SALISBURY, N.C. – It may have been Cookout Kids’ Night at Millbridge Speedway on Wednesday, but that didn’t stop Jesse Colwell from ruling the roost and finally picking up his long-awaited first win at the sixth-mile dirt oval.

After winning his heat race and rolling a zero inversion, Colwell started from the pole and led all 20 laps aboard the No. 67 TRD/KKM Giveback Classic/Millbridge Speedway house kart, pulling out to a lead of nearly four seconds at one point and holding off Nick O’Dell on a three-lap dash to the checkered flag.

The result ended several years of frustration for Colwell, who had come to Millbridge in the past for several of the track’s big-money events but never been able to leave with the trophy.

“This is pretty cool; at least I can say I’ve finally won (a race) here,” said Colwell in victory lane. “It’s been a long time coming. Thanks to Jeremy and Ashly (Burnett) and Jimmy (Elledge) for letting me drive this thing tonight. It was pretty easy to drive and that makes a driver’s job a lot simpler. I had a lot of fun.”

The event was caution-plagued early, with three separate spins in the first lap of action, but once the race settled into a rhythm Colwell was easily able to drive off from fellow front row starter Tyler Letarte.

Meanwhile, Letarte ended up in a torrid battle for the runner-up spot with Brent Crews and Carson Kvapil, and then later had to fight off O’Dell after Kvapil spun from the fourth position on lap nine.

O’Dell finally cleared Letarte on the bottom with six laps left, but he was more than three seconds adrift of Colwell at that point. He got a chance, however, when Colby Horn got airborne off the fourth corner and stopped to bring out the final caution flag with 17 laps complete.

Though O’Dell restarted on Colwell’s tail tank for the three-lap sprint to the finish, he could only watch as Colwell drove into the distance, settling for second place in the end.

“I wasn’t too nervous on the last restart,” noted Colwell. “I figured that I probably had it, seeing as how I hadn’t seen anyone (trying to make the pass) for pretty much the entire race.”

Letarte completed the podium, followed by Kvapil and Oregon’s Briley Pompe.

In other racing action, Eli Adams notched his fourth Intermediate class win of the season and third in Wednesday night action by doing exactly what Colwell did to the Open field, leading all 20 laps.

Adams pulled away from fellow front row starter Caden Kvapil on the initial start and never trailed again, weathering five cautions and beating Kvapil to the finish line by three-quarters of a second.

“My kart was really good tonight,” said Adams. “I was really nervous on the last restart, but I think the caution helped me and I was able to drive away.”

Brent Crews, Wyatt Foss and Gavan Boschele were third through fifth, respectively.

Landon Sartain picked up his first-career Box Stock win at Millbridge by being in the right place at the right time. He was running third on a lap 15 restart when contact between Colt Currie and race leader Sam Corry sent Corry spinning in turn four.

Currie was penalized for the incident and sent to the tail of the field, allowing Sartain to inherit the lead. Sartain then held off Jay Merck and Will Boprey in a green-white-checkered finish, with the race shortened from 20 to 18 laps due to time constraints.

“Everyone behind us was pushing, so when I saw Sam get sideways I went high and hoped he wouldn’t come up the track,” said Sartain. “Sam probably should have won this race – he was faster than we were – but it’s cool to be standing here right now and I’m thankful to finally have a winged win at Millbridge.”

Hunter Kohn and Hunter Aiken completed the top five.

Dallas Griggs won the Beginner Box Stock A-Feature in a caution-free run, passing polesitter Cooper Reynolds for the lead off turn four on the eighth of 15 laps around the sixth-mile oval.

Griggs then beat Reynolds, Ryan Zima, Wyatt Snyder and Coen McDaniel to the finish line for his first Wednesday night win at Millbridge.

Max Reaves claimed the 15-lap Beginner Box Stock B-Feature after race leader Carson Allen spun on lap five in lap traffic. Reaves then beat Kolson Nelson and Waylon Lambert at the finish, while Allen rallied back to fourth.

For full race results, advance to the next page.