By Lance Jennings
VENTURA, CALIFORNIA – MAY 27, 2023… Brody Fuson of Bakersfield, California raced to victory at Saturday’s 30-lap USAC Western States Midget feature at Ventura Raceway. The series point leader passed Chase Johnson on lap 25 and led the final laps in Rusty Carlile’s #51 RPM Motorsports / Van Meter Motorsports Spike, over Johnson, Ben Worth, Cade Lewis, and Robby Josett.
Before claiming the fifth win of his career, Fuson opened his night by earning the Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award with a time of 12.591 seconds over the 19-car roster. In doing so, he pocketed $100 for his efforts and followed that up by running third in his heat race, and earned another $100 by taking the Wireless 101 “Hard Charger Award” after starting sixth.
Chase Johnson of Penngrove, California returned to USAC Western States Midget action and topped the 10-lap Jordan Hanni Well Drilling First Heat Race. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Naturipe / King Racing Products Triple X, Johnson qualified fourth overall and led 23 laps before running second. After his first start, the versatile driver ranks thirteenth in points.
Looking to gain valuable points, Bakersfield, California’s Cade Lewis won the night’s 10-lap Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters Second Heat Race. Driving Dean “Kiwi” Alexander’s #5K Wireless 101 / Mobil 1 Spike, Cade was fifth quick in time trials, scored fourth at the checkered flag after a torrid battle for position, and is second in the standings.
2003 Champion, Steve Paden of Rossmoor, California scored the night’s Ebbco Offroad Third Heat Race after battling new rookie contender David Gasper. The owner/driver of the #56 Maxim Crane / Component Repair Company Spike qualified ninth, scored tenth in the “Sammy Bahr Feature,” won the “Lucky Pill Draw” to earn 10 gallons of fuel from High Tech Performance, and is now ranked fourth in the point chase.
By virtue of his thirteenth place finish from sixteenth, San Pedro, California’s Bryan Drollinger earned Ventura’s Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award.” Piloting the Drollinger Bros. Racing #71D Sweeney Racing / BillsJerky.net Spike, Drollinger was sixteenth fast in time trials, placed seventh in his heat race, and sits eighth in the point standings.
Series officials debuted two new pill draw awards and they were claimed by Madera, California’s Marvin Mitchell and newcomer Ben Covich of Auckland, New Zealand. Both owner/drivers earned $100 certificates, courtesy of Brown and Miller Racing Solutions.
The USAC Western States Midgets will return to Ventura Raceway and the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 10th. For more event information, visit venturaraceway.com.
The USAC Western States Midget Series thanks BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Ebbco Offroad, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing, Hoosier Racing Tires, Hot Head Competition Engine Heaters, Jordan Hanni Well Drilling, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Wireless 101, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the USAC Western States Midget 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: May 27, 2023 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-12.591; 2. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-12.776; 3. Blake Bower, 00, Davis-12.856; 4. Chase Johnson, 73, Ford-12.880; 5. Cade Lewis, 5K, Alexander-12.911; 6. Ben Worth, 14J, Graunstadt-12.964; 7. Robby Josett, 68, Six8-12.977; 8. Mike Leach Jr., 33P, Leach-12.997; 9. Steve Paden, 56, Paden-13.131; 10. Brandon Wiley, 14JR, Streeter-13.181; 11. Samuel May, 55, Lambert-13.268; 12. David Gasper, 18, Gasper/Kittle-13.339; 13. Garrett Twitty, 51B, Carlile-13.357; 14. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-13.413; 15. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-13.453; 16. Bryan Drollinger, 71D, Drollinger-13.526; 17. Ron Hazleton, 15, Hazelton-13.566; 18. Marvin Mitchell, 78, Mitchell-NT; 19. Ben Covich, 65, Covich-NT.
JORDAN HANNI WELL DRILLING FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. Josett, 3. Fuson, 4. Wiley, 5. Twitty, 6. Covich, 7. Drollinger. NT.
HOT HEAD COMPETITION ENGINE HEATERS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Lewis, 2. May, 3. Sarna, 4. Pankratz, 5. Leach, 6. Hazelton. NT.
EBBCO OFFROAD THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Paden, 2. Gasper, 3. Bower, 4. Worth, 5. Hix. NT.
SAMMY BAHR FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Brody Fuson (6), 2. Chase Johnson (3), 3. Ben Worth (1), 4. Cade Lewis (2), 5. Robby Josett (8), 6. Blake Bower (4), 7. Brandon Wiley (10), 8. David Gasper (12), 9. C.J. Sarna (5), 10. Steve Paden (7), 11. Garrett Twitty (13), 12. Ron Hazelton (17), 13. Bryan Drollinger (16), 14. Samuel May (11), 15. Steve Hix (15), 16. Randi Pankratz (14), 17. Mike Leach Jr. (9), 18. Ben Covich (18), 19. Marvin Mitchell (19). NT.
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**Covich flipped on lap 1 of the feature. Gasper flipped on lap 15 of the feature. May flipped on lap 16 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Worth, Laps 2-24 Johnson, Laps 25-30 Fuson.
HIGH TECH PERFORMANCE LUCKY PILL DRAW: Steve Paden.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS LOW PILL DRAW: Marvin Mitchell.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HIGH PILL DRAW: Ben Covich.
WIRELESS 101 HARD CHARGER: Brody Fuson (6th to 1st)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Bryan Drollinger.
NEW USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-232, 2-Cade Lewis-219, 3-Ben Worth-208, 4-Steve Paden-167, 5-Samuel May-149, 6-Ron Hazelton-143, 7-Caden Sarale-142, 8-Bryan Drollinger-137, 9-A.J. Bender-113, 10-C.J. Sarna-102.
NEW WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-16, 2-Cade Lewis-9, 3-Caden Sarale-8, 4-Jake Andreotti-6, 5-C.J. Sarna-5, 6-Ben Worth-4, –Blake Bower-4, 7-A.J. Bender-3, –Mitchel Moles-3, –Chase Johnson-3.
NEW SAMMY BAHR FEATURE POINTS: 1-Brody Fuson-195, 2-Cade Lewis-198, –Ben Worth-198, 4-Steve Paden-150, 5-Ron Hazelton-131, 6-Samuel May-130, 7-Bryan Drollinger-128, 8-Caden Sarale-122, 9-A.J. Bender-99, 10-C.J. Sarna-87.
NEW PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Cade Lewis-12, 2-Brody Fuson-8, –Ron Hazelton-8, 4-Steve Paden-5, 5-Jake Andreotti-4, –Bryan Drollinger-4, –David Gasper-4, –Robby Josett-3, –Brandon Wiley-3, 10-Garrett Twitty-2.
NEXT USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: June 10 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California