RONNIE GARDNER GETS STORYBOOK WIN AT VENTURA

By Lance Jennings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018... Racing past Michael Faccinto on the ninth lap, Ronnie Gardner (Riverside, CA) led the rest of the way to claim the checkered flags last Saturday at Ventura Raceway. After claiming his twenty-third career Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget presented by CBD Living Water victory, Gardner announced that he was moving to Indiana. Fast qualifier Faccinto, Robby Josett, Robert Dalby, and Shannon McQueen followed the five-time champion to the finish line. 

Racing the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 Light Up The World Beverages / PAC Springs Stewart, Gardner qualified third out of twenty-one racers, won the night’s 8-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Heat Race #3, and topped his first main event of the campaign.

Michael Faccinto (Hanford, CA) earned his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of year in the Dodenhoff Motorsports’ #9D Lightning Medical / Rocket Sports & Entertainment Spike.

Piloting the family owned #4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Robert Dalby (Anaheim, CA) won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The triumph was his first heat race win of the season.

Alex Schutte (Redding, CA) claimed the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. Driving the Schutte/McElwee #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte posted the series leading sixth heat race win of 2018.

Racing Keith Ford’s #73T Edgewater Construction / Sun Valley AG Transport TCR, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, CA) earned the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award with a sixth place run from seventeenth.

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water are back in action on Saturday, October 6th, at Santa Maria Raceway. The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, American Stocks, NMRA TQ Midgets, and Mini Dwarfs will share the spotlight. Santa Maria Raceway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California. Advance tickets are on sale and visit the track’s website at www.santamariaraceway.com or call 805.922.2232 for more information.

The Light Up The World USAC Western States Midget Series presented by CBD Living Water thanks Hoosier Tire, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Five Star Grafix, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

For more information on the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. 

Loudpedal Productions has USAC Western States Midget DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.

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LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER RACE RESULTS: September 15, 2018 – Ventura, California – Ventura Raceway 

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Michael Faccinto, 9D, Dodenhoff-11.757; 2. Jake Swanson, 73X, Ford-11.968; 3. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-11.983; 4. Robby Josett, 2, Josett-12.085; 5. Alex Schutte, 28, Schutte/McElwee-12.122; 6. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-12.144; 7. Robert Dalby, 4D, Dalby-12.225; 8. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-12.278; 9. Tristan Thomas, 1P, Nichols-12.445; 10. Tristan Guardino, 16K, Kruseman-12.559; 11. Kyle Beilman, 31, Beilman-12.695; 12. Bruce Hiroshima, 55, Hiroshima-12.756; 13. Bryan Drollinger, 71, Drollinger-12.838; 14. Dylan Ito, 73, Ford-12.948; 15. Keoni Texeira, 73T, Ford-12.972; 16. Mike Leach Jr., 33P, Leach-13.070; 17. Ashley Hazelton-Heredia, 15, Hazelton-13.851; 18. Daniel Anderson, 77, Anderson-13.972; 19. David Prickett, 24X, Neverlift-NT; 20. Clayton Ruston, 7R, CR-NT; 21. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-NT.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Dalby, 2. Faccinto, 3. Josett, 4. Prickett, 5. Guardino, 6. Drollinger, 7. Leach. NT

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Schutte, 2. Beilman, 3. Ito, 4. Ruston, 5. Hazelton-Heredia, 6. Swanson, 7. Pankratz. NT

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED / ROD END SUPPLY THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Gardner, 2. Thomas, 3. McQueen, 4. Sarna, 5. Hiroshima, 6. Texeria, 7. Anderson. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Ronnie Gardner (3rd), 2. Michael Faccinto (4th), 3. Robby Josett (7th), 4. Robert Dalby (1st), 5. Shannon McQueen (9th), 6. Jake Swanson (17th), 7. C.J. Sarna (12th), 8. Tristan Guardino (13th), 9. David Prickett (10th), 10. Clayton Ruston (11th), 11. Daniel Anderson (21st), 12. Ashley Hazelton-Heredia (14th), 13. Mike Leach Jr. (19th), 14. Kyle Beilman (5th), 15. Dylan Ito (8th), 16. Alex Schutte (2nd), 17. Bruce Hiroshima (15th), 18. Bryan Drollinger (16th), 19. Tristan Thomas (6th), 20. Randi Pankratz (20th), 21. Keoni Texeira (DNS/18th). NT

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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Dalby, Laps 4-8 Faccinto, Laps 9-30 Gardner.

SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Jake Swanson (17th to 6th)

LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER POINT STANDINGS: 1. Michael Faccinto-552, 2. Alex Schutte-541, 3. Robby Josett-514, 4. Robert Dalby-451, 5. David Prickett-420, 6. C.J. Sarna-399, 7. Ronnie Gardner-370, 8. Shannon McQueen-334, 9. Kyle Beilman-319, 10. Clayton Ruston-310, 11. Randi Pankratz-306, 12. Frankie Guerrini-272, 13. Marvin Mitchell-262, 14. Ryan Bernal-260, 15. Maria Cofer-233, 16. Dylan Ito-184, 17. Daniel Anderson-181, 18. Cory Elliott-146, 19. Jake Swanson-138, 20. Bryan Drollinger-123.

2018 LIGHT UP THE WORLD USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES PRESENTED BY CBD LIVING WATER SCHEDULE

October 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA

October 27: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA

November 17: #Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (November Classic)

November 22: #Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix)

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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.

This schedule is subject to change.