From Steven Blakesley
Glendale, Ariz. (January 29, 2022) – 2021 Western Midget Racing presented by Masters Design and Construction champion Blake Bower of Brentwood, Calif. picked up where he left off, winning the curtain raiser for the 2022 season from Adobe Mountain Speedway in Glendale, Ariz. Bower inherited the lead after CJ Bunch flipped from the top spot. Bower went on to lead the final 18 laps for the victory.
Fresno’s Cody Key won the first heat race in his series debut while Drake Edwards of Surprise, Ariz. won heat two and Peoria’s Cory Brown won the third heat race. 16 cars lined up for the scheduled 25-lap feature before 2021 series runner-up David Prickett of Fresno stalled and was unable to take the green flag.
Goodyear, Ariz.’s Bunch started on the outside pole alongside Brown. Bunch made a bid for the lead, then was chased by third starting Bower. Bower dove inside Bunch for the lead on multiple occasions, with the duo running side-by-side through turns three and four. Bunch then flipped on the top of turn one to bring out a red flag on lap five.
Bower took over the top position for the restart. Drake Edwards spun from the third position to require a caution on lap ten. A gaggle of cars battled for the third position after the restart including Key, Todd Hawse of Moorpark, and Phoenix’s Dale Eliason, Jr. Eliason went to the outside of them before an incident on lap 18 that eliminated both Eliason and Hawse from the race.
The final five laps were led by Bower, topping Brown, a hard-charging Edwards, Key, and Surprise, Ariz.’s Kyle Huttenhow at the finish. Nathan High crossed the line third but was disqualified for being light across the scales.
Western Midget Racing returns to action on February 12 from Adobe Mountain Speedway.
For more information on Western Midget Racing, visit them at www.WesternMidgetRacing.com or follow them on Facebook!
Western Midget Racing is presented by: Masters Design and Construction, Rockwell Security, Rams Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Extreme Mufflers, FTK, Blud Lubricants, and West Evans Motorsports.
January 29, 2022 – Adobe Mountain Speedway (Glendale, Ariz.) Results
HEAT 1 (8 laps) – 1. 35 Cody Key; HEAT 2 (8 laps) – 1. 86D Drake Edwards; HEAT 3 (8 laps) – 1. 29 Cory Brown
FEATURE (23 laps) – 1. 9 Blake Bower, 2. 29 Cory Brown, 3. 86D Drake Edwards, 4. 35 Cody Key, 5. 57 Kyle Huttenhow, 6. 20 Kyle Hawse, 7. 24 Cameron Beard, 8. 74 Dale Eliason, 9. 31 Todd Hawse, 10. 55 Tyler Rodriguez, 11. 22 Stevie Sussex, 12. 20w Daniel Anderson, 13. 7 C.J. Bunch, 14. 3AZ Chloe High, 15. 22q David Prickett DQ: 33AZ Nathan High