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Hunt sweeps USAC Western Midgets at Altamont – By Bobby Gerould – May 13, 2006 – Tracy, CA. …A clean sweep! It happens only a handful of times a year in any given region. The “clean sweep” is executed when a driver finishes first in every event they start. Saturday night at Altamont Motorsports Park Tony Hunt was the quickest qualifier, he won his heat race, and then romped to a 30-lap feature event win in Bob Rosen’s Mr. Espresso #4. Hunt’s clean sweep made him the fifth different winner in five 2006 USAC Western Midget events.

Jerome Rodela, the defending USAC Western Midget champion, led the opening laps on the newly re-paved ½-mile. However, many eyes were viewing Bradley Galedrige – who shot into second position and began to ‘reel in’ the leader. Hunt moved into fourth spot on lap four with an outside pass of Ben Petter in turn two. Two laps later Hunt snatched third place from Evan Margeson at the end of the back chute.

Galedrige spun while trying to get the lead on lap nine. The restart running order showed Rodela, Hunt, Margeson, Ryan Kaplan, and Petter in the top-five. Hunt passed Rodela on lap 15 and was never headed. Rodela finished as runner-up. Kaplan out-dragged Margeson going into turn one on lap 28 to earn a hard-fought third place followed by Margeson, and Petter.

USAC WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 13, 2005 – Tracy, California – Altamont Motorsports Park

QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Tony Hunt, 4, Rosen-17.440; 2. Bradley Galedrige, 29, Galedrige-17.554; 3. Ryan Kaplan, 21, Kaplan-17.578; 4. Evan Margeson, 11, Margeson-17.594; 5. Ben Petter, 22, Petter-17.630; 6. Jerome Rodela, 5, VanDyne-17.979; 7. Chase Barber, 91, Barber-18.016; 8. Garratt Boyden, 42, Boyden-18.042; 9. Shannon McQueen, 7, McQueen-18.092; 10. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-18.119; 11. Brea Lopez, 25, Lopez-18.150; 12. Dallen McKenney, 88, McKenney-18.265; 13. Snake Livernash, 55, Livernash-18.429; 14. Tyler Brown, 34, Brown-18.552; 15. Brian Gard, 89, Arata-18.742; 16. Ralph Cortez, 31, Cortez-20.640.

FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Hunt, 2. Petter, 3. McQueen, 4. Gard, 5. Lopez, 6. Kaplan, 7. Barber, 8. Livenash. 2:59.13

SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Galedrige, 2. Margeson, 3. McKenney, 4. Rodela, 5. Boyden, 6. Mitchell, 7. Brown, 8. Cortez. 2:58.73

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Tony Hunt, 2. Jerome Rodela, 3. Ryan Kaplan, 4. 4. Evan Margeson, 5. Ben Petter, 6. Bradley Galedrige, 7. Matt Mitchell, 8. Chase Barber, 9. Dallen McKenney, 10. Snake Livernash, 11. Garratt Boyden, 12. Brea Lopez, 13. Tyler Brown, 14. Shannon McQueen, 15. Brian Gard, 16. Ralph Cortez. NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Rodela, Laps 15-30 Hunt.

NEW WESTERN MIDGET CAR STANDINGS: 1-Brown-190 2-Mitchell-189; 3-Michael Lewis-183; 4-Rodela-181; 5-Boyden-160; 6-McQueen-151; 7-Kaplan-128; 8-Barber-115; 9-Scott Pierovich-114; 10-Billy Wease-112.

NEXT WESTERN MIDGET CAR RACE: May 20 – Ventura (CA) Raceway

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