bakersfieldspeedway Archives

Bakersfield Speedway primes for opening night March 6

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The long-awaited green flag flies for the first time this season Saturday, March 6 at Bakersfield Speedway. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods all see action at the California oval idled for much of 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was a crazy, weird season last year,” acknowledged Promoter Scott Schweitzer. “It’s exciting to be able to go racing again. We’re not going to be 100 percent back to normal but it’s going to be good to get cars back on the track and get back to racing.” The grandstand will be closed and all admission will be to the pit area on opening night. Pit passes will be $40 for drivers and crew members, $20 for family members and non-racers. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. Hot laps are at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. The race program will be broadcast by Low Budget TV. Gates open at 4 p.m. and an open practice for all divisions is from 5-9 p.m. this Saturday, [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites have new home at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Race programs at Bakersfield Speedway will feature a fourth IMCA division this season. Half a dozen dates for newly-sanctioned IMCA STARS Mod Lites are on the schedule at Bakersfield, the first California track to add the class and already a weekly home to IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. “We’ve run Mod Lites the last five or six years, the last three years with rules very similar to STARS,” promoter Scott Schweitzer explained. “When we got news that the division would be IMCA, we knew it would be a natural fit for us. It’s an affordable and entertaining class.” Most of the Mod Lite competitors at Bakersfield are hometown drivers, with a variety of experience represented on track. “We have a good combination of younger drivers and drivers who have raced a while, took a liking to this class and made the switch,” Schweitzer said. “One of the things that’s unique about it here are the numbers of fathers and sons, and husbands and wives who race [Read More]

DeVolder, Hogge crowned at Bakersfield, Jernagan takes Speedweek SportMod title

By Stephanie Deatherage BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Aug. 15) – Shane DeVolder won the battle, Bobby Hogge IV won the war and Garrett Jernagan won both on the final night of California IMCA Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports. DeVolder won the IMCA Modified feature at Bakersfield Speedway, earning $1,000 and a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth, while runner-up Hogge took the overall Modified tour title. Jernagan clinched the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod crown with his fifth $750 victory of the week. DeVolder regained the lead from Alyssa Smith before a long green flag run got him into lapped traffic. Three cautions slowed the final 10 circuits but neither Hogge or Ryan Daves had anything for the leader and finished in that order behind him. Jim Pettit II and Jerry Flippo completed the top five. Brent Curran set the tone early in a SportMod feature slowed by yellows, nailing each restart and checked out on the rest of the pack. Jernagan finally navigated his way into the lead following a lap 11 restart, holding off all challengers [Read More]

Six tracks host California IMCA Speedweek shows

MERCED, Calif. – California is the place Modified and Northern SportMod drivers will want to be, for the inaugural California IMCA Speedweek Aug. 10-15. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features while Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods chase $750 top checks each night. The inaugural California IMCA Speedweek presented by Hoppes Motorsports opens next Monday at Placerville Speedway, then travels to Petaluma Speedway on Aug. 11; to Antioch Speedway on Aug. 12; to Merced Speedway on Aug. 13; to Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on Aug. 14; and to Bakersfield Speedway for the Aug. 15 finale. All events are draw/redraw. Modified features pay $100 to start, Northern SportMod features $75, with IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region and KMJ Performance State points, in addition to series points at stake. Top five drivers in standings for each division receive point fund shares, in increments of $1,000, $400, $200, $100 and $100 for the Modifieds and $700, $300, $200, $100 and $100 for the Northern [Read More]

Inaugural California IMCA Modified Speedweek dates announced

By Ben Deatherage MERCED, Calif. – Something exciting is around the bend in the California IMCA Modified scene. Doug Lockwood, promoter at Merced Speedway, has put together the first-ever Modified Speedweek in the State of California. The series will race from Monday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Aug. 15 at six different racetracks in as many nights. The racing extravaganza will be open to both IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Each race will feature a 20-car main event for $1,000 to win and $50 to start for the Modifieds while SportMods will race for $600 to the winner and $40 to start. Modified features are Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Point funds will be up for grabs in both divisions, with $1,000-$400-$200-$100-$100 shares being paid in the Modifieds and $600-$300-$200-$100-$100 shares paid in the SportMods. The whole party kicks off at Placerville Speedway on Aug. 10, before the tour travels west to Petaluma Speedway on Tuesday. Wednesday will be spent at Antioch Speedway while the Thursday date is reserved for Merced Speedway. The series continues its southern [Read More]

Kiefer repeats IMCA Modified triumph at McGowan Memorial

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (June 27) – Racing returned to Bakersfield Speedway and Austin Kiefer returned to victory lane following Saturday’s Richie McGowan Memorial. Kiefer topped the IMCA Modified special ahead of Robby Sawyer for a second straight year, earning $1,000. Jerry Flippo, Cody Laney and Troy Foulger completed the top five. “It was pretty cool deal. To be able to win this race twice in a row means a lot to me,” said Kiefer, already a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot candidate. “I grew up watching Tina and Brad (Pounds, McGowan’s daughter and son-in-law) race.” Kiefer started outside Sawyer on the front row and led every lap. Sawyer challenged early but there was no catching Kiefer after the sole caution flew at midway. Laney made his way to fourth from 14th starting. Drivers with proven Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod credentials squared off in that $700 to win feature and it was defending track champion Michael Johnson first across the stripe half a car length ahead of defending race winner Jason Nation. Johnson used the higher line to [Read More]

McGowan Memorial is Saturday at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Bakersfield Speedway returns to action this Saturday with the Richie McGowan Memorial special. IMCA Modifieds race for $1,000 to win their June 27 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot-qualifying feature. Top prize for the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods is $700. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Grandstands remain closed and a limit of five people will be allowed into the pit area, including the driver, per race team. The event will be broadcast on pay per view. Pit passes are $35. Pill draw is $10. Information about the draw/redraw show is available on Facebook or by calling 661 393-3373.

Laney, Winebarger win Modified features during emotional weekend at Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Oct. 13-14) – Racing took a backseat to remembering a much loved member of the Bakersfield Speedway family. Bailey Schweitzer, daughter of promoter Scott Schweitzer, was one of the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas. She was remembered in pre-race ceremonies before both nights of the Budweiser Nationals, with a balloon launch held before racing began on Saturday. “This has been a race I’ve always wanted to win and especially being able to do it this year means a lot to me,” said Friday night IMCA Modified winner Cody Laney. “There were a lot of people here and a lot of work went into this weekend. A lot of people came together.” Laney’s 30-lap win on Friday and Collen Winebarger’s 40-lap victory on Saturday both paid $1,500 and were Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events. Robby Sawyer ran up front early on Friday and was in and out of the lead before Laney got there to stay on the 18th lap. After moving to the lower line, Laney [Read More]