COTTONGIM, LEWIS RECORD FOCUS WINS AT ANDERSON, MADERA


USAC’s California Dirt and Utah Auto Trader Ford Focus series see action this Saturday as the battle for 2009 USAC championships continues.


 


Nick Carlson leads the dirt contingent to Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif. Friday and Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. Cody Gerhardt leads the Utah series into this Saturday night’s race at Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City. Kyle Edwards leads the latest Junior Focus standings into Saturday’s Hanford event, where they share the billing with the Western Midgets and Ford Focuses.


 


Tyler Cottongim of Avon, Ind. won Friday night’s 30-lap USAC Midwest Ford Focus feature at the Anderson Speedway. He took the lead on lap six after Taylor Ferns got tangled up with a car she was lapping. Cottongim then led the final 25 laps in his O’Kelly’s Restaurant Equipment/Detro Trailer Sales Stealth to beat Joe Liguori, Jimmy Simpson, Coleman Gullick and Chris Lamb. Former National Ford Focus Champ Robbie Ray was forced out in a tangle on lap eight. Liguori emerged as the new series point leader by seven over Cottongim going into a May 21 race at New Castle, Ind.


 


Michael J. Lewis of Laguna Beach, Calif. led all but the first lap of Saturday night’s 25-lap USAC California Pavement Ford Focus feature at Madera Speedway. The victory was the first for the son of Steve Lewis, whose 132 victories as a car owner lead USAC’s all-time National Midget Series list. Nick Romano, Jeff Oleen, Zach Stout and Garrett Peterson rounded out the “top-five” at the checkered flag. Stout led the first lap of the race. Series point leader Gerhardt finished eighth.