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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
68 Ronnie Gardner & Crew in Lemoore Victory Lane. Photo by Bryan Lugo Photography.
RONNIE GARDNER WINS SHOOTOUT AT LEMOORE
By Lance Jennings
LEMOORE, CA – JULY 28, 2014... Retaking the lead from Trey Marcham on lap 25, Corona’s Ronnie Gardner claimed the Honda USAC Western Midget debut at Lemoore Raceway. Saturday’s $1,000 triumph was the defending champion’s his first victory of the campaign. Fast qualifier Marcham, Randi Pankratz, Heath Duinkerken, and Scott Pierovich followed Ronnie to the checkered flags.
Starting fourth in the main event, Ronnie Gardner led the first eighteen circuits in the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Baldozier Racing / Esslinger Engineering Stewart. As Gardner had to contend with slower traffic, Marcham took advantage and grabbed the top spot. With the laps counting down at a torrid pace and changing track conditions on the 1/5-mile oval, Gardner stayed within striking distance. On lap twenty-five, Ronnie shot to the lead after a Marcham miscue and sailed to the 30-lap feature win.
For Gardner, the Lemoore victory was his tenth career series win, placing him in a tie for fifteenth overall with Johnny Cofer, Jerry Coons Jr., Dave Darland, Cory Kruseman, and Ron Shuman. Earlier in the program, Ronnie qualified fourth out of the seventeen racers in the pit area and ran second to Heath Duinkerken in his heat race. Heading to Petaluma on August 9th, the defending champion is third in the overall points and second in the dirt series with two VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Awards, five top-10 finishes, and 37 feature laps led.
Trey Marcham of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had to settle for second in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products TCR, Marcham set a new track record, earned the VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Award, and placed third in his heat race. Last season’s Rookie of the Year leads the dirt series and ranks second in the overall points with two feature wins, two VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Awards, one heat race victory, five top-10 finishes, and 29 feature laps led to his credit.
After starting on the outside of the front row, Atascadero’s Randi Pankratz scored third at Lemoore Raceway. Driving the Wally Pankratz owned #8 HASA Pool Products / Trench Shoring Edmunds, Randi qualified seventh overall and ran second to Jake Hagopian in her heat race. The veteran driver will head to Petaluma with one heat race victory and two top-10 finishes on the season.
In his second start in Steve Watt’s #81 Duinkerken Farms / Christian Stover Foundation Stealth, Heath Duinkerken of Laton scored fourth at Lemoore. Adapting quickly to the 1/5-mile oval, Duinkerken was second fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. At press time, Heath was earned two top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Alamo’s Scott Pierovich charged to fifth at Lemoore after starting tenth. Racing the family owned #35 Mid-Coast Trans / Good Guys Spike, Pierovich qualified fourteenth overall and placed fourth in his heat race. Currently, the veteran driver is seventh in the dirt chase and sixth in the overall points with one VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, and two top-10 finishes.
“The Wild Child” Chris Ennis of Bakersfield earned his second Competition Suspension Inc. “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eighth place run from sixteenth. Racing the family owned #86 Sidewaze Designs / Young’s Commercial Trucking Spike, Ennis was sixteenth quick in time trials and scored eighth in his heat race. To date, the 2011 Co-Rookie of the Year is eighth in the overall points and fifth in the dirt series with three top-10 finishes in 2014.
Fresno’s Jake Hagopian raced to victory in the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Making his first midget start behind the wheel of Mike Sala’s #19 Sala Construction / Weldway Inc. Spike, Hagopian qualified ninth overall and claimed sixth in the 30-lap main event.
On Saturday, August 9th, the Honda USAC Western Midgets will travel to Rick Faeth’s Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, California. Located on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, the “3rd Annual John Soares Classic” is co-sanctioned with the BCRA Midgets and will also feature the Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints, and BCRA Midget Lites. For more information, visit www.petaluma-speedway.com or call 707.763.RACE (7223).
The Honda USAC Western Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, and VanLare Steering Repair for their support. For more information on the series, visit www.usacracing.com or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usacwsmidgets), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/USAC_WSMIDGET).
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HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT RACE RESULTS:
July 26, 2014 - Lemoore, California - Lemoore Raceway
VANLARE STEERING REPAIR TIME TRIALS:
1. Trey Marcham, 73, Ford-13.231 (New Track Record); 2. Heath Duinkerken, 81, Watt-13.361; 3. Austin Stone, 6, Denome-13.489; 4. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-13.546; 5. Danny Ebberts, 5, Van Dyne-13.563; 6. Chad Nichols, 17, Nichols-13.621; 7. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-13.725; 8. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-13.758; 9. Jake Hagopian, 19, Sala-13.862; 10. Jarid Blondel, 98, Blondel-13.961; 11. Brian Gard, 88, Arata-13.966; 12. Ricky Shelton, 71, Full Circle-13.994; 13. Barry Pries Jr., 14, BRAP-14.082; 14. Scott Pierovich, 35, Pierovich-14.115; 15. Tyler Dolacki, 99, JK-14.213; 16. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-14.365; 17. Terry Nichols, 45, Nichols-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Jake Hagopian, 2. Randi Pankratz, 3. Trey Marcham, 4. Brian Gard, 5. Danny Ebberts, 6. Austin Stone, 7. Tyler Dolacki, 8. Terry Nichols, 9. Barry Pries Jr.. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Heath Duinkerken, 2. Ronnie Gardner, 3. Shannon McQueen, 4. Scott Pierovich, 5. Ricky Shelton, 6. Jarid Blondel, 7. Chad Nichols, 8. Chris Ennis. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ronnie Gardner (4th), 2. Trey Marcham (6th), 3. Randi Pankratz (2nd), 4. Heath Duinkerken (5th), 5. Scott Pierovich (10th), 6. Jake Hagopian (7th), 7. Ricky Shelton (9th), 8. Chris Ennis (16th), 9. Danny Ebberts (3rd), 10. Austin Stone (11th), 11. Jarid Blondel (13th), 12. Chad Nichols (12th), 13. Shannon McQueen (1st), 14. Barry Pries Jr. (14th), 15. Terry Nichols (17th), 16. Brian Gard (8th), 17. Tyler Dolacki (15th). NT
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*Terry Nichols flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-18 Ronnie Gardner, Laps 19-24 Trey Marcham, Laps 25-30 Ronnie Gardner.
COMPETITION SUSPENION INC. HARD CHARGER: Chris Ennis (16th to 8th)
NEW HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT POINTS:
1-Trey Marcham-323, 2-Ronnie Gardner-306, 3-Jarid Blondel-192, 4-Shannon McQueen-187, 5-Chris Ennis-167, 6-Alex Schutte-157, 7-Scott Pierovich-154, 8-Ricky Shelton-147, 9-Tyler Dolacki-127, 10-Sean Dodenhoff-109.
NEW HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINTS:
1-Jarid Blondel-355, 2-Trey Marcham-323, 3-Ronnie Gardner-306, 4-Chad Nichols-288, 5-Alex Schutte-210, 6-Scott Pierovich-193, 7-Shannon McQueen-187, 8-Chris Ennis-167, 9-Nick Chivello-164, 10-Ricky Shelton-147.
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
August 9: *Petaluma, CA - Petaluma Speedway (John Soares Classic)
August 30: Calistoga, CA - Calistoga Speedway (Louie Vermeil Classic / $10,000-to-win)
August 31: Calistoga, CA - Calistoga Speedway (Louie Vermeil Classic / $10,000-to-win)
September 4: *Chico, CA - Silver Dollar Speedway (Gold Cup Race Of Champions)
September 20: Bakersfield, CA - Bakersfield Speedway
November 20: #Peoria, AZ - Canyon Speedway Park (Western World Championships)
November 21: #Peoria, AZ - Canyon Speedway Park (Western World Championships)
November 22: #Peoria, AZ - Canyon Speedway Park (Western World Championships)
November 27: #Perris, CA Perris Auto Speedway (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.
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN PAVEMENT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
September 13: *Madera Speedway – Madera, CA (Harvest Classic)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with BCRA Midgets.
This schedule is subject to change.
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