PETALUMA HOSTS USAC WESTERN MIDGETS AND USAC WEST COAST 360s

(October 15, 2020 from Lance Jennings) – After a torrid battle at Placerville, the “mighty midgets” of the USAC Western States and Bay Cities Racing Association will clash at Petaluma Speedway this Saturday, October 17th. Photos by Lance Jennings

Promoted by Rick Faeth, the co-sanctioned special event / non-point race will also feature the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, WMR Western Midgets, and 600 Micro Sprints. The Pit Gates will open at noon, the GRANDSTANDS ARE CLOSED, Practice starts at 5:00pm, and Racing at “The Fastest 3/8 Mile Dirt Oval in Northern California” will begin at 6:00pm. For event information, visit the track’s website at petaluma-speedway.com or call 707.763.7223 (RACE). Floracing.com will broadcast a pay per view live stream over the internet.

Thanks to support of an anonymous sponsor, the purse for Saturday’s USAC West Coast 360 event has been increased. As this writing goes to press, the race will pay $1,000-to-win, $650-for-2nd, $450-for 3rd, $350-for-4th, $300-for 5th, and $100-to-start. To limit person to person contact during the night, all USAC racers must purchase their license / membership ahead of the event at usacracing.com or usaclicense.com. In addition, the entry fee will be taken from the night’s winnings.

Originally cancelled on September 6th from a request by the Mayor of Petaluma and then again on October 3rd by hazardous air quality from nearby fires, Saturday’s show will be the first of two “West Coast Stock Car / Motorsports Hall of Fame Challenge” races. Extra prize money will be up for grabs to the top-five drivers in points from the October 17th and 24th events at Petaluma.

The mini-series will pay $1,000-to-win, $700-for-2nd, $500-for-3rd, $350-for-4th, and $250-for-5th. To be eligible, racers must be members in good standing with either USAC or BCRA. Points will be tallied using the USAC championship point schedule and ties will be broken by the October 24th qualifying times.

If the October 24th show is cancelled, the prize money will be halved and awarded by the October 17th points. Ties are broken by qualifying results. A special thanks goes to the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, Ken Clapp, and everyone behind the scenes for their generous support. For more information on the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, visit westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com.

Series officials are looking for sponsors to add bonuses and increase the night’s purse. As this writing goes to press, Saturday’s event will pay $600-to-win, $300-for-2nd, $250-for 3rd, $200-for-4th, $150-for 5th, and $100-to-start. To limit person to person contact during the night, all USAC racers must purchase their license / membership ahead of the event at usacracing.com or usaclicense.com. In addition, the entry fee will be taken from the night’s winnings.

Since October 6, 2012, the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds has hosted ten USAC Western States Midget races and five different drivers have claimed victory. Ronnie Gardner and Alex Schutte lead all drivers with three wins with Gardner, the five-time champion, setting the 1-lap track record of 14.200 on October 5, 2013. When the series last visited Petaluma on July 18th, Schutte outdueled Austin Liggett to score the ninth victory of his career. The series win list at Petaluma Speedway is at the end of this release.

Last Saturday at the “Prospector Pandemonium,” Scotty Farmer (Brisbane, Australia) earned his first series win at Placerville Speedway. Racing the famed Six8 Motorsports’ #68 PAC Springs / Wilwood Disc Brake Stewart, Farmer took the checkered flags ahead of Brody Fuson, hard charger C.J. Sarna, Frankie Guerrini, fast qualifier Shannon McQueen, Dylan Ito, Alex Schutte, Ashlyn Rodriguez, Randi Pankratz, and Floyd Alvis.

Since July 29, 2017, the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds has hosted four USAC West Coast Sprint Car races and two different drivers have claimed victory. “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign and Austin Liggett have two victories and Ensign set the track record of 13.728 at the debut. The series win list at Petaluma Speedway is at the end of this release.

Last Saturday at Placerville’s “Prospector Pandemonium,” Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, CA) set a new track record and earned the third series win of his career. Piloting the family owned #29T Timmons Auto Truck & Repair / Evergood Fine Foods CS9, Timmons took the victory over Jake Morgan, “Wild” Billy Aton, Kaleb Montgomery. Rob Lindsey, Tanner Boul, Daniel Whitley, Shane Hopkins, Michael Sellers, and Austin Ervine.

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Chris Kearns Presents, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.

The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, 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 lwjennings@earthlink.net.