BRYANT BELL RETAKES WMR POINTS LEAD WITH FRIDAY NIGHT KAEDING CLASSIC WIN
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (July 13, 2024) – 2023 Western Midget Racing champion Bryant Bell of Oakley took over the points lead for the 2024 series with a big win, taking Friday’s 20-lap opener for the WMR Triple Crown and the Howard Kaeding Classic. The victory paid $500 with a $1200 to win feature looming on Saturday night.
Incoming points leader Logan Mitchell of Santa Cruz and Bell shared the front row for the feature. Bell got a launch on the outside line and drove to the inside in turn one. The pair collided, relegating Mitchell to restarting at the rear of the field for a restart. On the restart, Mitchell spun for his second caution to end his night. The points swing takes Mitchell from an eight point lead to an 18 point deficit.
Bell faced a challenge from Payette, Idaho’s Teddy Bivert on the restart but Bell was able to fend him off. The red flag flew on lap seven when Lodi’s Nate Wait flipped on the backstretch while battling Roseville’s Jerry Kobza for fifth. He was uninjured.
Bell led the final 13 laps of competition for his fifth career Ocean WMR win followed by Bivert, Terry Nichols of Delano, Kobza, and San Jose’s Anthony Bruno. They join sixth place finisher Todd Hawse of Moorpark for Saturday’s fast heat race while the rest of the field will race for starting positions seventh on back in the second heat race. Bell spun a zero inversion for the fast heat race in victory lane as well.
The 2024 Western Midget Racing Triple Crown is brought to you by Sunland Wood Products, Mead Performance, Extreme Mufflers, Pasillas Tire, West Evans Motorsports, Lance Pierovich, and Hoosier Tire West.
For more information visit www.WesternMidgetRacing.com
RESULTS: Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic July 12, 2024
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 09-Bryant Bell[2]; 2. 11-Teddy Bivert[5]; 3. 1K-Terry Nichols[4]; 4. 35-Jerry Kobza[7]; 5. 9-Anthony Bruno[6]; 6. 18-Todd Hawse[11]; 7. 15-Adam Weisberg[3]; 8. 20-Kyle Hawse[12]; 9. 4R-Taylor Hall[10]; 10. 57-Ray Richards[14]; 11. 68M-Nathan Moore[9]; 12. 35W-Nate Wait[8]; 13. 1T-Scott Hall[13]; 14. 96X-Logan Mitchell[1]
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 96X-Logan Mitchell[4]; 2. 15-Adam Weisberg[1]; 3. 11-Teddy Bivert[5]; 4. 35-Jerry Kobza[3]; 5. 68M-Nathan Moore[7]; 6. 18-Todd Hawse[6]; 7. 1T-Scott Hall[2]
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 09-Bryant Bell[1]; 2. 1K-Terry Nichols[2]; 3. 9-Anthony Bruno[6]; 4. 35W-Nate Wait[4]; 5. 4R-Taylor Hall[7]; 6. 20-Kyle Hawse[5]; 7. 57-Ray Richards[3]
2024 WMR Schedule – Subject to Change
March 16 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Anthony Bruno
March 29 Ocean Speedway – RAIN OUT
March 30 Marysville Raceway – RAIN OUT
April 20 Bakersfield Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 4 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
May 17 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 18 Petaluma Speedway w/ BCRA Tom Manning Memorial – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
June 7 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 8 Petaluma Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 22 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
July 12 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic** – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 13 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic**
July 26 Ocean Speedway
July 27 Antioch Speedway
August 9 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic**
August 10 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic**
September 21 Bakersfield Speedway
October 25 Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway October Classic**
October 26 Ventura Raceway**
** indicates Triple Crown event
