By Steven Blakesley
MERCED, CALIFORNIA (May 16, 2026) – Stockton’s Caden Sarale won his second consecutive BCRA/WMR Super Series Midgets feature on Saturday night, with the 2025 champion leading the way against a large field at Merced Speedway. Logan Mitchell of Santa Cruz was the top Western Midget Racing finisher yet again, his third consecutive run at the front for the WMR win. 20 Midgets filled the pit area in search of the $1,500 prize in the third round of the 2026 Super Series.
Drake Edwards of Surprise, Ariz. led Quick Change Liquid Energy time trials while heat races went to Bakersfield’s Broedy Graham and Sarale.
WMR rookie Nicholas Leonard, Jr. and multiple-time USAC Western States Midgets feature winner Jett Yantis of Bakersfield shared the front row for the 30-lap contest. Sarale quickly worked from fifth on the grid, seizing the lead on lap 16 and leading the final 14 circuits. Placerville Super Series winner Preston Norbury brought his No. 77AZ to second position followed by 14th-starting Connor Speir in car 14. Yantis was fourth ahead of Graham in fifth. Mitchell finished seventh to lead the WMR contingent ahead of Leonard in ninth and Isak Johnson in 11th.
Speir won the $100 Hard Charger presented by West Evans Motorsports and BR Motorsports.
The WMR / BCRA California Super Series races to Antioch Speedway on June 6 for the 2nd annual Graundstadt Memorial. Western Midget Racing competes next on Friday May 29 during the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series action at Watsonville Speedway. For more information, visit www.BCRARacing.com www.WesternMidgetRacing.com or follow each series on social media.
RESULTS: Merced Speedway May 16, 2026
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 32-Caden Sarale[5]; 2. 77AZ-Preston Norbury[3]; 3. 14-Connor Speir[14]; 4. 4-Jett Yantis[2]; 5. 66-Broedy Graham[4]; 6. 77-Drake Edwards[6]; 7. 96X-Logan Mitchell[7]**; 8. 65-Ben Covich[10]; 9. 09-Nicholas Leonard Jr[1]**; 10. 13-Danika Jo Faccinto[11]; 11. 4R-Isak Johnson[9]**; 12. 7-Dalton Wright[19]**; 13. 5-Cody Gray[18]**; 14. 50-Dane Culver[13]; 15. 68-Marvin Mitchell[16]**; 16. 5R-Chris Rahe[8]**; 17. 1K-Terry Nichols[17]**; 18. (DNF) 18-Floyd Alvis[15]; 19. (DNS) 19-Anthony Bruno
** indicates WMR points paying car
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 66-Broedy Graham[5]; 2. 4-Jett Yantis[4]; 3. 50-Dane Culver[8]; 4. 96X-Logan Mitchell[2]; 5. 77-Drake Edwards[6]; 6. 13-Danika Jo Faccinto[7]; 7. 4R-Isak Johnson[1]; 8. 1K-Terry Nichols[10]; 9. 5-Cody Gray[3]; 10. (DNS) 18-Floyd Alvis
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 32-Caden Sarale[6]; 2. 65-Ben Covich[1]; 3. 14-Connor Speir[8]; 4. 77AZ-Preston Norbury[5]; 5. 5R-Chris Rahe[2]; 6. 09-Nicholas Leonard Jr[3]; 7. 68-Marvin Mitchell[9]; 8. 7-Dalton Wright[10]; 9. 19S-Michael Faccinto[4]; 10. (DNS) 19-Anthony Bruno
Qualifying 1 (2 Laps): 1. 77-Drake Edwards[1]; 2. 32-Caden Sarale[7]; 3. 66-Broedy Graham[17]; 4. 77AZ-Preston Norbury[16]; 5. 4-Jett Yantis[12]; 6. 19S-Michael Faccinto[4]; 7. 5-Cody Gray[9]; 8. 09-Nicholas Leonard Jr[3]; 9. 96X-Logan Mitchell[6]; 10. 5R-Chris Rahe[15]; 11. 4R-Isak Johnson[11]; 12. 65-Ben Covich[5]; 13. 13-Danika Jo Faccinto[18]; 14. 19-Anthony Bruno[10]; 15. 50-Dane Culver[14]; 16. 14-Connor Speir[13]; 17. 7-Dalton Wright[20]; 18. 18-Floyd Alvis[2]; 19. 68-Marvin Mitchell[19]; 20. (DNS) 1K-Terry Nichols