IMCA CHAMPIONSHIP RACING RESUMES AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (July 23, 2025) – Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway returns for a summertime IMCA Championship Racing showdown on the dirt this Saturday night July 26. The full slate of points-paying divisions will compete including the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Stock Cars, H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks, and American Stocks. So-Cal Dwarf Cars also join the action. Photo by Tom Macht

Grandstand gates open at 5pm with hot laps at 6pm. Opening ceremonies are set for approx. 7pm followed by heat races and main events for all six divisions. General Admission tickets are on sale now at www.BakersfieldSpeedway.com. Adult general admission tickets are $18 with kids ages 6-12 admitted for $10 while kids five and under are free! Parking is free of charge.

Brad Pounds scored the 14th annual Richie McGowan Memorial before one of the best crowds of the season on June 28, moving within eight points of the championship lead in the IMCA Modifieds. 2024 champion Gavyn Manning continues to anchor the top class at Bakersfield Speedway, with two wins and six top-five finishes this year. Pounds is second followed by Bryan Clark, Robby Sawyer, and Rob Sanders. A 30-lap feature for $750 to win is scheduled this weekend.

Tyler Bannister and his 2024 championship winning father Jason have dominated the IMCA Sport Modified competition this year. Each driver has earned three wins. Tyler has a slight three point cushion over Jason racing into Saturday’s 25-lap event. Paul Brown, Dylan Wilson, and Tyler Irwin are in pursuit as well.

Raymond Noland also has a narrow, single-digit points lead. Noland is still searching for his first win on the all-new one-third mile dirt track and leads the IMCA Stock Car class by only six markers over Justin Schweitzer. Jacob Van Essen is third followed by single race winners Austin VanHoff of Chowchilla and Billy Simkins of Bakersfield. Three-time winner Nicholas Johnson is sixth in the standings followed by two-time winner Roger Holder in seventh. IMCA Stock Cars battle for 20-laps on Saturday.

Nicholas Johnson has three wins each in all three of the stock car classes at Bakersfield Speedway in a busy nine-win season. He leads the H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks by 34 points over Marcus Wankum. Ethan Johnson, Troy Thomas, Jr., and Ryan Barnes are the balance of the top-five drivers with a 20-lap race scheduled Saturday.

Kyle Wood has the largest points lead at Bakersfield Speedway this year, dominating the American Stocks competition with a 40-point lead despite just one win on the year. Carson Conway his used two victories to run second overall followed by Cameron Campbell, Sunnie Simkins, and Jon McKinley. Three-time winner Nicholas Johnson is sixth. American Stocks also race in a 20-lap main event.

So-Cal Dwarf Cars make their fourth Bakersfield stop of the season on Saturday with three different winners this year. Darren Brown won a thrilling opening appearance for the series before Bakersfield’s JD Brown broke through in April. The May appearance of the SCDCA was claimed by Ryan Caldwell. The Dwarf Cars hit the dirt in a 20-lap feature.

For more information on Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, visit www.BakersfieldSpeedway.com or follow the speedway on social media. Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, near Enos Ln and Interstate 5 in Bakersfield.