HOLIDAY WINS SPORTSMAN, CARTER WINS NCMA SPRINTS DURING MADERA SPEEDWAY ACTION
MADERA, CALIFORNIA (March 21, 2026) – 2025 Pro Sportsman champion Joseph Holiday of Madera prevailed in Saturday’s 40-lap season opener for the growing division at Madera Speedway, part of a two-pronged night of feature racing which also saw Clovis’ Austin Carter win the season opener for the NCMA Sprint Cars. Both features were filmed for a future telecast on RACER Network.
“It feels amazing to come out here and win. Every race the group just grows more and more. It was just a great day,” Holiday said. “That was a lot of fun. Once I got up to Steve (Schermerhorn) that was a lot of fun.”
Jason Kearns started on the pole with Holiday lining up third. Holiday looked inside Kearns for the lead but they collided, relegating both to the rear of the field.
Bakersfield’s Kenny White and Steve Schermerhorn battled for the lead. A caution flew on lap six when Tyler Holden got into the back of Brennen Mankin for a spin in turn one. Schermerhorn picked the outside on the restart to lead lap seven. Holiday stormed through the pack, driving into second by lap 11. Holiday then won the side-by-side battle with Schermerhorn to take sole possession of the lead on lap 27.
Holiday led Schermerhorn by nearly a full second at the checkered flag. White narrowly topped Mankin for third. Kearns came back to finish fifth.
The NCMA Sprint Car Series feature included many twists and turns but a home track winner with Clovis’ Austin Carter leading all 30-laps wire-to-wire. The race had over half a dozen cautions and red flags. Multi-time USAC champion Tony Hunt and King of the Wing national champion Eric Humphries engaged for the second position with Humphries looking to the high side. The duo banged wheels on the backstretch, then Humphries went airborne over the right rear wheel of Hunt into turn three. Humphries slammed into the wall but walked away unscathed.
Hunt then slowed from the second position when racing resumed with an apparent engine failure. Jerry Kobza and Mauro Simone hit wheels on a lap 25 restart with David Burchett of Tracy flipping side over side after being gathered up in the crash. All drivers were uninjured.
Carter paced the final five circuits ahead of Shauna Hogg. Justin Kawahata finished third followed by David Dias and Tylor Amador.
Madera Speedway resumes on April 11th with the second rounds for the Mission Pro Late Model Series and 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model Series plus INEX Legends and INEX Bandolero racing. For more info, visit www.racemadera.com
The 2026 season would not be possible without the support 51FIFTY LTM, Mission Foods, 805 Beer, Race 2B Drug Free, Competition Carburetion, Hoosier Tires, Franks Radio, Sunoco Race Fuel, and Sealmaster.
Madera Racing on RACER Network airs Monday nights.
