Photo by H3 Photography via Walkapedia Twitter
By: Lucas Halbert - Grassroots Racing News
Salisbury, North Carolina (10/25/2021)... For the first time in nearly a year, Midgets returned to the tiny bullring of Millbridge Speedway. Midget's at the tight and racy track outside of Salisbury, North Carolina, is always a treat. The weather threatened to end things all night, even causing a rain delay midway through. However, ending night one of the Walkapedia Carolina Midget Showdown would be C.J. Leary taking the checkered flag in the Alex Bowman owned #55.
After a rain delay early, Brent Crews set a new track record for Midgets in qualifying with a 9.781. Then Christopher Bell and C.J. Leary would win their heat races. Feature races for the Beginner Box Stock's and 600cc Non-Wing Micros were wild as ever.
It was then time for C.J Leary and Christopher Bell to lead the fifteen-car field to green for laps.
Bell, Leary, and thirteen-year-old Brent Crew would break away early. Bell, ripping the thin lip with Leary rolling the bottom. C-Bell was upfront at the time of the first caution of the race at lap seven.
Off the restart, Bell and Leary traded sliders, with Leary getting the best of C-Bell. C.J. goes straight to the bottom, rolling it to perfection and pulling away. While Leary pulled away, the battle was hot for second between Bell and Brent Crews.
The two swapped sliders but made contact and damaged Crews' front end, ending his night. The race would restart at halfway, and it was go time for "G-Money" Gavan Boschele as he threaded the needle up to third.
A caution for Cannon McIntosh with nine to go bunched the field back up and gives Bell and Boschele another shot at Leary. Bell sent the Keith Kunz Motorsports #67w to the bottom, but it did no good as Leary only extended his lead.
Leary seemed to have the win sign, sealed, and delivered with more than a three-second lead with five to go, but a red flag for McIntosh and Jade Avedisian set up a green-white-checkered finish.
The stoppage did not make a difference as C.J. Leary dominated on the bottom for the $2,500 payday at the Walkapedia Carolina Midget Showdown.
Christopher Bell and Gavan Boschele held on for podium finishes while Ethan Mitchell and Ryan Timms made up the rest of the Top 5.
Feature Results (30 Laps):
1. (55) C.J. Leary, 2. (67w) Christopher Bell, 3. (5) Gavan Boschele, 4. (19m) Ethan Mitchell, 5. (85T) Ryan Timms, 6. (2H) Nick Hoffman, 7. (29) Tim Buckwalker, 8. (4s) Dillon Silverman, 9. (0w) Kevin Woody, 10. (9m) Zach Daum, 11. (84) Jade Avedisian, 12. (4) Cannon McIntosh, 13. (86) Brent Crews, 14. (15) Joey Robinson, 15. (00) Jamie Speers