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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
-#88 Brian Gard & Crew in Chico’s Victory Circle. Photo by MMRacingPhotos.com.
BRIAN GARD WINS GOLD AT SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
CHICO, CA – SEPTEMBER 8, 2014... Grabbing the lead from Trey Marcham on lap fifteen, Kelseyville’s Brian Gard earned his first career Honda USAC Western & BCRA Midget feature win at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Marcham, Shane Golobic, Richard Vander Weerd, and “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign followed Gard to the checkered flags.
Racing the Arata Brothers’ #88 Storcks Garage / Cliff Marden Snap-On Tools Ellis, Brian Gard scored the 30-lap victory during the famed “Gold Cup Race of Champions.” Qualifying eighth out of the twenty-four racers in the pit area, Gard also won the 8-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Heading to Bakersfield on September 20th, Brian has one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led.
After leading the first fourteen laps, Trey Marcham of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had to settle for second at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products TCR, Marcham was tenth quick in time trials and ran second to Ronnie Gardner in his heat race. Last season’s Rookie of the Year left Chico ranked second in the overall and dirt points with two feature wins, two VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 56 feature laps led to his credit.
Fremont’s Shane Golobic charged from seventh to claim third at Silver Dollar Speedway. Driving Doug Bock’s #26 Hubbard Motorsports / Factory Kahne Shocks Spike, Golobic qualified second overall and ran third in his heat race. In limited starts, the versatile driver has two top-10 finishes and 6 feature laps led on the season.
Richard Vander Weerd of Visalia returned to midget competition and claimed fourth in the 30-lap feature. Piloting Mike Sala’s #19S Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Spike, Vander Weerd was third fast in time trials and placed third in his heat race. Currently, the 2011 USAC West Coast Sprint Champion has one feature win, one heat race victory, two top-10 finishes, and 20 feature laps led in 2014.
Sebastopol’s “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors” with a fifth place run from twenty-second. Making his first midget start behind the wheel of Dave Thurston’s #11 Bruce Thurston Enterprises Spike, Ensign qualified twelfth overall and scored eighth in his heat race.
Ronnie Gardner of Norco earned his fourth VanLare Steering Repair Fast Time Award and set a new track record in the process. Driving the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Baldozier Racing / Esslinger Engineering Stewart, Gardner won the 8-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and placed seventh in the main event. Currently first in the dirt and overall point chase, the defending champion has two feature wins, three heat race victories, nine top-10 finishes, and 83 feature laps led on the season.
Redding’s Alex Schutte won the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Pyrotect Racing Cells Heat Race #3. Racing the Schutte/McElwee owned #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte was eleventh quick in time trials and charged to eighth in the main event after starting twenty-first. The former series champion left Chico ranked third in the dirt series with two heat race victories, and five top-10 finishes in the campaign.
This Saturday, September 13th, the Honda USAC Western Midgets will tackle the pavement of Madera Speedway for the annual “Harvest Classic.” Located on the Madera County Fairgrounds in Madera, California, the co-sanctioned BCRA Midget showcase will also feature the Super Modified vs. Wing Sprints, USAC HPD Midgets, NCMA/PBR Spec Sprints, Vintage Super Modifieds, Twisted Tea Modifieds, and Pulling Tractors. For more information, visit www.racemadera.com or call 559.673.RACE.
The Honda USAC Western Dirt Midgets will invade Bakersfield Speedway for their appearance of the season on September 20th. The event will also showcase IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Mini Stocks, HardTops, and Ignite Midgets. Located in Bakersfield, California at 5001 N. Chester Extension, more information can be found at www.bakersfieldspeedway.com or calling 661.393.3373.
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. 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 Honda USAC Western Midget 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 (co-sanctioned by BCRA):
September 4, 2014 – Chico, California – Silver Dollar Speedway – “Gold Cup Race of Champions”
VANLARE STEERING REPAIR TIME TRIALS:
1. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-14.047 (New Track Record); 2. Shane Golobic, 26, Bock-14.411; 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 19S, Sala-14.517; 4. Barry Pries Jr., 14, Pries-14.517; 5. Sean Dodenhoff, 9D, Dodenhoff-14.567; 6. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-14.590; 7. Frankie Guerrini, 63, Guerrini-14.617; 8. Brian Gard, 88, Arata-14.634; 9. Sean Becker, 19, Sala-14.14.638; 10. Trey Marcham, 73, Ford-14.645; 11, Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-14.680; 12. Geoff Ensign, 11, Thurston-14.732; 13. Tyler Seavey, 57, Cofer-14.767; 14. Jarid Blondel, 98, Blondel-1797; 15. Chad Nichols, 17, Nichols-14.851; 16. Gary Conterno, 55, Conterno-15.019; 17. Lance Hallmark, 8H, Hallmark-15.075; 18. Scott Kinney, 27C, Blackwell-15.127; 19. Sparky Howard, 3, Faeth-15.290; 20. Floyd Alvis, 11F, Champion-15.407; 21. Rick Cook II, 7R, Cook-15.469; 22. Doug Hunting, 2, Hunting-15.527; 23. J.R. Williams, 74, Williams-15.851; 24. Tanner Thorson, 27B, Blackwell-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (8 laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Marcham, 3. Guerrini, 4. Conterno, 5. Howard, 6. Pries, 7. Hunting, 8. Ensign. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (8 laps)
1. Gard, 2. Dodenhoff, 3. Golobic, 4. Seavey, 5. Alvis, 6. Hallmark, 7. Williams, 8. Blondel. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / PYROTECT RACING CELLS HEAT RACE #3: (8 laps)
1. Schutte, 2. McQueen, 3. Vander Weerd, 4. Kinney, 5. Cook, 6. Nichols, 7. Becker. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Brian Gard (2nd), 2. Trey Marcham (1st), 3. Shane Golobic (7th), 4. Richard Vander Weerd (6th), 5. Geoff Ensign (22nd), 6. Sean Dodenhoff (5th), 7. Ronnie Gardner (8th), 8. Alex Schutte (21st), 9. Shannon McQueen (4th), 10. Frankie Guerrini (3rd), 11. Lance Hallmark (14th), 12. Floyd Alvis (17th), 13. J.R. Williams (20th), 14. Gary Conterno (13th), 15. Doug Hunting (19th), 16. Sparky Howard (16th), 17. Tyler Seavey (11th), 18. Barry Pries Jr. (9th), 19. Jarid Blondel (23rd), 20. Scott Kinney (15th), 21. Chad Nichols (12th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Marcham, Laps 15-30 Gard.
HARD CHARGER: Geoff Ensign (22nd to 5th).
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ronnie Gardner-559, 2. Trey Marcham-527, 3. Alex Schutte-334, 4. Jarid Blondel-308, 5. Scott Pierovich-288, 6. Shannon McQueen-247, 7. Sean Dodenhoff-221, 8. Chris Ennis-186, 9. Chad Nichols-172, 10. Tyler Dolacki-155, 11. Nick Chivello-153, 12. Ricky Shelton-147, 13. Christopher Bell-142, 14. Tanner Thorson-135, 15. Rico Abreu-120, 16. Johnathon Henry-115, 17. Jake Swanson-97, 18. Terry Nichols-94, 19. Barry Pries Jr.-80, 20. Michael Pickens-54.
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ronnie Gardner-559, 2. Trey Marcham-527, 3. Jarid Blondel-471, 4. Alex Schutte-387, 5. Chad Nichols-359, 6. Scott Pierovich-327, 7. Nick Chivello-255, 8. Shannon McQueen-247, 9. Sean Dodenhoff-221, 10. Chris Ennis-186, 11. Tyler Dolacki-155, 12. Ricky Shelton-147, 13. Christopher Bell-142, 14. Jake Swanson-140, 15. Tanner Thorson-135, 16. Rico Abreu-120, 17. Darin Snider-116, 18. Johnathon Henry-115, 19. Terry Nichols-94, 20. Barry Pries Jr.-80.
2014 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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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