Dotson, Johnson are best at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (April 9, 2022) – Bakersfield Speedway fired the engines back up for another exciting installment of the 2022 season, with IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars on the Saturday night card. 

Ethan Dotson stormed to P1 when racing got underway in the Modified main. The Bakersfield native, racing for car owner Troy Morris Jr., drove a flawless race despite four stoppages. Dotson was fantastic on restarts as Jerry Flippo brought a tad bit of heat in the last few laps. 

Dotson kept calm, cool and collected to pick up the main event victory. Flippo held onto second with Cody Laney, piloting the Terry Henry-fielded entry, in third.

In the Stock Car main, things started with a bang with a three-car fight for the lead. Justin Schweitzer managed to beat Dakota Schweitzer and Miranda Scott. Justin managed to beat out the competition on lap one, but the second circuit had Scott as the pacesetter. 

Justin Schweitzer managed to get back to the point on lap three and began to take off. However, just as Schweitzer was cruising right along, a caution occurred on lap 13. That brought a restart and resulted in Johnson coming into the picture.

Johnson challenged Justin Schweitzer on the high side and obtained the lead on lap 16. 

Before Johnson could get too far out front, the final stoppage of the race happened on lap 18. It brought about a green-white-checkered finish, but Johnson grabbed the victory.

Justin Schweitzer was a strong second with Scott ending the weekend third. The only non-Bakersfield racer in the field was Matt McEwan, from Arroyo Grande, in fourth, followed by Dotson in fifth.