June 24, 2025

Hamilton Tops Modified Feature at Bakersfield

Modified, News, Northern SportMod, Results, Stock Car

MOD Eric Hamilton (C) Bob Lyons (L) Kevin Harvick (R) VL PB Tom Macht — Eric Hamilton celebrates his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway on May 30. Pictured with Hamilton are car owner Bob Lyon (left) and Kevin Harvick (right), who served as Grand Marshal for the event. (Photo by Tom Macht)

By Steven Blakesley

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (May 30, 2025) — A strong Friesen Performance IMCA Modified field put on a show Friday night at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway, where Harvick was on hand serving as Grand Marshal. The 30-lap main event featured wheel-to-wheel battles, heartbreak, and a breakthrough win for Eric Hamilton.

Bakersfield’s Robby Sawyer opened the feature with a thrilling three-wide move to take the lead. Behind him, Eric Hamilton, in the Bob Lyon-owned no 44, fought off champions Brad Pounds and Gavyn Manning in a fierce chase. Sawyer, aiming for his second win of the season, was sidelined by mechanical issues in turn four on lap 12.

Hamilton inherited the lead and opened up a solid advantage. Manning tracked him down but slowed with mechanical trouble of his own, drawing a caution with nine laps to go.

Brad Pounds mounted several late-race challenges, but Hamilton stood his ground and held on for the $750 payday — his first win of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Pounds was second, and Rob Sanders rounded out the top three.

Bannister Outduels Son Tyler for First Win of Season

2024 Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod champion Jason Bannister of Bakersfield finally tasted victory at the new Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway dirt track in 2025. Tyler Irwin led the first four laps of the 25-lap feature before Bannister was able to seize the lead. Bannister held off his son, Tyler, for the win, while Dylan Wilson came in third.

Simkins Scores First Stock Car Win in Third Career Start

Billy Simkins overcame last-minute efforts just to get his Sunoco IMCA Stock Car to the track, then went on to win the 20-lap feature in just his third career start — and his first in the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region. Nicholas Johnson was locked in an intense, multi-lap battle with incoming points leader Raymond Noland for second, eventually gaining the upper hand. Jacob VanEssen crossed the line third.

The night’s action was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate TrackVision TV powered by Low Budget TV. Fans can relive the full event with an IMCA.TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA.TV.

bakersfieldspeedway

Sawyer, Forster best in IMCA fields at Bakersfield

By Ben Deatherage BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (April 10) – Robby Sawyer and Zack Forster bested their respective IMCA features at Bakersfield Saturday evening. In the IMCA Modified main event, the early goings were dominated by Steve Noland, who held onto first until being overtaken on the fifth lap by Troy Morris III. Morris was the lead element of the field until he was passed on the eighth circuit. The driver to do that was Sawyer. Sawyer then began building a massive lead over the rest of the pack. The 30-lap affair would go non-stop and nothing stopped the fifth-starting Sawyer from collecting his first win of 2021. Ethan Dotson rallied from 19th starting to finish in second place while behind him, in third, was Morris. Making it an all-Bakersfield top five, Jerry Flippo crossed the wire fourth followed by Kyle Heckman in the Bill Henderson-owned entry. Cade Lewis showed the way early in the IMCA STARS Mod Lite feature. A lap one incident bunched the field and prevented Lewis from getting too far from the [Read More]

Pike Rules IMCA Modifieds at Bakersfield

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Combs, Wilson, Johnson Crowned Central California Clash Champions

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Feature

James, Sanders, and Wild Crowned IMCA Wild West Speedweek Champions

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (June 24, 2025) — Despite the final two nights falling to rain, the 2025 edition of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek completed five races in six nights across four different Oregon tracks. Three divisions crowned champions following intense competition in the Pacific Northwest. Bricen James delivered a masterclass across the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division to secure his second career Speedweek title, backing up his 2022 crown. The Albany, Oregon native tied the all-time record for most wins in a single Speedweek with four, matching Kellen Chadwick (2016), Collen Winebarger (2019), and himself. But this time, James set a new record with four straight Speedweek feature wins. Driving the Schram Motorsports-owned no. 13, James won the opener at Southern Oregon Speedway, both nights at Coos Bay Speedway, and added another triumph at Douglas County Dirtrack before finishing second at Cottage Grove Speedway on Wednesday, June 19. Kevin Williamson of Coburg, Oregon rebounded from adversity all week to finish second in the standings aboard the Superior Fuel Cells-fielded No. 42. He came [Read More]

News

Shatzer Sails to Fast Friday Win At Dixieland

By Jim Haines ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (Jun. 20, 2025) — Dylan Shatzer made the trip to the shore worthwhile, driving the Al Moser-owned sprinter to both a heat race win and the feature victory Friday at Dixieland Speedway with the Virginia Sprint Series. Shatzer and Aaron Leach brought the field to green with Shatzer grabbing the early lead. Leach and Jerald Harris tucked in behind as the fast and smooth surface allowed the laps to click off quickly. Chris Humblet worked his way into fourth while Matt Mullins, Matthew Leach, and Caleb Harris battled for fifth at halfway. Caleb Harris found speed in a new groove and moved into fourth, with Humblet staying strong in fifth and Mullins edging by Bolac for sixth. As the race wound down, the leaders began to catch the tail of the field, but the pace never slowed. Shatzer remained flawless, flashing under the checkered flag to win the caution-free main event. At the stripe, it was Shatzer for the win, followed by Aaron Leach in second and Jerald Harris in [Read More]

Feature

Andersen Rockets from 13th to Eagle Stock Car Glory in Late-Race Thriller

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