By Lance Jennings
PETALUMA, CA – JULY 20, 2019… Maria Cofer (Macdoel, CA) powered by Austin Liggett on the ninth lap and led the rest of the way to claim the 30-lap victory at Petaluma Speedway. Racing the family owned #57 Tule Vista Ranches / Bell Helmets Spike, Cofer earned her first career USAC Western States Midget triumph over Alex Schutte, Robert Dalby, Liggett, and Kyle Beilman.
Cofer scored Petaluma’s Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job honors after starting fifth. Randi Pankratz claimed the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish in the main event.
Cory Elliott earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the season by posting a time of 14.968 over the 15-car roster.
The ten-lap heat race victories went to Cofer (Extreme Mufflers First Heat) and Schutte (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat).
Next Saturday, July 27th, the USAC Western States Midgets will make their second appearance at Merced Speedway.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks AMSOIL, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, 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: July 20, 2019 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-14.968; 2. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-14.988; 3. Maria Cofer, 57, Cofer-15.110; 4. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-15.111; 5. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-15.115; 6. Kyle Beilman, 31B, Beilman-15.359; 7. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-15.569; 8. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-15.781; 9. Britton Bock, 15DJ, Neverlift-15.801; 10. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-15.942; 11. David Prickett, 22Q, Neverlift-15.982; 12. Gage Rucker, 11K, Kruseman-16.204; 13. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-16.395; 14. Beau Lemire, 14, Lemire-17.117; 15. Robert Carson, 99, Segur-17.922.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Cofer, 2. Bock, 3. Pankratz, 4. Carson, 5. Mitchell, 6. Dalby, 7. Elliott, 8. Prickett. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Schutte, 2. McQueen, 3. Liggett, 4. Beilman, 5. Sarna, 6. Rucker, 7. Lemire. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, with starting positions) 1. Maria Cofer (5), 2. Alex Schutte (6), 3. Robert Dalby (7), 4. Austin Liggett (4), 5. Kyle Beilman (3), 6. Shannon McQueen (9), 7. C.J. Sarna (8), 8. Gage Rucker (11), 9. Beau Lemire (13), 10. Marvin Mitchell (12), 11. Robert Carson (14), 12. Britton Bock (1), 13. Randi Pankratz (2), 14. David Prickett (10). NT
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**Dalby flipped on lap 9 of the first heat. Sarna flipped on lap 1 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Liggett, Laps 9-30 Cofer.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Maria Cofer (5th to 1st)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Randi Pankratz
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Liggett-357, 2-Dalby-312, 3-McQueen-293, 4-Elliott-283, 5-Prickett-265, 6-Sarna-257, 7-Pankratz-207, 8-Beilman-198, 9-Mitchell-197, 10-Ben Worth-181.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: July 27 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California