#17G Shane Golobic & Crew in Placerville victory circle. Photo by MMRacing Photos.com
(By Lance Jennings) MARCH 30, 2017… Running the outside line, “Sugar” Shane Golobic (Fremont, California) won last Saturday’s “Outlaw Showdown” at Placerville Speedway. Taking the lead from Ronnie Gardner on lap eighteen, Golobic earned his fourth career Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget triumph. Gardner, Cory Elliott, Courtney Crone, and Alex Schutte rounded out the top-five drivers.
Starting third, Shane Golobic gave chase after early leader Schutte and the second running Gardner. While both drivers favored the bottom line, Golobic powered Matt Wood’s #17G Elk Grove Ford / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike to the top spot running the top groove. Racing double duty with the World of Outlaw Sprints, the versatile driver earned $1,200 for his midget victory. Earlier in the program, Shane won the night’s Keizer Aluminum Wheels / Saldana Racing Products Heat Race #3 and qualified fourth out of eighteen racers in passing points. At press time. Golobic is tied for tenth in the point chase with Michael Faccinto.
After taking command from Schutte and leading five laps, Ronnie Gardner (Corona, California) had to settle for second at the checkered flags. Piloting the Six8 Motorsports’ #68 PAC Springs / Wilwood Brakes Stewart, Gardner won the Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat Race #2 and placed third in passing points. The four-time champion heads to Tulare as the point leader with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led.
Cory Elliott (Bakersfield, California) charged from ninth to score third at Placerville Speedway. Driving the family owned #11E FK Indy / Oilwize Spike, Elliott ran fourth in his heat race and placed ninth in passing points. To date, the 2015 Rookie of the Year is second in points with one heat race victory and two top-10 finishes on the season.
Courtney Crone (Corona, California) scored fourth at the “Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown.” Racing Jerome Rodela’s #25 Trench Shoring / Ed Pink Racing Engines Breka, Crone placed third in her heat race and ranked fifth overall in passing points. At press time, the 2016 Rookie of the Year sits third in points with two top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Alex Schutte (Redding, California) led the first twelve laps before taking fifth in the 30-lap feature. Piloting the Schutte / McElwee owned #28 Proficio / Aircraft Electrical Components Spike, Schutte ran second to Shane Golobic in his heat race and ranked sixth overall in passing points. The 2010 Champion left Placerville sitting fourteenth in the point standings.
Robert Dalby (Anaheim, California) earned the night’s Esslinger Engineering Hard Charger / Best Passing Job honors with a ninth place run from seventeenth. Driving the family owned 4D R-D Spring & Stamping / Monster Seal Spike, Dalby claimed sixth in his heat race and placed seventeenth overall in passing points. Robert heads to Tulare ranked seventh in points with one heat race victory and one top-10 finish to his credit.
Michael Faccinto (Hanford, California) won the night’s Woodland Auto Display Top Qualifier Award. Racing the MF Motorsports’ #35F OZV / Lucas Oil Spike, Faccinto ran second to Ronnie Gardner in his heat race and finished sixth in the main event. Last year’s Louie Vermeil Classic winner is currently tied with Shane Golobic for tenth in points with one top-10 finish on the year.
“The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign (Sebastopol, California) won the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting Ted Finkenbinder’s #3F Western Industrial X-Ray Bullet, Ensign was second in passing points and scored sixteenth in the feature after an early exit. The former USAC Western Classic Sprint Car Champion is tied with Buddy Kofoid for seventeenth in the point chase.
On Saturday, April 8th, the Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midgets will travel to the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl in Tulare, California, Located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds at the corner of Bardsley and K Streets, the event will also showcase the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.tularethunderbowl.com or call 559.688.0909
The Light Up The World Beverages USAC Western States Midget Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Esslinger Engineering, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, 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 atlwjennings@earthlink.net.
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 BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 29, 2017 – Placerville, California – Placerville Speedway – “Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown”
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Geoff Ensign (#3F Finkenbinder), 2. Mason Daniel (#33M Daniel), 3. Courtney Crone (#25 Rodela), 4. Cory Elliott (#11E Elliott), 5. Nate Wait (#35W MF), 6. Robert Dalby (#4D Dalby). NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Ronnie Gardner (#68 Six8), 2. Michael Faccinto (#35F MF), 3. Ryan Bernal (#71R Morris), 4. Frankie Guerrini (#63 Guerrini), 5. Maria Cofer (#57 Cofer), 6. Terry Nichols (#1P Nichols). NT
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS / SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Shane Golobic (#17G Wood), 2. Alex Schutte (#28 Schutte/McElwee), 3. Randi Pankratz (#8 Pankratz), 4. David Prickett (#35 Pierovich), 5. Dustin Golobic (#25G Bock), 6. Buddy Kofoid (#11 Kofoid). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Shane Golobic (3rd), 2. Ronnie Gardner (4th), 3. Cory Elliott (9th), 4. Courtney Crone (2nd), 5. Alex Schutte (1st), 6. Michael Faccinto (6th), 7. Mason Daniel (7th), 8. David Prickett (12th), 9. Robert Dalby (17th), 10. Frankie Guerrini (11th), 11. Buddy Kofoid (16th), 12. Maria Cofer (14th), 13. Terry Nichols (18th), 14. Randi Pankratz (8th), 15. Dustin Golobic (13th), 16. Geoff Ensign (5th), 17. Nate Wait (15th), 18. Ryan Bernal (10th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 Schutte, Laps 13-17 Gardner, Laps 18-30 Golobic.
ESSLINGER ENGINEERING HARD CHARGER: Robert Dalby (17th to 9th)
LIGHT UP THE WORLD BEVERAGES HARD LUCK AWARD: David Prickett
LIGHT UP THE WORLD BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ronnie Gardner-161, 2. Cory Elliott-148, 3. Courtney Crone-131, 4. Frankie Guerrini-114, 5. Mason Daniel-110, 6. Terry Nichols-104, 7. Robert Dalby-98, 8. Randi Pankratz-94, 9. David Prickett-82, 10. Shane Golobic-81, … Michael Faccinto-81, 12. Nic Faas-77, 13. Maria Cofer-76, 14. Alex Schutte-66, 15. J.J. Ercse-54, 16. Chris Ennis-50, 17. Geoff Ensign-44, … Buddy Kofoid-44, 19. Clayton Ruston-42, 20. Matt Mitchell-40.
2017 LIGHT UP THE WORLD BEVERAGES USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
April 8: Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA
May 13: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
July 15: *Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA (Jack London Hall of Fame Picnic Event)
August 19: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
September 2: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 3: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 7: *Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions)
September 16: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
September 30: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
October 28: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
November 18: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA
November 23: #Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (Turkey Night Grand Prix)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with BCRA Midgets.
# = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Midgets.
This schedule is subject to change.