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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
CORY ELLIOTT BREAKS THROUGH TO FIRST VICTORY AT HANFORD
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 7, 2015... Leading every lap, Cory Elliott of Bakersfield, California won Saturday’s Honda USAC Western Midget feature at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway. The 15-year old driver dominated the action to earn his first series win at the “Jim Evett Memorial.” Sean Dodenhoff, Fast Qualifier Ronnie Gardner, Michael Faccinto, and Alex Schutte followed Elliott to the checkered flags.
Racing the family owned #11E FK Indy / Oilwize Spike, Cory Elliott qualified seventh out of nineteen racers and claimed fifth in his heat race. Starting on the pole position of the feature, the rookie grabbed the early lead and shook free from the challenges of “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. and Sean Dodenhoff. Hitting his marks like a veteran, Elliott began to run away from the field and had great restarts after red and yellow flags. The young driver recorded the fastest laps of the main event and took the checkered flags with a 6.8 second margin of victory. To date, the young driver has one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes.
Bakersfield, California’s Sean Dodenhoff had a strong night at Hanford with a second place finish. Driving his #9D Lightning Medical Pro / Torco Oil Spike, Dodenhoff was third quick in time trials and placed fourth in his heat race. The veteran driver sits eleventh in points with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, and two top-10 finishes.
After an early tangle, Ronnie Gardner of Corona, California restarted at the back and charged to third at Keller Auto Speedway. Piloting the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Baldozier Racing / Ram-Bull Racing Stewart, Gardner earned his fifth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and placed third in his heat race. Getting closer to his third straight title, Ronnie has a 181-point lead on the strength of two feature wins, three heat race victories, one DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 45 feature laps led.
Hanford, California’s Michael Faccinto raced from ninth to score fourth at the “Jim Evett Memorial.” Racing the MF Motorsports’ #35F #OSV / 3 Girls Spike, Faccinto qualified fourth overall and took third in his heat race. Michael left his hometown track ranked fifth in the point standings with two feature wins, one heat race victory, two DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products Hard Charger Awards, six top-10 finishes, and 39 feature laps led on the year.
Alex Schutte of Redding, California claimed fifth at the Kings County Fairgrounds. Driving the Schutte/McElwee #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte was second fast in time trials and was fourth in his heat race. To date, the 2010 Champion has one feature win, one heat race victory, two DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products Hard Charger Awards, two top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led in the campaign.
Bakersfield, California’s Jeff Harrington earned the night’s DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eighth place run from fifteenth. Piloting the #9E Lightning Medical Pro / Torco Oil Spike, Harrington qualified fifteenth overall and scored seventh in his heat race. In limited starts, Jeff sits eighteenth in the point standings.
Shannon McQueen of Bakersfield, California raced to victory in the 8-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving the McQueen Racing #7 Lucas Oil / Simpson Race Products Spike, Shannon was fifth quick in time trials and scored sixth in the main event. Heading to Perris’ Turkey Night Grand Prix, McQueen is second in the point chase with two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes and 12 feature laps led to her credit.
Tipton, California’s “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. won the 8-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Racing Clive Brutton’s #11R Ryno Fabrication / TCR Performance entry, Faria qualified sixth overall and scored thirteenth in the feature after an early flip. In limited starts, the 2013 USAC West Coast Sprint Champion is twelfth in points with two top-10 finishes.
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series will take a break in the schedule before returning to action at Perris Auto Speedway on Thursday, November 26th. Co-sanctioned with the Honda USAC National Midgets, the 75th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix will feature a new full-race format. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or call (951) 940-0134.
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, K&N Engineering, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, 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 [email protected].
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 Honda USAC Western Midget Facebook and Twitter pages. Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the Honda USAC Western Midgets and for more information, call 805.407.7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
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HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGETS RACE RESULTS:
October 3, 2015 – Hanford, California – Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - “Jim Evett Memorial”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-16.451; 2. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte-16.481; 3. Sean Dodenhoff, 9D, Dodenhoff-16.634; 4. Michael Faccinto, 35F, MF-16.663; 5. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-16.776; 6. Danny Faria Jr., 11R, Brutton-16.855; 7. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-16.865; 8. Steve Davis, 2D, Davis-16.925; 9. Scott Pierovich, 35, Pierovich-16.932; 10. Nick Chivello, 27, Chivello-16.943; 11. Troy Rutherford, 87JR, Vermeer-16.944; 12. Terry Nichols, 1P, Nichols-17.022; 13. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-17.047; 14. Nate Waite, 35W, MF-17.400; 15. Jeff Harrington, 9E, Dodenhoff-17.530; 16. Brian Gard, 88, Arata-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (8 laps)
1. McQueen, 2. Rutherford, 3. Gardner, 4. Dodenhoff, 5. Elliott, 6. Pankratz, 7. Harrington. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (8 laps)
1. Faria, 2. Nichols, 3. Faccinto, 4. Schutte, 5. Gard, 6. Waite, 7. Chivello, 8. Davis. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Cory Elliott (1st), 2. Sean Dodenhoff (4th), 3. Ronnie Gardner (6th), 4. Michael Faccinto (9th), 5. Alex Schutte (5th), 6. Shannon McQueen (3rd), 7. Brian Gard (10th), 8. Jeff Harrington (15th), 9. Randi Pankratz (13th), 10. Troy Rutherford (7th), 11. Nate Waite (14th), 12. Steve Davis (11th), 13. Danny Faria Jr. (2nd), 14. Terry Nichols (8th). NT
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**Pierovich flipped during qualifications. Chivello flipped during second heat. Faria flipped during the feature.
**Chivello did not start feature. Was scheduled to start 12th.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Elliott
DMI / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Jeff Harrington (15th to 8th)
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ronnie Gardner-672, 2. Shannon McQueen-491, 3. Cody Swanson-428, --. Terry Nichols-428, 5. Michael Faccinto-389, 6. Randi Pankratz-375, 7. Trey Marcham-339, 8. Brian Gard-319, 9. Nick Chivello-262, 10. Scott Pierovich-250, 11. Sean Dodenhoff-238, 12. Danny Faria Jr.-204, 13. Steve Davis-200, 14. Nate Waite-161, 15. Rico Abreu-145, 16. Brady Bacon-145, 17. David Prickett-122, 18. Jeff Harrington-79, 19. Kevin Thomas Jr.-65, 20. Jack Hawley-46.
2015 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
November 26: #Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix)
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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.
This schedule is subject to change.
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