By Richie Murray
Nipomo, California (May 17, 2025)………Caden Sarale captured his first victory of the USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western States Midget season and vaulted into the series point lead following his victory on Saturday night at Nipomo, California’s Santa Maria Speedway.
Fifth starting Sarale (Stockton, California) took over the lead from outside front row starter Preston Norbury on lap six and led the remaining 25 laps to earn his fourth career series victory at the wheel of his own No. 32.
Fast qualifier Jett Yantis notched a runner-up finish behind Sarale. T.J. Smith took third with hard charger Dane Culver fourth after starting back in 12th. Randi Pankratz rounded out the top-five. Norbury, who led the opening five laps, finished eighth.
Heat races were won by Yantis and Sarale.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE RESULTS: May 17, 2025 – Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, California
QUALIFYING: 1. Jett Yantis, 4y, Carlile-15.041; 2. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-15.118; 3. Broedy Graham, 66, BGR-15.366; 4. T.J. Smith, 68, Six8-15.426; 5. Preston Norbury, 77AZ, Norbury-15.575; 6. Todd Hawse, 18, Hawse-15.841; 7. Terry Nichols, 1p, Nichols/Peckfelder-16.008; 8. Anthony Bruno, 9, Bruno-16.172; 9. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-16.304; 10. Kyle Hawse, 20x, Hawse-16.472; 11. Hailey Lambert, 55, Lambert-16.507; 12. Ben Covich, 65NZ, Covich-16.561; 13. Dane Culver, 00, Davis-16.561; 14. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-16.561; 15. Blake Bower, 2ND, Nichols-16.561; 16. Blake Bower, 2x, Bower-NT.
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jett Yantis (6), 2. Randi Pankratz (2), 3. Broedy Graham (5), 4. Preston Norbury (4), 5. Terry Nichols (3), 6. Hailey Lambert (1), 7. Dane Culver (7), 8. C.J. Sarna (8). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Caden Sarale (6), 2. Todd Hawse (4), 3. Kyle Hawse (2), 4. Ben Covich (1), 5. T.J. Smith (5), 6. Anthony Bruno (3). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Caden Sarale (5), 2. Jett Yantis (6), 3. T.J. Smith (3), 4. Dane Culver (12), 5. Randi Pankratz (8), 6. Todd Hawse (1), 7. Kyle Hawse (9), 8. Preston Norbury (2), 9. C.J. Sarna (11), 10. Terry Nichols (7), 11. Broedy Graham (4), 12. Hailey Lambert (10). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 Preston Norbury, Laps 6-30 Caden Sarale.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Caden Sarale-231, 2-T.J. Smith-222, 3-Dane Culver-189, 4-Todd Hawse-159, 5-Jett Yantis-148, 6-Broedy Graham-126, 7-Randi Pankratz-122, 8-Connor Speir-113, 9-Kyle Hawse-111, 10-Hailey Lambert-86.
NEXT USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: June 13, 2025 – Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, California