By Steven Blakesley
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (October 2, 2024) – The traditional open wheel championships will be on the line on Saturday night October 5th at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track. Both the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging and Avanti Windows & Doors USAC Western States Midgets will crown their 2024 champions at the one-third mile dirt track in Bakersfield.
Pit gates open at 10am with pits swept for pit pass sales at 2pm. Grandstands open at 5pm with cars on track at 5:30pm for hot laps and qualifying. Opening ceremonies are set for approximately 7pm Tickets are available at the grandstands gates or at www.KernRaceway.com and are $25 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-12, and kids 5 and under are FREE!
The inaugural Ultimate Sprint Car Series has put traditional 360 and 410 cubic inch Sprint Cars together head-to-head across the central valley and central coast. Cole Wakim of Simi Valley is at the top of the USCS standings with a trio of podium finishes. Brentwood’s Blake Bower is second in the championship fresh off a runner-up finish against a 22-car field at Ventura Raceway.
Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams claimed the triumph on September 14th in the oceanside battle. Eddie Tafoya, Jr., Jon Dewees, and Bryan Whitley round out the top-five in the USCS standings heading into the championship 30-lap feature. The inaugural season has attracted an average of 24.5 entries through seven rounds of racing.
Following the feature a special pursuit race will be held for the top-four in the championship for $2000 to win as well.
Bakersfield’s Cade Lewis leads the USAC Western States Midgets into Kern Dirt, with a 17-point advantage over rookie driver Drake Edwards of Surprise, Ariz. Lewis has wins at both Placerville and Ventura on his racing resume this season while Edwards won at Santa Maria in June. Sacramento’s Dane Culver has advanced to third in the standings as well.
Other race winners this season include Bakersfield’s Jett Yantis at Ventura on September 14, Stockton’s standout Caden Sarale with wins at Bakersfield and Ventura, and Michael Faccinto of Hanford winning at Placerville. The Avanti Windows and Doors USAC Western States Midgets will race in a 30-lap season finale send off as well. Other Bakersfield pilots who have been regulars on the tour in 2024 include Shannon McQueen and Brandt and Garrett Twitty.
Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, at the intersection of Enos Ln and Interstate 5 just west of Bakersfield. For more information, visit www.KernRaceway.com Tickets are available online at the track website or on