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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC Western States Midget Series
MICHAEL FACCINTO MAKES MOST OF PLACERVILLE RETURN
By Lance Jennings
PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10, 2022… Starting sixth, Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) swept last Saturday’s “Mother’s Day Madness” at Placerville Speedway. The 2018 Champion set fast time, won his heat race, and topped the USAC Western States / BCRA Midget 30-lap main event. By winning the third round of the Elk Grove Ford Mini Series, Faccinto has taken over the USAC Western States point lead and the Elk Grove Ford point chase. Teammate Dylan Bloomfield, Chase Johnson, Austin Liggett, and Brody Fuson rounded out the top-five drivers.
Polesitter Austin Liggett got the jump on the field to take the early lead. The former USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion found the bottom groove to his liking but soon had to deal with Jake Andreotti. Andreotti, who won the last Placerville visit on March 26th, was carrying more momentum from the outside line. Jake’s patience paid off and the young driver grabbed the top spot from Liggett on the twelfth lap. Once out front, Andreotti set a torrid pace, but faced heartbreak two laps later as mechanical issues ended his night. Liggett regained the lead but was challenged by Faccinto. Michael slipped past Austin for the lead on the twenty-third circuit. Liggett looked to make a counter move that was dashed by the Placerville cushion. Faccinto looked to sail away from the competition but his teammate Dylan Bloomfield began to apply pressure. Bloomfield’s challenge fell short as Faccinto took the checkered flags at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
Driving the Graunstadt Enterprises’ #14J T&T Trucking / Gary Silva Ranches Spike, Faccinto earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the year by posting a time of 11.870 seconds over the 23-car roster. Next, Michael won the night’s 10-lap Jordan Hanni Well Drilling Heat Race #1 and scored the tenth win of his career, putting him in a tie with Johnny Cofer, Jerry Coons Jr., “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland, “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman, and “The Flying Shoe” Ron Shuman.
Jake Morgan (Fair Oaks, California) made his first start of the campaign and won the 10-lap Ammonia Refrigeration Service Heat Race #2. Racing the family owned #45 Pacific Valley Fire Protection Inc. / Sala Racing entry, Morgan qualified eighth overall and placed seventh in the feature. The local driver left Placerville Speedway ranked twenty-second in series points and twenty-second in the Elk Grove Ford mini-series.
Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) topped the 10-lap Wireless 101 Heat Race #3. Piloting Rusty Carlile’s #51 RacePa Motorsports / W.E. Spike, Fuson was ninth quick in time trials and charged to fifth in the feature after starting eighth. The young driver is currently fifth in series points and eleventh in the Elk Grove Ford standings.
Travis Buckley (Auckland, New Zealand) earned the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award with a tenth place run from twenty-second. Driving the family owned #7NZ Buckley Systems / Kruseman Motorsports Spike, Buckley did not qualify which put him in twenty-third and finished seventh in his heat race. The rookie contender left Placerville ranked fourth in USAC Western points and eighth in the Elk Grove Ford mini-series.
Long time BCRA veteran Dave Stoltz (Auburn, California) returned to USAC Western States action and earned the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award.” Racing his #77 Pacific Flyer machine, Stoltz qualified twentieth overall and scored eighth in his heat race. Dave left the El Dorado County Fairgrounds ranked thirty-seventh in points and twenty-ninth in the Elk Grove Ford standings.
The USAC Western States Midgets will return to action on Saturday, May 21st, at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California. The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will also share center stage at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks Ammonia Refrigeration Service, AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Elk Grove Ford, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Hoosier Racing Tire, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC Western States Midget Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 7, 2022 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California – “Mother’s Day Madness / Elk Grove Ford Mini Series Round #3” – Co-Sanctioned with BCRA
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Michael Faccinto, 14J, Graunstadt-11.870; 2. Ben Worth, 5K, Alexander-11.979; 3. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-12.173; 4. Dylan Bloomfield, 14JR, Streeter-12.174; 5. Colton Raudman, 2C, Schutte-12.276; 6. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.278; 7. Cade Lewis, 73, Ford-12.312; 8. Jake Morgan, 45, Morgan-12.313; 9. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-12.324; 10. A.J. Bender, 1X, LKK-12.405; 11. Blake Bower, 9, Boscacci-12.434; 12. Michael Snider, 6K, Snider-12.524; 13. Chase Johnson, 73X, Ford-12.549; 14. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.588; 15. Danika Jo Parker, 13, Parker-12.604; 16. Zach Telford, 22G, GR-12.614; 17. Ben Wiesz, 21, Wiesz-12.841; 18. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-12.874; 19. Anthony Esberg, 1K, Esberg-13.596; 20. Dave Stoltz, 77, Stoltz-13.854; 21. Thomas Esberg, 8X, Esberg-16.082; 22. Beau Lemire, 14, Lemire-NT; 23. Travis Buckley, 7NZ, Buckley-NT.
JORDAN HANNI WELL DRILLING FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faccinto, 2. Lewis, 3. Bloomfield, 4. A.Esberg, 5. Lemire, 6. Telford, 7. Johnson, 8. Bender. NT
AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SERVICE SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Morgan, 2. Worth, 3. Bower, 4. Raudman, 5. Sarale, 6. Wiesz, 7. Buckley, 8. Stoltz. NT.
WIRELESS 101 THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Fuson, 2. Liggett, 3. Andreotti, 4. Snider, 5. Pankratz, 6. Parker, 7. T.Esberg. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Michael Faccinto (6), 2. Dylan Bloomfield (3), 3. Chase Johnson (12), 4. Austin Liggett (1), 5. Brody Fuson (8), 6. Blake Bower (10), 7. Jake Morgan (7), 8. Ben Wiesz (16), 9. Cade Lewis (9), 10. Travis Buckley (22), 11. Randi Pankratz (17), 12. Colton Raudman (2), 13. Dave Stoltz (19), 14. Beau Lemire (21), 15. Jake Andreotti (4), 16. Michael Snider (11), 17. Danika Jo Parker (14), 18. Ben Worth (5), 19. Caden Sarale (13), 20. Anthony Esberg (18), 21. Zach Telford (15), 22. A.J. Bender (23). NT.
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**Snider flipped during hotlaps. Sarale flipped on lap 2 of the feature. T.Esberg did not start feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-11 Liggett, Laps 12-13 Andreotti, Laps 14-22 Liggett, Laps 23-30 Faccinto.
ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Travis Buckley (22nd to 10th)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Dave Stoltz
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-311, 2-A.J. Bender-299, 3-Ben Worth-282, 4-Travis Buckley-266, 5-Brody Fuson-256, 6-Jake Andreotti-254, 7-Blake Bower-249, 8-Michael Snider-211, 9-Austin Liggett-179, 10-Thomas Esberg-172.
NEW ELK GROVE FORD MINI SERIES POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-241, 2-Austin Liggett-179, 3-Jake Andreotti-169, 4-A.J. Bender-161, 5-Shane Golobic-159, --Ben Worth-159, 7-Blake Bower-152, 8-Travis Buckley-149, 9-Dylan Bloomfield-133, 10-Caden Sarale-123.
TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Ben Worth-20, 2-Michael Faccinto-19, 3-Shane Golobic-12, --Jake Andreotti-12, 5-Chase Johnson-6, --Mitchel Moles-6, 7-Austin Liggett-5, Shannon McQueen-4, --Travis Buckley-4, --Blake Bower-4.
PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-A.J. Bender-20, 2-Travis Buckley-17, 3-Thomas Esberg-13, 4-Ben Wiesz-12, 5-Danika Joe Parker-11, --Brody Fuson-11, --Randi Panktratz-11, 8-Blake Bower-10, 9-Michael Faccinto-9, --Chase Johnson-9.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: May 21 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California
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