By Lance Jennings
MERCED, CA – JULY 27, 2019… For the fourth time in six races, the USAC Western States Midget Series have a brand new winner. This time, it was Robert Dalby, (Anaheim, CA) who took control from Jake Swanson on lap 22 and led the rest of the way to earn the victory at Merced Speedway. Originally slated to start sixth, the pilot of the family owned #4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Lucas Oil Spike was penalized for using an unapproved muffler earlier in the night. Charging from sixteenth in the main event, Dalby finished ahead of Swanson, Cory Elliott, David Prickett, and Maria Cofer.
Based on original starting positions, Cory Elliott earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job honors with a third place run from eleventh. Point leader and leading rookie Austin Liggett claimed the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish.
With temperatures reaching 105 degrees, five drivers broke Dustin Golobic’s track record at the Merced County Fairgrounds. Alex Schutte emerged with the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award by posting the new standard of 12.421 over the 17-car roster.
The ten-lap heat race victories went to Swanson (Extreme Mufflers First Heat) and Dalby (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat).
The “mighty midgets” will return to action on August 10th for the “Bud Stanfield Memorial” at Santa Maria Raceway, along with the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars.
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 27, 2019 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-12.421 (New Track Record); 2. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-12.438; 3. Maria Cofer, 57, Cofer-12.478; 4. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.480; 5. Jake Swanson, 73, Ford-12.537; 6. Ben Worth, 5G, Alexander-12.697; 7. Terry Nichols, 1P, Nichols-12.887; 8. Troy Morris III, 07X, Trinity-12.920; 9. Kyle Beilman, 31B, Beilman-13.034; 10. David Prickett, 22Q, Neverlift-13.059; 11. Cory Elliott, 11E, Elliott-13.075; 12. Gage Rucker, 11K, Kruseman-13.390; 13. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-13.520; 14. Ron Hazelton, 15, Hazelton-13.783; 15. Robert Carson, 99, Segur-13.796; 16. Cameron Beard, 15DJ, Neverlift-NT; 17. Ryan Shupe, 10X, Walker-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Swanson, 2. Beilman, 3. Elliott, 4. Cofer, 5. Schutte, 6. Nichols, 7. Carson, 8. Mitchell. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Dalby, 2. Worth, 3. Liggett, 4. Prickett, 5. Morris, 6. Hazelton, 7. Rucker. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, with starting positions) 1. Robert Dalby (6), 2. Jake Swanson (3), 3. Cory Elliott (11), 4. David Prickett (10), 5. Maria Cofer (5), 6. Alex Schutte (7), 7. Ben Worth (2), 8. Troy Morris III (9), 9. Terry Nichols (8), 10. Marvin Mitchell (13), 11. Cameron Beard (16), 12. Robert Carson (15), 13. Austin Liggett (4), 14. Ron Hazelton (14), 15. Gage Rucker (12), 16. Kyle Beilman (1). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 Swanson, Laps 6-7 Cofer, Laps 8-21 Swanson, Laps 22-30 Dalby.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Cory Elliott (11th to 3rd)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Austin Liggett
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Liggett-403, 2-Dalby-396, 3-Elliott-353, 4-Prickett-331, 5-Shannon McQueen-293, 6-C.J. Sarna-257, 7-Mitchell-241, 8-Worth-241, 9-Beilman-236, 10-Swanson-233.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: August 10 – Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, California – “Bud Stanfield Memorial”