ERIC HAMILTON WINS IMCA MODIFIED THRILLER AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (March 22, 2026) – Eric Hamilton won his second career Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway IMCA Modified feature on Saturday night in a thriller, topping Tyler Bannister for the $750 win on the final night of the Southwest Shootout. Photo by Tom Macht

Hamilton and Bannister engaged in a slide job filled battle that thrilled the fans and event organizers with perhaps the best feature of the early part of the 2026 season at the one-third mile dirt track. Bakersfield Speedway merged operations with Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway at the start of the 2025 campaign, with promoters Tim Huddleston and Scott Schweitzer combining efforts. The dirt track adjacent to the state-of-the-art Kern Raceway hosts a full slate of dirt track races in 2026.

Hamilton’s victory in the South Valley AC & Heating Modifieds came over a red hot Tyler Bannister. Bannister, the 2025 IMCA SportMod champion, has adapted to the Modifieds quickly in 2026 with a win at Merced and the points lead at Bakersfield Speedway.

Jake Pike of Pahrump, Nevada again was the evening’s hard charger, matching Friday night’s run from tenth to third to run 11th to third on Saturday. Rob Sanders and Shawn Natenstedt rounded out the top-five. Austin Keifer, Sanders, and Bannister won the heat races.

An outstanding crop of 18 California 305 Sprint Cars took on the Bakersfield Speedway for their first of three appearances in 2026. Fast-time qualifier George Tristao, Jr. won the 25-lap feature with Sedro Woolley, Washington’s Jeff Westergard finishing second. 2025 champion Davey Pombo was third followed by Jeremy Alves and Lance Jackson. Connor Danell, Tylor Hensen, and Pombo won the heat races.

Jason Bannister of Bakersfield won his second IMCA SportMod race of 2026, taking the 25-lap feature and the $600 haul. Bannister, the final SportMod champion at the former Bakersfield Speedway facility in 2024, came from tenth on the grid to win. Cale Kanke of Frazier Park marched into second place followed by two-time 2026 winner Nicholas Johnson, Matthew Frazier, and Tate Loftis. Bannister seized the points lead over the weekend, taking a five point lead over Johnson and Loftis.

Stephen Johnson broke Ricky Childress, Jr.’s stranglehold on the Hobby Stocks with a victory in Saturday’s 20-lap feature. Colby Quinton made his first start of the year and finished second while Childress settled for third. Eric Cimental and Matt Wankum were the balance of the top-five. Casey Johnson and Quinton won the heat races.

Spencer Vasquez won his first career Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway American Stocks main event after 20-laps of competition. Carson Conway ran second followed by Colton Hay, Robert Swearengin, and Austin Hay. Ronald Lookadoo and Vasquez won the heat races.

Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway returns to the dirt on April 11 with California Lightning Sprints joining the card.

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.

Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Southwest Shootout March 20, 2026 – Race Results

CA 305 Sprint Cars A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 23T-George Tristao Jr[4]; 2. 66-Jeff Westergard[6]; 3. 2-Davey Pombo[11]; 4. 81A-Jeremy Alves[2]; 5. 18-Lance Jackson[9]; 6. 36B-Kevin Barnes Sr[8]; 7. 3-Anthony Pombo[13]; 8. 71-Andrew Martin[12]; 9. 36T-Tanner Merritt[15]; 10. (DNF) 31H-Phil Heynen[3]; 11. (DNF) 11T-Tylor Henson[14]; 12. (DNF) 15-Rino Felicioni[1]; 13. (DNF) 37-Cody Samuels[16]; 14. (DNF) 86-Chris Ennis[7]; 15. (DNF) 7-Carson Myrick[10]; 16. (DNS) 5D-Connor Danell

IMCA Modifieds South Valley AC Heating A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 44-Eric Hamilton[10]; 2. 151-Tyler Bannister[12]; 3. 223-Jake Pike[11]; 4. 10N-Rob Sanders[1]; 5. 1-Shawn Natenstedt[8]; 6. 51G-Gavyn Manning[9]; 7. 3AC-Austin Kiefer[3]; 8. 21JT-Justin Crockett[7]; 9. 22S-Cole Szlauko[4]; 10. 58-Devon Reed[6]; 11. 2D-Brian McCaughan[5]; 12. 73S-Mike Szlauko[13]; 13. 57-Gage McCaughan[14]; 14. (DNF) 15F-Markus Frazier[2]; 15. (DNF) 15B-Brad Pounds[15]; 16. (DNF) 25-Marcus Ford[16]

IMCA Sport Mods Hoosier Tire West A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 51-Jason Bannister[10]; 2. 33-Cale Kanke[7]; 3. 1N-Nicholas Johnson[8]; 4. 15F-Matthew Frazier[4]; 5. 62-Tate Loftis[9]; 6. 31A-Alyssa Smith[2]; 7. 172-Tyler Irwin[3]; 8. 43K-Landon King[1]; 9. 30H-Orion Messina[12]; 10. 68-Santiago Lopez[11]; 11. 16G-Peyton Griffin[13]; 12. (DNF) 11-Ethan Johnson[5]; 13. (DNF) 1-Colby Ward[14]; 14. (DNF) 28P-John Piker[6]

Hobby Stocks HS Body Works and Towing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 26S-Stephen Johnson[7]; 2. 4Q-Colby Quinton[9]; 3. 16-Ricky Childress Jr[8]; 4. 28X-Eric Cimental[10]; 5. 91C-Matt Wankum[1]; 6. 13-Casey Johnson[5]; 7. 47-Brock Crawford[2]; 8. 61X-Robbie Witwer[4]; 9. 13XXX-Bryson Wood[11]; 10. 3M-Marcus Wankum[6]; 11. 25B-Brooke Cimental[3]; 12. 39-Matt Ehler[13]; 13. (DNF) 79-Ryan Barnes[12]

American Stocks Haddad Dodge A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 12-Spencer Vasquez[7]; 2. 25-Carson Conway[8]; 3. 01-Colton Hay[2]; 4. 33-Robert Swearengin[3]; 5. 189-Austin Hay[1]; 6. 69X-Tyler Weeks[5]; 7. N2DEEP-Nicholas Johnson[9]; 8. 17-Jon McKinley[4]; 9. 954-James Robinson[12]; 10. (DNF) 72-Grant Perkins[11]; 11. (DNF) 2B-Dan Bryant[6]; 12. (DNF) 19-Ronald Lookadoo[10]