By Lance Jennings
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 17, 2022… Making his first start in Dean “Kiwi” Alexander’s #101 Wireless 101 / driveWFX.com Spike, Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, California) won last Saturday’s “George Snider Classic” at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park. For Lewis, the $2,000 feature sponsored by T&T Trucking, Woodworks Unlimited, and Jim & Bob’s Tire Service was the first USAC Western States & BCRA Midget win of his career. Newly crowned champion Michael Faccinto, Brody Fuson, new track record holder Jake Andreotti, and hard charger Kyle Beilman rounded out the top-five “Championship Night” drivers.
At the drop of starter Jason Vance’s green flag, polesitter Ben Worth grabbed the early lead and looked to claim his second win in a row. Despite a couple of caution and red flags, Worth continued to dominate the main event at the fast 1/3-mile oval. The 2019 Rookie of the Year’s hopes were dashed when a mechanical failure ended his night on lap seventeen. Worth’s Alexander teammate Cade Lewis inherited the top spot and soon shook free from his challengers on his way to becoming the 190th winner in series history.
In the USAC Western States Midget debut at Kern County, Cade Lewis opened the night by qualifying second overall and running fifth in his heat race. While also racing in the Midwest, the rookie finished thirteenth in championship points after five appearances.
Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, California) posted his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the campaign and established a new track record of 15.480 seconds over the 20-car roster. Racing the Pete Davis owned #00 Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters / Buchanan Automotive Stealth, Andreotti ran third in his heat race and finished fourth in the “George Snider Classic” after starting sixth. Jake also raced in the companion USAC West Coast Sprint Car feature and claimed fourth. The young driver finished sixth overall in the final USAC Western States Midget point standings.
Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) raced to his seventh heat race win of the year by topping the 10-lap Jordan Hanni Well Drilling First Heat Race. Piloting the Graunstadt Enterprises owned #14J Gary Silva Ranches / T&T Trucking Spike, Faccinto was seventh quick in time trials and finished second in the “Championship Night” main event after starting seventh. It has been a stellar season as Michael won the 4-race Elk Grove Ford Mini-Series and earned “Top Qualifier” honors. After earning his second crown, Faccinto joins Sleepy Tripp, Robby Flock, Johnny Rodriguez, Jerome Rodela, and Ronnie Gardner as multi-time champions.
Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) made his first start of the year in the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Competition Suspension Incorporated / Extreme Mufflers Stewart and won the 10-lap Ammonia Refrigeration Service Second Heat Race. The veteran driver qualified eighth overall but scored twentieth in the feature after an early exit. After leaving The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park, McDougal placed fifty-ninth in the point standings.
Another first time starter in 2022, “Showtime” Danny Sheridan (Santa Maria, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Wireless 101 Third Heat Race. Driving Keith Ford’s #73B Naturipe / Sun Valley AG Transport TCR, Sheridan was fifteenth fast in time trials and scored sixth in the main event after starting eighth. The veteran driver placed forty-sixth in the point chase for the championship.
Returning to USAC Western States action, Kyle Beilman (Mar Vista, California) earned the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with an fifth place run from fifteenth. Racing the family owned #31B Dave.com / BP Fab Spike, Beilman qualified fourteenth overall and placed fourth in his heat race. After two appearances, the 2018 Rookie of the Year finished twenty-ninth in the point standings.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) earned Kern County’s Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” with a thirteenth place finish in the main event. Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Naturipe / Pacific Coast Maintenance Service Triple X, Williams was ninth quick in time trials and finished sixth in the “George Snider Classic.” In limited starts, the USAC/CRA Sprint Car driver finished twenty-seventh in the championship points.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) earned the 2022 Rookie of the Year honors after a hard fought battle with Travis Buckley. Driving the LKK Racing #1X Josh Ford Motorsports / Rod End Supply Triple X, Bender qualified fifth overall, ran second to McDougal in his heat race, scored seventh in the “Championship Night” main event, and scored fourth in the final point standings.
By virtue of her eleventh place finish in the “George Snider Classic” after starting twentieth, Randi Pankratz (Atascadero, California) topped the season’s “Passing Masters” point chase. Racing the family owned #8 HASA Pool & Spa Products Edmunds, Pankratz was twentieth in qualifying after having mechanical problems, finished seventh in her heat race, and placed tenth in the championship point chase.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks Ammonia Refrigeration Service Incorporated, AMSOIL, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Elk Grove Ford, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing, High Tech Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters, Jim and Bob’s Tire Service, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos, T&T Trucking, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Wireless 101, Woodland Auto Display, and Woodworks Unlimited 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: October 15, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, California – “Championship Night & George Snider Classic” – Co-Sanctioned with Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA)
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-15.480 (New Track Record); 2. Cade Lewis, 101, Alexander-15.866; 3. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-15.974; 4. Steve Paden, 56, Paden-16.160; 5. A.J. Bender, 1X, LKK-16.276; 6. Ben Worth, 5K, Alexander-16.310; 7. Michael Faccinto, 14J, Graunstadt-16.333; 8. Jason McDougal, 68, Six8-16.358; 9. Cody Williams, 73X, Ford-16.436; 10. Blake Bower, 9, Boscacci-16.488; 11. Travis Buckley, 7NZ, Buckley-16.535; 12. Zach Telford, 22G, GR-16.587; 13. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-16.662; 14. Kyle Beilman, 31B, Beilman-16.711; 15. Danny Sheridan, 73B, Ford-17.060; 16. Thomas Esberg, 8X, Esberg-17.113; 17. Michael Snider, 6K, Snider-17.113; 18. David Gasper, 14JR, Streeter-17.172; 19. Anthony Esberg, 1K, Esberg-NT; 20. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-NT.
JORDAN HANNI WELL DRILLING FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faccinto, 2. Bower, 3. Andreotti, 4. Paden, 5. A.Esberg, 6. T.Esberg, 8. Sarna. NT.
AMMONIA REFRIGERATION SERVICE SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. McDougal, 2. Bender, 3. Buckley, 4. Beilman, 5. Lewis, 6. Snider, 7. Pankratz. NT.
WIRELESS 101 THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Sheridan, 2. Worth, 3. Fuson, 4. Gasper, 5. Telford, 6. Williams. NT.
T&T TRUCKING / JIM & BOB’S TIRE SERVICE / WOODWORKS UNLIMITED FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Cade Lewis (5), 2. Michael Faccinto (7), 3. Brody Fuson (4), 4. Jake Andreotti (6), 5. Kyle Beilman (15), 6. Danny Sheridan (8), 7. A.J. Bender (2), 8. Zach Telford (13), 9. Anthony Esberg (19), 10. Thomas Esberg (16), 11. Randi Pankratz (20), 12. Steve Paden (3), 13. Cody Williams (9), 14. Ben Worth (1), 15. Travis Buckley (12), 16. Davis Gasper (18), 17. Michael Snider (17), 18. Blake Bower (10), 19. C.J. Sarna (14), 20. Jason McDougal (11). NT.
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** Snider flipped on lap 1 of the feature. Buckley flipped on lap 15 of the feature. Paden and Williams flipped on lap 20 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Worth, Laps 18-30 Lewis.
ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Kyle Beilman (15th to 5th)
FINAL USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-854, 2-Brody Fuson-745, 3-Ben Worth-708, 4-A.J. Bender-654, 5-Travis Buckley-651, 6-Jake Andreotti-563, 7-Blake Bower-539, 8-Caden Sarale-397, 9- C.J. Sarna-389, 10-Randi Pankratz-345.
FINAL TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Michael Faccinto-38, 2-Ben Worth-32, 3-Jake Andreotti-25, 4-Chase Johnson-24, 5-Blake Bower-16. 6-Brody Fuson-14, 7-Shane Golobic-12, 8-Robby Josett-11, 9-Cade Lewis-9, 10-A.J. Bender-8.
FINAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Randi Pankratz-43, 2-Travis Buckley-38, 3-Brody Fuson-26, –Michael Faccinto-26, 5-A.J. Bender-25, 6-Anthony Esberg-24, 7-Nathan Byrd-21, –Thomas Esberg-21, 9-Caden Sarale-18, –Danika Jo Parker-18.