WESTERN DIRT MIDGETS AT BAKERSFIELD SATURDAY

The 2014 Honda USAC Western Midget Series resumes Saturday night at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway and once again Ronnie Gardner appears to be the driver to beat for the championship.

Ronnie won nine races in 21 starts last year for Six-8 Motorsports on his way to the championship which he won by a whopping 326 points over runner-up Jake Swanson. Despite a disappointing series opening at Peoria, Ariz. in February, he remains a top candidate for the title/

Gardner’s 2013 victories came at six different tracks. He won three times at Ventura and twice at Petaluma, while Bakersfield was one of four other venues. They included Visalia, Watsonville and Chico.