C.J. Leary in victory lane Tuesday at Millbridge Speedway. (Blake Harris Photo)
C.J. Leary in victory lane Tuesday at Millbridge Speedway. (Blake Harris Photo)
Other Midgets

It’s A Millbridge Sweep For C.J. Leary

October 27, 2021

SALISBURY, N.C. – C.J. Leary held off a late charge from Cannon McIntosh to sweep the Carolina Midget Showdown at Millbridge Speedway Tuesday evening.

Leary, driving a car owned by NASCAR driver Alex Bowman, started from the pole and battled McIntosh in the opening laps of the feature, with McIntosh using the top to take the early advantage. 

On lap nine Leary used a slide job through turns one and two to snatch the lead away from McIntosh. He held that spot until the caution flag waved with 24 laps left for an incident at the back of the field. 

Through the middle portions of the race it was 13-year-old Gavan Boschele who hounded Leary, with Boschele completing a slide job with 17 laps left in turns three and four to take the lead. His stay at the front was brief as Boschele made contact with the outside wall on the next lap in turns three and four, allowing Leary to take the lead back.

Leary was able to hold the lead through a pair of restarts that followed shortly thereafter, but behind him McIntosh used a slider of his own to take second away from Boschele with nine laps left in the 40-lap feature. 

Another restart with six laps left set up the battle between Leary and McIntosh, with Leary sticking to the bottom and McIntosh roaring around the top in an effort to gain the necessary momentum to complete the pass for the lead. 

On the final lap McIntosh got a big run coming out of turn two and looked to Leary’s inside. They made contact, with Leary bouncing up the track as McIntosh spun. Leary somehow kept his car straight and continued, but the caution flag waved to set up a one-lap dash to the checkered flag.

During the restart that followed Leary was easily able to hold off new runner-up Boschele to pick up the $7,500 victory and complete a sweep of the two-day event.

NASCAR Cup Series star Christopher Bell finished third, followed by Ethan Mitchell and Ryan Timms.

The finish:

C.J. Leary, Gavan Boschele, Christopher Bell, Ethan Mitchell, Ryan Timms, Jade Avedisian, Nick Hoffman, Dillon Silverman, Kevin Woody, Zach Daum, Cannon McIntosh, Brent Crews, Joey Robinson, Tim Buckwalter, Jamie Speers.