Show Young Guns race, Jarid Blondel led the first 13 laps but slipped to fourth at the finish behind Jessica Clark and Tanner Long. Brandon White rounded out the “top-five


 


The Midwest Ford Focus and Young Guns series resume June 23 at the Indianapolis Speedrome with “Michael Lang Night,” celebrating the seven-time USAC driving champion and 53-time Speedrome feature winner.