BANNISTERS, CHILDRESS, JOHNSON, VASQUEZ, AND BROWN PREVAIL AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (June 14, 2026) – Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway celebrated the end of the school year and the unofficial kick off to summer on Saturday night with six divisions of dirt track thrills. Points leaders ruled the action including Tyler Bannister in IMCA Modifieds, Jason Bannister in IMCA SportMods, and Ricky Childress, Jr. in the Hobby Stocks. Photo by Tom Macht

Bannister won the heat race for the South Valley AC & Heating Modifieds, then started on the pole for the feature. Four drivers attempted double-duty, racing at both Santa Maria Speedway and Bakersfield Speedway in the same day. Bannister led all 25-laps in the feature but 2024 champion Gavyn Manning was the story of the night. Manning won at Santa Maria and drove up to second in Bakersfield before a mechanical failure relegated him from the feature. Race Liberante finished second followed by double-duty drivers Markus Frazier and Rob Sanders. Pat Petrie finished fifth.

Jason Bannister led all 25 laps for the IMCA SportMod victory. Dylan Wilson charged from tenth to finish second followed by Chris McKellar, Ethan Johnson, and Nicholas Johnson. Matthew Frazier finished eighth and is second in the standings. Ethan Johnson and Bannister won the heat races.

Ricky Childress, Jr. staged an impressive charge through the pack to win the 20-lap Hobby Stock feature. Childress rolled off eighth but swung the No. 16 Hobby Stock wide to swoop into second by the end of lap one. Childress then drove underneath Brock Crawford to lead lap four. Childress led the rest of the contest with Marcus Wankum finishing second over Casey Johnson, Ethan Johnson, and Jesse Bowles. Childress and Johnson split heat race action.

Bakersfield’s J.D. Brown prevailed in the 20-lap race for the National Dwarf Cars, earning a coveted home track victory against the drivers from across Southern California. The feature was punctuated by a flip for Dewey Meyers in turn two but he was uninjured. Nick Velasquez of Camarillo finished second followed by Ryan Caldwell, Ian Velasquez, and Tony Margott. Brown and Nick Velsquez snared the eight lap heat races.

Stephen Johnson won the IMCA Stock Car feature while points leader Jacob Van Essen earned a strong second place finished. Justin Schweitzer finished third. Billy Simkins won the heat race.

Spencer Vasquez won his second Bakersfield Speedway American Stock feature of the season in a 20-lap affair. Vasquez drove around the outside of Carson Conway with just three laps remaining to take the win. Conway finished second with Dakota Brown, Dan Bryant, and John Robinson making up the balance of the top-five. Grant Perkins and Kyle Wood won the heat races.

Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway hosts the McGowan Memorial on June 27th with IMCA Modifieds, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and American Stocks scheduled to compete. The event also includes a free on-track autograph session and post-race fireworks!

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 June 13, 2026 – Race Results

IMCA Modifieds South Valley AC Heating A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 151-Tyler Bannister[1]; 2. 661-Race Liberante[2]; 3. 15F-Markus Frazier[5]; 4. 10N-Rob Sanders[7]; 5. 1-Pat Petrie[3]; 6. 3AC-Austin Kiefer[4]; 7. 51G-Gavyn Manning[6]

IMCA Sport Mods Hoosier Tire West A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 51-Jason Bannister[4]; 2. 80D-Dylan Wilson[10]; 3. 18C-Chris McKellar[8]; 4. 11-Ethan Johnson[3]; 5. 1N-Nicholas Johnson[9]; 6. 172-Tyler Irwin[6]; 7. 31A-Alyssa Smith[5]; 8. 15F-Matthew Frazier[12]; 9. 68S-Sunnie Simkins[1]; 10. 68-Santiago Lopez[2]; 11. 33-Cale Kanke[7]; 12. 70-Jon McKinley[13]; 13. C50-Nick Coffman[11]

IMCA Stock Car Golden State Towing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 26-Steven Johnson[5]; 2. 54V-Jacob Van Essen[2]; 3. 2J-Justin Schweitzer[4]; 4. 131-Tom Smith[3]; 5. 68-Billy Simkins[1]

Hobby Stocks HS Body Works and Towing A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 16-Ricky Childress Jr[8]; 2. 91C-Marcus Wankum[6]; 3. 13-Casey Johnson[7]; 4. 26S-Ethan Johnson[9]; 5. 32-Jesse Bowles[2]; 6. 79-Ryan Barnes[3]; 7. (DNF) 74-Mason Conway[10]; 8. (DNF) 47-Brock Crawford[4]; 9. (DNF) 25B-Brooke Cimental[5]; 10. (DNF) 31S-Spencer Vasquez[1]

American Stocks Haddad Dodge A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 12-Spencer Vasquez[7]; 2. 25-Carson Conway[6]; 3. 31-Dakota Brown[9]; 4. 2B-Dan Bryant[4]; 5. 954-John Robinson[3]; 6. 69X-Tyler Weeks[5]; 7. 33-Robert Swearengin[2]; 8. 4K-Kyle Wood[8]; 9. (DNF) 43-Grant Perkins[1]; 10. (DNF) 29-Trenton Millard[10]; 11. (DNS) 01-Nova Bowles

National Dwarf Cars Haas Automation Inc A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 14-JD Brown[4]; 2. 41E-Nick Velasquez[3]; 3. 24E-Ryan Caldwell[1]; 4. 4E-Ian Velasquez[7]; 5. 2E-Tony Margott[5]; 6. 87E-Tommy Velasquez[6]; 7. 21XE-Shelly Myers[8]; 8. 21X-Dewey Myers[2]

2026 SCHEDULE – SUBJECT TO CHANGE

JUNE

27- MCGOWAN MEMORIAL – IMCA MODIFIEDS, SPORT MODS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS

JULY

25- IMCA MODIFIEDS, SPORT MODS, STOCK CARS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS

AUGUST

29- MIKE MOSHIER CLASSIC – IMCA MODIFIEDS, SPORT MODS, STOCK CARS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS

SEPTEMBER

12- USCS SPRINTS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS, MINI STOCKS, WRA VINTAGE

25- WORLD OF OUTLAWS, CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINTS
26- IMCA MODIFIEDS, SPORT MODS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS, NATIONAL DWARFS

OCTOBER 9-10 BUD NATIONALS – IMCA MODIFIEDS, SPORT MODS, STOCK CARS, HOBBY STOCKS, AMERICAN STOCKS, NATIONAL DWARFS

NOVEMBER 24- JASON LEFFLER MEMORIAL USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS, SPORT MODS