WESTERN MIDGETS EYE TULARE MAY 2;

GARDNER TAKES BAKERSFIELD 20-LAPPER

The Honda USAC Western Midgets are idle until May 2 when they return to competition at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. Defending series champion Ronnie Gardner will lead the series to the 3/8-mile dirt oval as the 2015 leader after his series-opening victory last Saturday at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.

Gardner, of Norco, Calif., led the final five laps of Saturday’s Bakersfield feature in his Baldozier Racing/Esslinger Engineering Stewart/Esslinger to beat Trey Marcham, Scott Pierovich, David Prickett and Randi Pankratz.

Marcham, the 2014 series runner-up, led the first 15 laps of the Bakersfield feature. Marcham grabbed the checkered flag to win last year’s Western Midget race at Tulare.