By Steven Blakesley
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (May 1, 2024) – Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track fires off Saturday night May 4th with the Dave Calderwood Memorial, featuring USCS Sprint Cars, USAC Western Midgets, and the vintage Western Racing Association.
The Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging brings a large field of non-wing 360 and 410 Sprint Cars from across the southwest for its inaugural Kern Dirt appearance.
Adult tickets are $25 while kids 6-12 are just $10. Kids five and under are free. Hot laps are scheduled for approx. 5pm followed by time trials for both divisions. Opening ceremonies will be at approx. 6:30pm. The night concludes with 30-lap features for both the Sprint Cars and Mighty Midgets.
Tickets are on sale now at www.KernRaceway.com and www.TheFOAT.com or available at the gate on race day.
Hall of Famer Jimmy Sills owed much of his career success to racing for car owner Dave Calderwood across USAC’s divisions. The Calderwood Family and Sills will award the highest combined finishing double duty driver with a $1000 bonus. Sills will also serve as Grand Marshal.
The USCS opened its brand-new series two weeks ago with 30 entries in action. Bakersfield car owner Jayson May visited victory lane with USAC/CRA champion Brody Roa at the wheel of the No. 8M.
Bakersfield-area racers are ready to do battle for the checkered flags. 2023 USAC Western Midget champion Brody Fuson, age 19, is a nine-time winner on the Midget trail and a three-time USAC 360 winner. His lone Kern win came in 2022 during the Snider Classic. 17-year-old Cade Lewis of Bakersfield, son of baseball star Colby Lewis, has two career USAC Western Midget wins – including one at Kern. He finished runner-up to Fuson in the 2023 standings.
Race winners and champions will converge at Kern for the Dave Calderwood Memorial with former USAC/CRA champ Brody Roa, USAC West Coast 360 champ Ryan Timmons, 2024 USAC/CRA feature winner “Chargin” Charles Davis, Jr., and many more expected in Sprint Car action.
Logan Calderwood of Goodyear, Ariz. will represent his family in the Calderwood Memorial. Fellow Arizona driver Drake Edwards of Surprise kicks off his championship efforts in the USAC Western Midgets as a rookie after winning nearly a dozen career EcoTec-powered Midget races.
Hollister’s Ryan Bernal is a winner of 35 USAC West Coast 360 features, 10 USAC/CRA races, and four triumphs in the USAC Western Midgets and will be competing. 2024 Perris USAC/CRA feature winner David Gasper of Santa Barbara is also expected to go for the double-duty bonus.
Western Racing Association brings its “racing museum” to the track as well for an exciting exhibitions of days gone by. They will participate in hot laps, a heat race, and a feature.
For more information, visit www.KernRaceway.com Tickets are available online at the track website or on www.TheFOAT.com