IRWINDALE, Calif. — Nic Faas, an 18-year-old third-generation driver, topped off his outstanding 2007 season by winning the 40-lap Ford Focus Midget feature Thanksgiving night at Irwindale Speedway.
The first of three USAC series main events at the eastern Los Angeles County track used the four-degree banked paved third-mile track. The race started a season-high 25 cars from seven states. An estimated 6,000 spectators were on hand.
Faas started his Faas Racing Beast sixth as the fastest qualifier and raced into the lead on lap 16.
He used an inside pass in the fourth turn of race-long leader Mike Maierc and led the balance of the event — the longest Ford Focus midget race of the season.
He won by half a straightaway (2.659 seconds) in a 26-minute race slowed by four cautions flags for solo spins. His grandfather, Leonard Faas, Sr. and uncle Len Faas, Jr.,  owned USAC race cars, and his cousin Cary Faas raced open-wheel cars in CRA and USAC.
Faas intends to keep the family name active in USAC-CRA sprint cars next season by racing a former Harlan Willis machine.
Faas’ victory gave him second place in the 19-race California Ford Focus Midget paved track standings. Earlier he won the 11-race 2007 California Ford Focus Dirt Series.
Justin Hommel, an 18-year-old Focus rookie and 2006 legends car racer on Irwindale’s third-mile oval, enjoyed his best result in USAC. With assistance from former CRA owner Ace Noffsinger and his driving son Brad, Hommel started and finished second in his Bullet chassis.
Caitlin Shaw started 11th in her Stealth and finished third. Tom Dyer, a driving instructor at Infineon Raceway, started and finished fourth, with Daniel Adler fifth.
The finish:
Nic Faas, Justin Hommel, Caitlin Shaw, Tom Dyer, Daniel Adler, Eric Fehrman, Tim Skoglund, Mark Atkinson, Nick Carlson, Austin Williams, Mike Maier, Jon Laski, Shawn Buckley, J.R. Williams, Austin Mero, C.J. Sarna, Zack Stout, Tommy Astone III, Scott Oliver, Jr., Audra Sasselli, Adam Barth, Gregg Fuette, Walt Johnson, Ian Mille, Robby Josett.