Blake Bower Adds Howard Kaeding Classic to Wmr Resume With $1000 Victory

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Blake Bower Adds Howard Kaeding Classic to Wmr Resume With $1000 Victory

July 16, 2023

Two-time Western Midget Racing Champion Blake Bower of Brentwood wins Saturday night’s 13th Annual Howard Kading Classic at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway and won $1000. The win was Bower’s 12th on the dirt track at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

Bower won Friday night’s top-six high-speed heat race to take pole position for the 25-lap main event. Roddy’s Nate Waite won the second heat race.

Surprisingly, Arizona’s Drake Edwards did a driving clinic in this feature, but was ultimately voided on the post-race scales. Friday’s winner Edwards slipped down the order after starting fifth, while Bower enjoyed the race lead from pole position.

Edwards moved into third from the outside of Santa Cruz’s Logan Mitchell and passed Oakley’s Bryant Bell on lap five for second. Edwards then surged on the outside of Bower to take the lead on lap eight.

Bell slowed his pace and retired from the race on lap ten. Edwards took advantage of the outside to pass most of the 15 cars in lap traffic, eventually accumulating an astounding nine-second advantage over Bower.

Bauer followed after Edwards crossed the stripes first. Mitchell won a long battle of races with Nate Waite for Lodi, Greg Dennett for Livermore and Adrianna Demartini for Brentwood. After Edwards got on the scale lightly, Bower was credited with his 12th win and $1000 in prize money at Ocean in his WMR.

Mitchell and Bell traded points leads throughout the weekend, but Mitchell will lead the series when he returns to action at Ocean Speedway on July 28 and Antioch Speedway on July 29.

Learn more about www.WesternMidgetRacing.com

Results: Ocean Speedway *13th Annual Howard Kading Classic* July 15, 2023

Heat 1 (8 laps): 9-Break Bower.Heat 2 (8 laps): 35W-Nate Waite

Feature (20 laps): 1. 9-Blake Bower, 2. 96x- Logan Mitchell, 3. 35W-Nate Waite, 4. 7-Greg Dennett, 5. 19-Adrianna Demartini, 6. 54 -Anthony Bruno, 7. 20- Kyle Hawes, 8. 66- Darrin Houghton, 9. 35X- Tyler Roos, 10. 15- Adam Weisberg, 11. 68- Marvin Mitchell, 12. 11- AJ Hernandez, 13. 31- Todd Hawes, 14. 09 – Bryant Bell, DQ: 4R- Drake Edwards

2023 WMR Schedule – Subject to Change

2.4 Adobe Mountain Speedway – Winner: Dustin Cormany

3.18 Mojave Valley Raceway – Winner: Drake Edwards

3.31 Ocean Speedway – Rain

4.1 Antioquia Speedway – Rain

4.29 Ventura Raceway – Winner: Bryant Bell

5.12 Ocean Speedway – Winner: Blake Bower

5.13 Petaluma Speedway – Winner: Bryant Bell

6.9 Ocean Speedway – Winner: Blake Bower

6.10 Petaluma Speedway – Winner: Bryant Bell

6.17 Ventura Raceway *Wags Dash* Winner: Drake Edwards

7.14 Ocean Speedway *Howard Kading Classic* Winner: Drake Edwards