From Lance Jennings
PETALUMA, Calif. (May 15, 2021) – Starting from the pole position, Maria Cofer (Macdoel, CA) led all 25-laps to score the Saturday night victory at Petaluma Speedway. Racing the family owned #57 Tule Vista Ranches Spike, Cofer earned her third $1,200 USAC Western States Midget win at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. Point leader Austin Liggett, Blake Bower, top qualifier Brody Fuson, and hard charger C.J. Sarna rounded out the top-five drivers.
Using a passing point format, rookie of the year contender Brody Fuson emerged as the Woodland Auto Display Top Qualifier. The young driver finished second to Sarna in the first heat race and won the first qualifying race.
Rebounding from a dramatic flip in the first qualifier, Sarna claimed the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job honors with a fifth place run from seventh.
By virtue of his second place finish, Liggett left Petaluma with a 56-point lead over the Shannon McQueen. McQueen, the 2012 champion, and her crew made repairs from an earlier flip to score tenth in the main event.
The 10-lap heat race victories went to Sarna (Extreme Mufflers First Heat), and Bower (Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Second Heat).
The 10-lap qualifier wins were taken by Fuson (Ultra Shield Race Products / Rod End Supply First Qualifier), and Cofer (Saldana Racing Products / Rod End Supply Second Qualifier).
On Saturday, June 5th, the USAC Western States Midgets will headline the action packed card at Ventura Raceway (Ventura, CA).
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing.com, Hoosier Racing Tire, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, 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.
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USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 15, 2021 – Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, California
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. C.J. Sarna (#20 Sarna), 2. Brody Fuson (#51 Carlile), 3. Shannon McQueen (#7 McQueen), 4. Terry Nichols (#1NP Nichols), 5. Beau Lemire (#14 Lemire), 6. Sparky Howard (#17 Thurston). NT.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Blake Bower (#9 Boscacci), 2. David Prickett (#22Q Neverlift), 3. Austin Liggett (#83 Liggett), 4. Maria Cofer (#57 Cofer), 5. Robert Carson (#99 Segur). NT.
ULTRA SHIELD RACE PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY FIRST QUALIFIER: (10 laps) 1. Fuson, 2. Nichols, 3. Howard, 4. Lemire, 5. McQueen, 6. Sarna. NT.
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND QUALIFIER: (10 laps) 1. Cofer, 2. Liggett, 3. Bower, 4. Prickett. NT.
FEATURE: (25 laps, with starting positions) 1. Maria Cofer (1), 2. Austin Liggett (2), 3. Blake Bower (3), 4. Brody Fuson (4), 5. C.J. Sarna (7), 6. David Prickett (5), 7. Terry Nichols (6), 8. Sparky Howard (9), 9. Beau Lemire (10), 10. Shannon McQueen (8). NT.
**McQueen and Sarna flipped during the first qualifier.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Cofer.
ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: C.J. Sarna (7th to 5th)
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Austin Liggett-305, 2-Shannon McQueen-249, 3-Blake Bower-243, 4-David Prickett-220, 5-Brody Fuson-214, 6-C.J. Sarna-184, 7-Ben Worth-176, 8-Terry Nichols-173, 9-Maria Cofer-159, 10-Mitchel Moles-148.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: June 5 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California