GAVYN MANNING SCORES FIRST BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY AT KEVIN HARVICK’S KERN RACEWAY WIN

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (April 19, 2025) – 2024 Bakersfield Speedway champion Gavyn Manning finally prevailed at the all-new speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, winning Friday’s 30-lap IMCA Modified feature during the special Friday Night Lights program at the one-third mile dirt track. Manning had finished runner-up in both events to open the 2025 season before finally achieving victory this weekend. Manning was one of six winners with 83 race cars filling the pit area. Photo by Tom Macht

Outside polesitter Dalton Houghton of Rosamond made a strong move to take the lead on the opening circuit of the feature race. Opening night winner Robby Sawyer suffered right side damage in a collision with Rob Sanders on lap two.

Ninth-starting Manning took advantage of multiple early race restarts to work the inside line and take over the lead by the fourth lap of the feature. Manning accumulated a five-second lead that was nullified by a caution on lap 22.

Sawyer soldiered on with the early damage, running in the third position for most of the main event. Sawyer then retired to the infield with just three laps remaining due to an ill handling race car. Manning managed to build up his lead again over the final eight laps to a sizeable 3.7 second lead. Gavyn Manning dominated for the $750 prize, followed by Dalton Houghton in second. Brad Pounds recovered from an early spin to charge back to third followed by Eric Hamilton and polesitter Justin Crockett rounding out the top-five.

“I finished second twice here so I showed up with one goal: dominate. And we did that,” Manning said. “We just got through the holes and made it happen.”

Bakersfield’s Chris McKellar put a stop to the Bannister Racing dominance in the IMCA Sport Modifieds by winning the 25-lap feature worth $600. Two-time 2025 winner Tyler Bannister was involved in an early race incident that required a pit stop for repairs and put him in a come from behind position throughout the feature. Chowchilla’s Emali VanHoff suffered damage in an incident involving Tate Loftis, ending her event in turn three on lap two.

McKellar drove into the lead by lap six, passing Baypoint’s Danny Wagner for the top spot. 2024 Bakersfield Speedway champion Jason Bannister challenged McKellar in the final laps of the feature. Bannister dove inside McKellar in turn one on the final circuit but spun out of contention. McKellar stormed ahead for victory followed by Dylan Wilson, Loftis, Brock Crawford, and Tyler Irwin.

J.D. Brown of Bakersfield led all 25-laps for the coveted home track win in the So-Cal Dwarf Cars. Brown was chased by Trent Morley, Nick Velasquez, Robert Peters, and Triston Peters at the checkered flag.

Nicholas Johnson scored his second win of the season in the H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks. Ricky Childress, Jr. hounded the rear bumper of Johnson, then slid underneath Johnson with three to go in turns one and two. The side-by-side action was halted by a caution flag, however.

The battle resumed over the final three laps but Johnson was able to maintain the lead. Nicholas Johnson prevailed over Childress in a nose-to-tail finish. Marcus Wankum used the high line to take third over Ethan Johnson while Rick Childress won a close duel with Lance Hurst for fifth.

Johnson also triumphed in the American Stocks feature, taking his third win of the season in that division. Three- and four-wide action kicked off the event before things settled down. Will Simco officially led the first lap before defending champion Sunnie Simkins knifed underneath in turn four to lead lap two.

The feature included plenty of side-by-side racing from the third position on back, including the 11th-starting Johnson. The other 2025 American Stocks winner of Carson Conway restarted second on lap 11 but slowed with an apparent mechanical problem. Johnson quickly took second from Conway, then drove past Simkins to lead lap 12.

Johnson led the final eight circuits while Ronald Lookadoo finished second. Simkins settled for third ahead of Nick Spainhoward and Simco.

Roger Holder of Bakersfield won the IMCA Stock Car 20-lap feature. Jacob VanEssen of Visalia started third but used a three-wide move on the inside of the backstretch to nab the lead over Billy Simkins. Simkins briefly challenged VanEssen for the lead but to no avail.

Eighth-starting Holder challenged VanEssen from both the top and bottom, before using the bottom to muscle through to lead lap 15. Holder held the point the rest of the way, with VanEssen, Simkins, Nicholas Johnson, and Austin VanHoff rounding out the top-five.

Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway returns on May 3 with the Racesaver 305 Sprints, West Coast Sport Compacts, and much more in action!

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 April 18, 2025 – Race Results

IMCA Modifieds A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 51G-Gavyn Manning[9]; 2. 61-Dalton Houghton[2]; 3. 15B-Brad Pounds[8]; 4. 44-Eric Hamilton[10]; 5. 21JT-Justin Crockett[1]; 6. 12-Josh Combs[11]; 7. 15F-Markus Frazier[3]; 8. 51B-Bryan Clark[7]; 9. 22S-Cole Szlauko[13]; 10. 72-Mike Szlauko[12]; 11. 7-Katelynn Robertson[5]; 12. 55-Brad Watkins[14]; 13. (DNF) X-Robby Sawyer[6]; 14. (DNF) 22-Paul Miller[15]; 15. (DNF) 10N-Rob Sanders[4]

IMCA Sport Mods A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 18C-Chris McKellar[10]; 2. 80D-Dylan Wilson[6]; 3. 62-Tate Loftis[9]; 4. 47-Brock Crawford[8]; 5. 172-Tyler Irwin[3]; 6. 11D-Danny Wagner[1]; 7. 15F-Matthew Frazier[7]; 8. 33-Cale Kanke[13]; 9. 316-Kenny White[15]; 10. 71-Aaron Farrell[5]; 11. 51-Jason Bannister[11]; 12. 99B-Paul Brown[14]; 13. 151-Tyler Bannister[12]; 14. (DNF) 68-Santiago Lopez[16]; 15. (DNF) 09-Brylon Holder[2]; 16. (DNF) 4M-Emali VanHoff[4]

H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 1N-Nicholas Johnson[6]; 2. 16-Ricky Childress Jr[10]; 3. 91C-Marcus Wankum[5]; 4. 11-Ethan Johnson[2]; 5. 44-Rick Childress[8]; 6. 10H-Lance Hurst[7]; 7. 58T-Troy Thomas Jr[3]; 8. 25B-Brooke Cimental[1]; 9. C4-James Cornelius[12]; 10. 6X-Robert Lawler[4]; 11. (DNF) 79-Ryan Barnes[11]; 12. (DNF) 26S-Chad Johnson[9]

Dwarf Cars Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 14-JD Brown[1]; 2. 48E-Trent Morley[10]; 3. 41E-Nick Velasquez[7]; 4. 5F-Robert Peters[8]; 5. 55F-Triston Peters[5]; 6. 33-Brandon Wiley[3]; 7. 91E-Scotty Preast[2]; 8. 81E-Dominic Maldonado[12]; 9. 3-Jimmy Miller[4]; 10. 87E-Tommy Velasquez[9]; 11. (DNF) 21JR-Troy Normile[11]; 12. (DNF) 97E-Tyler Fulcher[6]

IMCA Stock Cars A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 24-Roger Holder[8]; 2. 54V-Jacob Van Essen[5]; 3. 68-Billy Simkins[4]; 4. 26-Nicholas Johnson[10]; 5. 44-Austin VanHoff[7]; 6. 4-Justin Schweitzer[3]; 7. 2B-Dan Bryant[1]; 8. 5-Raymond Noland[6]; 9. 43-Jake Archibald[2]; 10. 99-Don Mead[11]; 11. 21P-David Pearson[9]

American Stocks A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. N2DEEP-Nicholas Johnson[11]; 2. L787-Ronald Lookadoo[6]; 3. 68S-Sunnie Simkins[4]; 4. 40-Nick Spainhoward[7]; 5. 4-Will Simco[2]; 6. 21X-Cameron Campbell[3]; 7. 4K-Kyle Wood[9]; 8. 31-Spencer Vasquez[1]; 9. 72-JASON FRETWELL[14]; 10. 17-Jon McKinley[5]; 11. 954-James Robinson[13]; 12. 33-Robert Swearengin[15]; 13. (DNF) J15-Jesse Bowles[12]; 14. (DNF) 25-Carson Conway[8]; 15. (DNF) 1-Roger Holder[10]; 16. (DNS) 01-Colton Hay