By Steven Blakesley
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA (May 14, 2023) – Oakley’s Bryant Bell continued a red-hot start to the 2023 Western Midget Racing season, earning his second win of the year in just his third attempt during Saturday night’s action at Petaluma Speedway.
Both competitive heat races were won from the fourth starting position, with Las Vegas’ Kyle Hawse and Stockton’s John Sarale taking the victories.
Bell started on the front row for the 20-lap feature alongside Lodi’s Nate Wait. Wait drove around the outside in the opening corners to lead lap one.
The top three of Wait, Bell, and French Camp’s Sage Bordenave ran in a close formation until a caution flag flew.
Bordenave passed Bell for second on the ensuing restart. After another caution, disaster struck for Wait. Wait spun exiting the second turn, handing the lead over to Bell on lap ten.
Bell never relinquished the top spot, leading Bordenave and Sarale at the finish. Logan Mitchell of Santa Cruz staged a furious charge to drive from 13th to finish fourth followed by Isaiah Vasquez of Sacramento. Bordenave was disqualified in post-race inspection for being underweight, setting the final top five as: Bell, Sarale, Mitchell, Vasquez, and Hawse.
Western Midget Racing returns to the track on June 9th and 10th for a doubleheader of action at Ocean Speedway and Petaluma Speedway.
For more information visit www.WesternMidgetRacing.com
RESULTS: Petaluma Speedway May 13, 2023
HEAT 1 (8 LAPS): 20-Kyle Hawse; HEAT 2 (8 LAPS): 35-John Sarale
FEATURE (20 LAPS): 1. 09-Bryant Bell[1]; 2. 35-John Sarale[3]; 3. 96X-Logan Mitchell[13]; 4. 35X-Isaiah Vasquez[7]; 5. 20-Kyle Hawse[4]; 6. 66-Darin Horton[11]; 7. 4R-Rick Faeth[12]; 8. 9-Blake Bower[5]; 9. 3-Sparky Howard[9]; 10. 31-Todd Hawse[10]; 11. 76-Nate Wait[2]; 12. 22Q-Shawn Arriaga[14]; 13. 6S-David Prickett[8] DQ: 11-Sage Bordenave[6];