FACCINTO REBOUNDS AT SANTA MARIA

By Lance Jennings

MAY 1, 2018… After flipping at Tulare’s opener, Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) won last Saturday’s Light Up the World USAC Western States Midget presented by CBD Living Water feature at Santa Maria. By winning the $1,200 30-lap main event ahead of hard charger Cory Elliott, point leader Alex Schutte, fast qualifier Robby Josett, and Ronnie Gardner, Faccinto has climbed to seventh in points.

Starting third under changing track conditions, Michael Faccinto raced the Sean Dodenhoff #9D Lightning Medical / Rocket Sports & Entertainment Spike past Frankie Guerrini for the top spot on lap twelve. From there, the former Calistoga Louie Vermeil Classic winner earned the sixth series win of his career. Earlier in the program, Faccinto qualified fourth out of twenty-two racers and ran second to Alex Schutte in his heat race.

Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, California) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with a second place run from ninth. Driving the family owned #11E Capital E Trucking / FK Indy CS9, Elliott was sixth quick in time trials and ran third in his heat race. The 2015 Rookie of the Year is second in the point chase with one heat race victory and two top-10 finishes.

Alex Schutte (Redding, California) scored third at Santa Maria after starting sixth. Piloting the Schutte/McElwee #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte qualified seventh overall and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The 2010 Champion left Santa Maria with a five point advantage on the strength of one feature win, two heat race victories, two top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led to his credit.

Robby Josett (Santa Clarita, California) started tenth and charged to fourth in the 30-lap main event. Racing his #2 Walker Performance Filtration / Morse Muffler Spike, Josett earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and placed fourth in his heat race. Heading to Bakersfield, Robby is eighth in the point standings with on top-10 finish.

Ronnie Gardner (Riverside, California) started seventh and raced his way to second before taking fifth at the checkered flags. Driving Ken Dalby’s #14D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Gardner was tenth quick in time trials and ran third in his heat race. The five-time champion left Santa Maria ranked fourth in points with two top-10 finishes on the year.

Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) raced to victory in the Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Walker Performance Filtration / Naturipe TCR, Bernal qualified fifth overall and scored eighteenth in the main event. The two-time USAC Western Classic Champion ranks fifteenth in points with 8 feature laps led in the campaign.

David Prickett (Fresno, California) won Santa Maria’s Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3. Racing the Neverlift Motorsports #24X Crysalli Artesian Water / Mt. Rose Cocktail Mixes Spike in honor of Harisen Riley, Prickett was ninth fast in time trials and took seventh in the feature. The 2012 Dirt Champion ranks eleventh in the point chase with one top-10 finish.

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water will take a break in the schedule before returning to action on Saturday, June 16th, at Bakersfield Speedway. The third point race will also feature the IMCA Modifieds, American Stocks, Mini Dwarfs, California Lightning Sprints, and Mini Mods. Bakersfield Speedway is located at 5001 North Chester Extension in Bakersfield, California. Advance tickets are on sale and for more event/ticket information, visit the track’s website at www.bakersfieldspeedway.com or call 661.393.3373.   

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water thanks Hoosier Tire, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, 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 USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER RACE RESULTS: April 28, 2018 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Robby Josett, 2, Josett-14.786; 2. Clayton Ruston, 7R, CR-14.920; 3. Maria Cofer, 57, Cofer-15.008; 4. Michael Faccinto, 9D, Dodenhoff-15.178; 5. Ryan Bernal, 73X, Ford-15.308; 6. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-15.363; 7. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-15.387; 8. Frankie Guerrini, 63, Guerrini-15.501; 9. David Prickett, 24X, Neverlift-15.513; 10. Ronnie Gardner, 14D, Dalby-15.717; 11. Bryan Drollinger, 71, Drollinger-15.746; 12. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-15.819; 13. Kyle Beilman, 31, Beilman-15.912; 14. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-15.946; 15. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-16.059; 16. Dylan Ito, 73, Ford-16.114; 17. Britton Bock, 67, Bock-16.187; 18. Ron Hazelton, 15, Hazelton-16.245; 19. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-16.947; 20. Austin Liggett, 3F, Finkenbinder-NT; 21. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-NT; 22. Koen Shaw, 2D, Neverlift-NT.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Schutte, 2. Faccinto, 3. Gardner, 4. Josett, 5. Ito, 6. Beilman, 7. Mitchell. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Bernal, 2. Guerrini, 3. Ruston, 4. Drollinger, 5. Pankratz, 6. Bock. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Prickett, 2. McQueen, 3. Elliott, 4. Cofer, 5. Dalby, 6. Sarna, 7. Hazelton. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Michael Faccinto (3rd), 2. Cory Elliott (9th), 3. Alex Schutte (6th), 4. Robby Josett (10th), 5. Ronnie Gardner (7th), 6. Shannon McQueen (1st), 7. David Prickett (4th), 8. Robert Dalby (15th), 9. Clayton Ruston (8th), 10. Maria Cofer (12th), 11. Frankie Guerrini (2nd), 12. Randi Pankratz (14th), 13. C.J. Sarna (18th), 14. Dylan Ito (13th), 15. Kyle Beilman (16th), 16. Bryan Drollinger (11th), 17. Marvin Mitchell (19th), 18. Ryan Bernal (5th), 19. Ron Hazelton (21st), 20. Koen Shaw (22nd), 21. Britton Bock (17th). NT

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**Sarna flipped during qualifications. DNS=Austin Liggett.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-11 Guerrini, Laps 12-30 Faccinto.

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Cory Elliott (9th to 2nd)

LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER POINT STANDINGS: 1. Alex Schutte-151, 2. Cory Elliott-146, 3. Shannon McQueen-136, 4. Ronnie Gardner-124, 5. Robert Dalby-118, 6. Clayton Ruston-114, 7. Michael Faccinto-112, 8. Robby Josett-111, 9. Frankie Guerrini-108, 10. Maria Cofer-95, 11. David Prickett-91, 12. C.J. Sarna-86, 13. Dylan Ito-84, 14. Austin Liggett-81, 15. Ryan Bernal-79, 16. Marvin Mitchell-77, 17. Bryan Drollinger-68, 18. Ron Hazelton-67, 19. Kyle Beilman-66, 20. Randi Pankratz-43, ... Matt Mitchell-43

2018 LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER SCHEDULE

DATE-TRACK-LOCATION

June 16: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA

July 21: *Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (Jack London Hall of Fame Picnic Event)

August 11: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)

September 1: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)

September 2: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)

September 15: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA

October 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA

October 27: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA

November 17: #Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (November Classic)

November 22: #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.