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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Honda USAC Western Midget Series
RONNIE GARDNER ADDS SANTA MARIA’S “DOUG FORT MEMORIAL” TO WIN LIST
By Lance Jennings
JULY 8, 2015... Powering past Richard Vander Weerd on the third lap, Ronnie Gardner of Corona, California led the rest of the way to win the “Doug Fort Memorial” at Santa Maria. Friday’s $1,000 Honda USAC Western Midget triumph was the second victory of the campaign for the two-time champion. Trey Marcham, Shannon McQueen, Vander Weerd, and Cody Swanson rounded out the top-five drivers.
Charging from the sixth starting sport, Ronnie Gardner piloted the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Baldozier Racing / Esslinger Engineering Stewart to his thirteenth career series victory. Now tied with Tony Stewart and Jimmy Sills for tenth overall, Gardner earned his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the year and ran fourth in his heat race. Heading to Petaluma on July 18th, Ronnie is second in points with one heat race victory, two top-10 finishes, and 28 feature laps led to his credit.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma’s Trey Marcham earned the night’s DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a second place run from ninth. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Marcham qualified seventh overall and scored sixth in his heat race. The former Rookie of the Year left Santa Maria ranked fourth in the standings with three top-10 finishes and 20 feature laps led on the season.
Shannon McQueen of Bakersfield, California ran third in the “Doug Fort Memorial.” Racing the McQueen Racing #7 Lucas Oil / Simpson Race Products Spike, McQueen was fifth quick in time trials and placed third in her heat race. Heading to Petaluma, the former champion sits third in points with four top-10 finishes in the campaign.
After leading the first two circuits, Visalia, California’s Richard Vander Weerd scored fourth in the Santa Maria feature. Piloting Mike Sala’s #19 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Spike, Vander Weerd qualified sixth overall and ran third in his heat race. Last season’s “Fort Memorial” winner has one DMI / Ultra Shield Race Products “Hard Charger Award and two top-10 finishes on the year.
Corona, California’s Cody Swanson placed fifth in the “Doug Fort Memorial.” Driving the family owned #71S Marcie Campbell Realtor / Advanced Racing Suspension Spike, Swanson was third fast in time trials and finished second to Cory Elliott in his heat race. The point leader left Santa Maria with a two point advantage on the strength of three top-10 finishes.
In his first start of the season, Cory Elliott of Bakersfield, California raced to victory in the 8-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Racing the family owned #11E Oilwize / Speed Quest Motorsports Spike, Elliott qualified ninth overall and finished seventh in the main event.
Delano, California’s Terry Nichols held off Cory Kruseman to claim victory in the 8-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Piloting his #1P Johasee Rebar / Neverlift Motorsports Spike, Nichols was eighth quick in time trials and ran sixth in the 25-lap main event. The former West Coast Sprint Rookie of the Year is currently fifth in the standings with two heat race victories and four top-10 finishes to his credit.
On Saturday, July 18th, the Honda USAC Western Midgets will travel to Rick Faeth’s Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, California. Located on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, the event is co-sanctioned with the BCRA Midgets and will also feature the Joe Hunt Wingless Sprints, BCRA Midget Lites, Vintage Midgets, and 600 Micro Sprints. 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, 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:
July 3, 2015 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway – “Doug Fort Memorial”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-14.898; 2. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-14.949; 3. Cody Swanson, 71S, Swanson-14.957; 4. Cory Kruseman, 21K, Kruseman-15.075; 5. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-15.109; 6. Richard Vander Weerd, 19, Sala-15.139; 7. Trey Marcham, 73, Ford-15.314; 8. Terry Nichols, 1P, Nichols-15.465; 9. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-15.520; 10. Doug Hunting, 2, Hunting-15.901; 11. Chris Dyson, 12K, Kruseman-16.113.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (8 laps)
1. Elliott, 2. Swanson, 3. McQueen, 4. Gardner, 5. Dyson, 6. Marcham. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (8 laps)
1. Nichols, 2. Kruseman, 3. Vander Weerd, 4. Pankratz, 5. Hunting. NT
FEATURE: (25 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ronnie Gardner (6th), 2. Trey Marcham (9th), 3. Shannon McQueen (2nd), 4. Richard Vander Weerd (1st), 5. Cody Swanson (4th), 6. Terry Nichols (7th), 7. Cory Elliott (8th), 8. Chris Dyson (11th), 9. Doug Hunting (10th), 10. Cory Kruseman (3rd), 11. Randi Pankratz (5th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Vander Weerd, Laps 3-25 Gardner.
DMI / ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Trey Marcham (9th to 2nd)
HONDA USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINT STANDINGS:
1. Cody Swanson-227, 2. Ronnie Gardner-225, 3. Shannon McQueen-215, 4. Trey Marcham-209, 5. Terry Nichols-201, 6. Scott Pierovich-144, 7. Nick Chivello-115, 8. Brian Gard-114, --.Steve Davis-114, 10. Michael Faccinto-99, 11. Randi Pankratz-98, 12. Danny Faria Jr.-92, 13. Sean Dodenhoff-80, 14. Brady Bacon-74, 15. David Prickett-57, 16. Jack Hawley-46, 17. Jimmy Voitel-42, 18. Nate Waite-41, 19. Jeff Harrington-38, 20. Ricky Shelton-27.
2015 HONDA USAC WESTERN DIRT MIDGET SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
July 18: *Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma, CA
September 5: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Midget Week)
September 6: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Midget Week)
September 10: *Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Midget Week)
September 12: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (California Midget Week)
September 19: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
October 3: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA
November 27: # Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, 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.
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