News

WESTERN MIDGETS RETURN TO BAKERSFIELD SATURDAY

Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Calif. is the current leader in the 2010 USAC Western Midget Series standings as the series heads for the Bakersfield Speedway for this Saturday night’s races.

Kruseman, USAC’s 2006 CRA Sprint Car titlist, has an 11-point lead over Alex Schutte, who was third in the 2009 series standings. Kruseman won the April race at Bakersfield, while Schutte was 11th.

Robby Josett of Agua Dulce, Calif. is currently third in the standings entering Saturday’s Bakersfield race. Josett has finished the last five Western Midget races in the “top-five,” including a victory in the most recent race at Ventura, Calif.

USAC MOPAR WESTERN MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1-Cory Kruseman-349, 2-Alex Schutte-338, 3-Robby Josett-334, 4-Brad Sweet-207, 5-Kody Swanson-202, 6-Cody Swanson-171, 7-Bobby East-169, 8-Randi Pankratz-162, 9-Brad Loyet-155, 10-Darren Hagen-155.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 21, 2010

DICK JORDAN 10-124

WESTERN FOCUSES AT WATSONVILLE & STOCKTON;

LIGUORI, RANKINE #1 AT SPEEDROME; SCHROCK, FARLEY TOPS AT ORANGE SHOW

USAC’s Western Ford Focus and Young Guns series continue this week with races at Watsonville, Calif. and Stockton, Calif. Friday’s racing at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville includes the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint cars and Saturday’s races are at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Joe Liguori of Tampa, Fla. and Ross Rankine of Willard, Ohio earned USAC Ford Focus and Young Guns feature victories respectively Wednesday at the Indianapolis (Ind.) Speedrome on “Mel Kenyon Night.” Liguori emerged the winner of the 40-lap Ford Focus race in his Pit Stop BBQ/C & R Racing Beast, taking the lead from Jake Blackhurst and Tyler Cottongim in turn three on the final lap! Cottongim led the first 39 laps but slipped behind Blackhurst at the start of the final lap. Cottongim made a bid to regain the,” lead in turn three but Liguori slipped under both to post the win and take over the Midwest Ford Focus point lead.

In the 25-lap Young Guns race Rankine benefited from a tangle between leaders Gage Walker and Cooper Clouse on the final lap and emerged the winner of the 25-lap contest in his Rankine Manufacturing Stealth. Walker finished second ahead of Clouse and Stevie Kuhn. Kuhn led the first 13 laps before sliding into the wall, then Clouse led the next 11 until the last-lap tangle.

Drivers Eli Schrock of Jeffersonton, Va. and Austin Farley of Brighton, Colo. gave car owner Ron Sutton a “sweep” of Saturday night’s USAC Ford Focus and Young Guns features at the Orange Show Speedway in san Bernardino, Calif. Schrock led all 30 laps of the Western Ford Focus race to beat Cody Gerhardt, Jessica Clark, Shawn Buckley and Wally Pankratz.

In the Orange Show Young Guns race, Jarid Blondel led the first 13 laps but slipped to fourth at the finish behind Jessica Clark and Tanner Long. Brandon White rounded out the “top-five

The Midwest Ford Focus and Young Guns series resume June 23 at the Indianapolis Speedrome with “Michael Lang Night,” celebrating the seven-time USAC driving champion and 53-time Speedrome feature winner.

USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Joe Liguori-395, 2-Jake Blackhurst-391, 3-Tyler Cottongim-295, 4-Kyle O’Gara-226; 5-Toby Alfrey-213, 6-John Heydenreich-206, 7-Tate Martz-187, 8-Jessica Bean-155, 9-Andy Nock-144; 10-Scott Hunter-136.

USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS DIRT POINT STANDINGS

1-Joe Ligori-136, 2-Jake Blackhurst-120, 3-Toby Alfrey-119, 4-John Heydenreich-111, 5-Eric Rankine-111, 6-Tyler Cottongim-103, 7-Josh Staten-89, 8-Ronnie Wuerdeman-88, 9-Jessica Bean-80, 10-Bill Kriegbaum-75.

USAC MIDWEST FORD FOCUS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS

1-Joe Liguori-200, 2-Tate Martz-187, 3-Jake Blackhurst-163, 4-Tyler Cottongim-153, 5-Kyle O’Gara-149, 6-Geoff Gerline-123, 7-John Heydenreich-95, 8-Toby Alfrey-94, 9-Michael May-93, 10-Andy Nock-86.

USAC UTAH FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Michael Daniels-338, 2-Connor Kassik-274, 3-J.R. Williams-237, 4-Kipp Posey-194, 5-Bobby Runyan-188, 6-Eli Schrock-187, 7-Terra Brower-183, 8-Chuck Groat-183, 9-Jeff Kelley-179, 10-Cody Gerhardt-165.

USAC EASTERN FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Scott Hunter-388, 2-Nick Drake-333, 3-Justin Hommel-290, 4-Bradley Riethmeyer-257, 5-Cody Acton-231, 6-Steven Intravaia-230, 7-Tyler Corriher-208, 8-Chris Lamb-182, 9-Jeremy Frankoski-157, 10-Jake Blackhurst-108.

USAC CAROLINA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Scott Hunter-320, 2-Nick Drake-267, 3-Justin Hommel-248, 4-Bradley Riethmeyer-184, 5-Cody Acton-183, 6-Steven Intravaia-172, 7-Tyler Corriher-168, 8-Jeremy Frankoski-157, 9-Chris Lamb-132, 10-Brad Noffsinger-97.

USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Kyle Edwards-565, 2-Connor Kassik-510, 3-Cody Gerhardt-409, 4-Bobby Runyan-402, 5-Michael Daniels-338, 6-Nick Carlson-337, 7-Jet Davison-284, 8-Andrew Mulhearn-278, 9-J.R. Williams-271, 10-Eli Schrock-248.

USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS

1-Cody Gerhardt-409, 2-Bobby Runyan-402, 3-Connor Kassik-284, 4-Kyle Edwards-280, 5-Eli Schrock-248, 6-Garrett Peterson-211, 7-Jessica Clark-209, 8-Shawn Buckley-190, 9-Austin Farley-182, 10-Keegan Walmer-175.

USAC WESTERN FORD FOCUS DIRT POINT STANDINGS

1-Nick Carlson-264, 2-Andrew Mulhearn-227, 3-Kyle Edwards-226, 4-Jet Davison-219, 5-Jake Blackhurst-151, 6-Wally Pankratz-150, 7-Kalvin Douglas-125, 8-Zach Stout-117, 9-Andrew Murray-100, 10-Connor Kassik-79.

USAC NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Garrett Peterson-211, 2-Cody Gerhardt-183, 3-Keegan Walmer-175, 4-Bobby Runyan-175, 5-Cody Thompson-174, 6-Dennis Simunovich-141, 7-Courtney Atkinson-133, 8-Connor Kassik-118, 9-Greg Paul-89, 10-Kyle Edwards-79.

USAC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORD FOCUS POINT STANDINGS

1-Eli Schrock-248, 2-Bobby Runyan-227, 3-Cody Gerhardt-226, 4-Kyle Edwards-201, 5-Shawn Buckley-190, 6-Austin Farley-182, 7-Jessica Clark-166, 8-Connor Kassik-166, 9-Michael Daniels-133, 10-J.R. Williams-99.

USAC WESTERN YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS

1-Jarid Blondel-467, 2-Brandon White-320, 3-Alex Jacobsen-312, 4-Casey Martinez-307, 5-Winn Frazin-249, 6-Daniel Williams-227, 7-Bradley Morris-205, 8-Courtney Atkinson-199, 9-Austin Farley-194, 10-Collin Henry-184.

USAC WESTERN YOUNG GUNS DIRT POINT STANDINGS

1-Alex Jacobsen-312, 2-Casey Martinez-307, 3-Jarid Blondel-297, 4-Collin Henry-234, 5-Daniel Williams-227, 6-Bradley Morris-205, 7-Logan Williams-179, 8-Tanner Kershaw-156, 9-Winn Frazin-141, 10-Al Simpson-87.

USAC WESTERN YOUNG GUNS PAVEMENT POINT STANDINGS

1-Brandon White-320, 2-Austin Farley-194, 3-Jarid Blondel-170, 4-Keegan Walmer-149, 5-Courtney Atkinson-135, 6-Cody Thompson-133, 7-Jessica Clark-116, 8-Winn Frazin-108, 9-Tanner Long-68.

USAC NORTHERN CALIFORNIA YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS

1-Brandon White-187, 2-Keegan Walmer-149, 3-Courtney Atkinson-135, 4-Cody Thompson-133, 5-Austin Farley-64, 6-Jessica Clark-60, 7-Tanner Long-59, 8-Jarid Blondel-53, 9-Winn Frazin-46.

USAC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS

1-Austin Farley-194, 2-Brandon White-187, 3-Jarid Blondel-170, 4-Jessica Clark-116, 5-Winn Frazin-108, 6-Tanner Long-68.

USAC MIDWEST YOUNG GUNS POINT STANDINGS

1-Cooper Clouse-195, 2-Ross Rankine-190, 3-Gage Walker-178, 4-Stevie Kuhn-172, 5-Jarett Andretti-52, 6-Derrick Morris-51.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 14, 2010

DICK JORDAN 10-121

“REGIONAL” MIDGETS TAKE A WEEK OFF;

ARMSTRONG, BEDFORD TAKE SPEEDROME, BERLIN FEATURES

The 2010 USAC Regional Midget Series are on hiatus this week and resume action June 23 and 26 respectively at the Indianapolis (Ind.) Speedrome and Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.

Daniel Bedford of Brentwood, Calif. led the final 11 laps to win Saturday night’s 25-lap USAC Regional/WOMS Midget race at Berlin. Driving the F & F Mechanical/Esslinger Beast, Bedford beat Dalton Armstrong, Dakoda Armstrong, Dillon Welch and Adam Kramer to the checkered flag. David Byrne led the first four laps and Dakoda Armstrong led the next 10 before Bedford moved to the front to stay. Dalton Armstrong (Regional) and Bedford (WOMS) emerged as the respective series point leaders.

Dalton Armstrong of New Castle, Ind. led all 50 laps to win Wednesday night’s “Mel Kenyon Night” USAC Regional Midget race at the Speedrome. Armstrong wheeled the C & A Motorsports Beast/Mopar to the victory over Kyle Hamilton, Ali Jackson, Welch and Abby Martino. Teammates Levi Roberts and Daniel Bedford won heat races.

USAC REGIONAL MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1-Dalton Armstrong-320, 2-Dillon Welch-298, 3-Chris Phillips-250, 4-Buddy Lowther-218, 5-Daniel Bedford-217, 6-Dave Fuhrman-197, 7-Levi Roberts-139, 8-Kyle Hamilton-131, 9-Cale Conley-111, 10-Ali Jackson-108.

USAC/WOMS MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1-Daniel Bedford-132, 2-Dalton Armstrong-127, 3-Dillon Welch-113, 4-Chris Phillips-88, 5-Buddy Lowther-78, 6-Dakoda Armstrong-65, 7-Adam Kramer-59, 8-Dave Fuhrman-56, 9-Cale Conley-53, 10-David Byrne-49.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 14, 2010

DICK JORDAN 10-119

5 “INDIANA MIDGET WEEK” EVENTS BEGIN WEDNESDAY;

CLAUSON WINS ‘KEVIN DOTY CLASSIC,” RAIN HALTS MOBERLY

Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Ind. opens defense of his “Indiana Midget Week” championship Wednesday as the five-race series kicks off at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Thursday night’s venue is Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, while Bloomington Speedway hosts Friday night’s race. The series visits Lawrenceburg Speedway Saturday night before concluding Sunday night at Kokomo Speedway.

Clauson caught leader Brad Kuhn on lap 17 and led the final 24 laps to win Friday night’s 40-lap “Kevin Doty Classic” at Tri-City Speedway. Clauson piloted the Parker Stone/Esslinger Spike to the victory over Kuhn, Jerry Coons Jr., Bobby East and Davey Ray.

Henry Clarke led the opening lap but hit the wall in turn one on lap two. Tracy Hines then led for two laps before encountering mechanical problems. Kuhn traded the lead with Darren Hagen for two laps but Hagen got tangled with a lapped car and hit the wall in turn one and failed to finish.

Clauson continues to lead the USAC Mopar National Midget standings. Friday’s race was co-sanctioned by POWRi and also awarded points toward the USAC/SMRS Great Plains Midget title. Brad Loyet of Sunset Hills, Mo., who finished ninth at Pontoon Beach, remains the leader in the USAC/SMRS Midget standings. The “Indiana Midget Week” races all award USAC/SMRS points as well.

Rain forced postponement of Saturday night's scheduled USAC/SMRS Great Plains Midget race at 24 Raceway. Track and USAC/SMRS officials are hopeful of rescheduling the event and will announce a new date when firm.

Former champions of “Indiana Midget Week” include Shane Cottle (2005 and 2006), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Tracy Hines (2008) and Clauson last year. Coons continues to pursue the 134th USAC National feature victory for car owners Wilke-Pak Racers of Milwaukee, Wisc., which would break the tie for the all-time USAC lead with Steve Lewis.

Clauson is the winningest driver in “Indiana Midget Week” history, with three wins, including the last two in 2009.

USAC MOPAR NATIONAL MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1-Bryan Clauson-471, 2-Bobby East-426, 3-Darren Hagen-398, 4-Dave Darland-387, 5-Tracy Hines-386, 6-Brad Sweet-378, 7-Jerry Coons Jr.-371, 8-Brad Kuhn-364, 9-Zach Daum-271, 10-Henry Clarke-267.

USAC/SMRS GREAT PLAINS MIDGET SERIES POINT STANDINGS

1-Brad Loyet-664, 2-Chett Gehrke-546, 3-Matt Sherrell-460, 4-Rusty Dukes-408, 5-Matt Johnson-376, 6-Ryan Cole-350, 7-Zach Daum-350, 8-Will Pierce-314, 9-Andrew Felker-306, 10-Cody Brewer-256.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 14, 2010

DICK JORDAN 10-116

Shannon McQueen Dominates in Scoring Second Consecutive Midget Feature

By Robert Haugh

Bakersfield's Shannon McQueen was the class of the field once again, dominating the 30-lap Bay Cities Racing Association Midget feature at the 1/4-mile red clay Placerville Speedway on Saturday, June 5 in the McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger.

After taking the lead on the opening lap, McQueen dominated the field, leading all 30 laps en route to a convincing and decisive victory over a hard-charging Shane Golobic of Fremont in Doug Bock's #26 Spike/Esslinger, Visalia's Gregg Bragg in Dave LaMott's #0 HotHead Engine Heaters Power Up Concrete Pumping Special Things Sheetmetal Stealth/Bob Wirth Honda, 1999 BCRA champion Matt Streeter aboard his #14jr T&T Trucking Delta Demolition Spike/Ed Pink Ford and reigning BCRA champion "Mr. Excitement" David Prickett of Fresno rounding out the Top five aboard the Neverlift Motorsports Manitowoc #15 TCR/Van Dyne.

Following the lead five to the checkers were Scott Pierovich in sixth aboard his #35 Good Guys Rod & Custom Mid Coast Transportation Spike/Bob Wirth Mopar, open wheel racing legend Jimmy Sills of Elverta aboard Dave Thurston's #17 Spike/Esslinger, 2008 BCRA champion and current BCRA Midget points leader Nick Foster, Jr. of San Jose aboard Jim Fowler's #1 Fowler’s Zero-Zero Motorsports’ Windows Unlimited "Blue Bayoo" Beast/Esslinger, Bakersfield's Wink Schweitzer aboard his own #60 Stealth/Fontana and Angwin's Britton Bock rounding out the Top ten aboard his #67 TCR/Esslinger. Sills was hoping for better results, however on the opening lap, his right rear wheel became packed with mud, unbalancing his rear suspension majorly.

Dominating her second consecutive Midget feature – Newlywed McQueen has now won her first two races back after being sidelined from a major Midget crash earlier this year at Perris Auto Speedway.

In four BCRA starts this season, Bragg has scored two wins, a second and a third place in LaMott's mount. After charging from sixth to second in the opening five laps, Bragg was relegated back two positions on the Lap 18 restart for jumping an earlier Lap 5 restart – a controversial call made by officials.

Foster’s eighth-place finish was his worst finish of the season – having scored Top fives in all but one race in 2010.

Oakdale’s Danny Parker claimed eleventh aboard Bob Roza’s #28 Stealth/Esslinger with former BCRA car owner champion Bill Lindsey of San Carlos in twelfth aboard Stu Donaldson’s #8x Farajian Farms-Rite Way Wheels Stealth/Pontiac.

Scott Nail of Visalia claimed 13th aboard his #16 Stealth/Riolo Chevy after suffering from a flat right rear tire early in the race – which sent him to the rear of the field. Tom Doherty finished 14th in the Chris Walker-Bay Muffler #10 Stealth/Esslinger, with Pleasant Hill’s Mike Donaldson taking 15th in Stu Donaldson’s #5b Ellis/Gaerte – all one lap down from the leaders.

Chico’s Dillon Silverman’s night ended prematurely in the RAM Racing #14 Spike/RRE Chevy EcoTec after he and Doherty made contact on Lap 10 of the feature, bringing out a caution when Silverman’s smacked the wall – exiting with suspension damage.

7-time BCRA champion “Ageless Wonder” Floyd was running one of his strongest races of the season in his newly acquired #83 ex-Cliff Servetti Stealth/Gaerte when he brought out a red flag on Lap 18 after he and Prickett made contact sending Alvis into a mild flip on the backstretch.

2008 BCRA pavement Midget champion and Rookie-of-the-Year “Nitro” Nick Chivello of Manteca made his first appearance of the year aboard The Cliff Blackwell #27s Stealth/Brayton Ford Fontana. However, they battled overheating and mechanical gremlins all evening. The Chivello/Blackwell tandem plans on running the majority of BCRA’s remaining Dirt schedule.

Cody Spencer battled Mechanical gremlins all evening in Rick Young’s #14 Stealth/RRE Chevy EcoTec.

Prickett claimed Heat 1 in dominating fashion over a hard-charging fifth-starting Bragg, sixth-stating Sills, ninth-starting McQueen, tenth-starting Foster, Lindsey, Silverman, Chivello, Schweitzer and Bock.

Golobic claimed Heat 2 after rallying from his ninth (last) starting position over Nail, Streeter, Parker, Alvis, Donaldson, Doherty and Pierovich – who was black-flagged while pulling to a dominating lead after losing his muffler.

Foster maintains the 2010 BCRA Midget points lead over Nail, Silverman, Lindsey, and Alvis.

The BCRA Midgets continue their 67th season of racing in three weeks, when they make third of four 2010 appearances at the 1/3-mile Chowchilla Speedway on Saturday, June 26.

The race was the eighth of 21 total races and second of three BCRA Midget appearances at Placerville in 2010 (April 10, June 5, August 7). The race was the sixth of 13 Dirt races on the 2010 BCRA Midget schedule.

Visit www.bcraracing.com for information on the BCRA Midgets and www.placervillespeedway.com for additional information on Placerville Speedway. Please visit www.racingwest.com for racing results from throughout the West Coast.

Summary:

Feature (start): 1. McQueen (4), 2. Golobic (9), 3. Bragg (8), 4. Streeter, (5) 5. Prickett (10), 6. Pierovich (16), 7. Sills (6), 8. Foster (2), 9. Schweitzer (17), 10. Bock (18), 11. Parker (3), 12. Lindsey (11), 13. Nail (7), 14. Doherty (14), 15. Donaldson (12), 16. Alvis (1), 17. Chivello (15), 18. Silverman (13), 19. Spencer (19)-DNS

Lap leaders: 1-30 McQueen

Heat 1: 1. Prickett, 2. Bragg, 3. Sills, 4. McQueen, 5. Foster, 6. Lindsey, 7. Silverman, 8. Chivello, 9. Schweitzer, 10. Bock

Heat 2: 1. Golobic, 2. Nail, 3. Streeter, 4. Parker, 5. Alvis, 6. Donaldson, 7. Doherty, 8. Pierovich, 9. Spencer-DNS