By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
This Saturday, April 22, will be the third ARCA Menards West Series race of the season. Kern County Raceway Park (KCRP), a half-mile oval located in Bakersfield, CA, is where the 16 drivers on the entry list will battle it out to win the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150.
This is the third of 12 races for the 2023 season and the 1007th since the inception of the series in 1954. Regarding Bakersfield’s KCRP, it will be the 13th race since 2013 on the high-bank paved half mile and the victory of Greg Pursley. Last year Landen Lewis won the race for his series debut. After two second positions in the first two races of the season, he will be one of the big favorites for victory.
Note that the most successful driver in the history of the KCRP is Derek Kraus with four consecutive victories! The former 2019 champion who made an excellent debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with two top-10s in two races will again be present in NXS at Talladega on the same day as the West Series race.
The yellow flag record is nine, three times (twice in 2014 and once in 2016). 2016 also saw the most laps completed behind the pace-car with 40. If Toyota is the manufacturer with the most wins here with six, Ford and Chevrolet are close behind with four victories each. Among other interesting stats, note that the poleman has won the race five times.
Four times the race has been extended by an overtime and that the team with the most victories (6) and poles (6) here is none other than Bill McAnally Racing. Only Landen Lewis has already won here in the West Series. If he doesn’t take the checkered flag first this year, then we’ll be treated to an eighth different winner here. Finally the record for the pole position is still the property of Gray Gaulding, obtained during the first race on the KCRP in 2013, with a speed of 100.514 mph.
All this takes place on the one and only day of Saturday, April 22. A one-hour practice session (3 to 4 p.m. PT) will precede the qualifying session (4:40 to 5 p.m. PT). The start of the 150-lap race (75 miles) will be given at 8:15 p.m. PT.
The Race Procedure:
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 is limited to 22 plus provisional positions. This event will run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.
QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap per the timed session qualifying procedure.
RACE PIT STOP: Oval break pit stop procedure. Break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. All cars will be required to make at least one pit stop prior to last 10 laps of race. (Learn about all of ARCA’s pit stop procedures here.)
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 10. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4), two (2) for use at the break and two (2) for emergency use only.
The drivers:
No. 04 Ethan Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
Let’s hope young Ethan finally has a trouble-free run and finally gets his first top-10 to kick off his season. Thanks to good results obtained in other series since the beginning of April including his first victory in Lunkerdaddy Pro Late Model at Madera Speedway. He arrives on the KCRP that he will discover in West Series with his confidence pumped up! Mike Nascimento will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 2 | – | – | – | – | 13th | n/a |
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing)
As will often be the case this year, the Canadian veteran and rookie will discover a new track. But he is improving from race to race and gaining confidence. Despite an accident in Irwindale, he had not given up and had obtained his first career top-10. The tactic of going to the end of the races can pay off and the Californian air seems to be working for him. Brandon Carlson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersifled |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | n/a |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
After the crashed car in Irwindale has been repaired, Bubba arrives with high hopes. Like his brother, he too hopes to be left alone by bad luck. He will also do his first West Series race at Kern. Ty Joiner, his crew chief, took pole position with P.J. Pedroncelli last year and also helped Derek Kraus claim his first victory in 2017 here. All of this could weigh heavily on the positive side in the balance for Bubba.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5th (1x) | 2 starts, best result: 9th |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
After his bodybuilding session in Irwindale where he got a nice top-10 without power steering. The driver from Nagoya, Japan arrives at Kern with high hopes. Last year he obtained the ninth position. Denny Moyer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 103 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 8 starts, best result : 9th |
No. 13 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing)
Complicated start to the season for Todd and CCR with zero top-10 finishes. The speed is there but the race circumstances were not favorable to him. It was here that he took part in his 100th career start last year, narrowly missing out on pole position. With his crew chief Michael Munoz, they will be keen to achieve an excellent result. And as his car comes from David Gilliland Racing (now TRICON Garage), he will have all the cards in hand to get there. Recall that DGR had won the race in 2020 with Taylor Gray.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 110 | 1 | 19 | 61 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 7 starts, best result: 5th |
No. 15 Sean Hingorani (Venturini Motorsports)
Although Hingorani has never raced in the West Series at Kern, he did test there earlier in the season with his Venturini Motorsports team and he was able to develop a good basic setup. If we combine this with his current momentum, victory in West at Irwindale and third place at Tucson in Super Late Model last weekend, there is no doubt that the driver of Indian origin of the No. 15 will be one of the big favorites for the win.
The only unknown in the equation, his new crew chief Monon Rahman. The latter is not a newcomer to Venturini since he started there in 2017. The engineer from Frankfort, Kentucky, will be the third different crew chief for Hingaroni this season after Billy Venturini in Phoenix and Kevin Reed, Jr. at Irwindale. Reed being retained by the team to officiate as crew chief for the ARCA race in Talladega.
Rahman also served as a crew chief for Toni Breidinger in the National ARCA tour late last season at Salem Speedway and Toledo Speedway. He led Breidinger to her career-best finish at Salem, eighth.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1st | n/a |
No. 16 Tanner Reif (Bill McAnally Racing)
With the fifth position obtained in Irwindale, Tanner intends to surf on a positive dynamic and continue to climb in the hierarchy. Especially since with a car from BMR at KCRP, it ends half the time on Victory Lane! Last year, the rookie he was, finished fourth in the race. John Camilleri, his crew chief has already three victories here, all obtained with Derek Kraus, will be a valuable asset for the oldest of the Reif brothers in his quest for victory.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 13 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1st (2x) | 1 start, best result: 4th |
No. 17 Landen Lewis (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies)
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, Lewis is already having an excellent season with two runner-up finishes. But each time he came very close to victory. He recently found the taste of victory last weekend, winning a U.S. Legends Cars race in Nashville. A victory is exactly what he got here last year for his West Series debut.
This year, he returned to the team led by Bruce Cook and Steve McGowan, he should logically be a serious candidate for victory. As in Irwindale, Richard Mason will be his crew chief. The team will use last year’s Chevrolet in the race.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 10 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 1 start, best result: 1st |
No. 27 Bobby Hillis, Jr. (Fierce Creature Racing)
Nice ninth position for the veteran in Irwindale. Despite his 93 career starts since 2001, Hillis has only made two races on the KCRP. The first in 2015 and the last in 2020 where he finished 11th, his best result here. As in Irwindale, Tony Huffman will be his crew chief and together they intend to finish in the top-10 again.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 93 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8th (1x) | 2 starts, best result : 11th |
No. 41 Tyler Reif (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
The championship leader will discover the Kern track in racing condition. But he did tests there during the off-season and he and his team were very satisfied with the speed obtained. Besides, in the process, he had won the Phoenix race. With his crew chief Tony Jackson, the number one objective will be to win a new race, just to anchor his position as leader in the championship even more.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1st | n/a |
No. 46 RJ Smotherman (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
The rookie Smotherman, like his teammate Tyler Reif, will also discover Kern in racing condition in the West Series after having carried out tests there during the off-season. But the difference between the two this season is that RJ has been hit with bad luck twice. Mechanical problem after mechanical problem…and an accident he couldn’t do anything about. Hopefully the tide turns in his favor as he does everything possible, working on his car himself at the LJM raceshop. David Jackson will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | n/a |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing)
KCRP is a track that suits Huddleston quite well as he has achieved five top-five finishes there in five races with a best finish being third in 2018. With the new cars acquired by High Point Racing from Bruncati Sunrise Ford Racing , Trevor has what it takes to be quick and go for the win. Fourth in Irwindale after taking pole position is an unmistakable sign, we will have to count with the No. 50 this year, especially with Jeff Schrader as crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 55 | 2 | 20 | 47 | 1 | 1st (2x) | 5 starts, best result: 3rd |
No. 55 Jake Bollman (High Point Racing)
Promising debut at Irwindale where Bollman was fighting for a top-five when he was the collateral victim of the clash between his teammate Huddleston and Souza. Fortunately, he has a new opportunity to show what he is capable of on a track he knows, even if he will do his first race in the West Series there. Travis Thirkettle will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12th | n/a |
No. 70 Kyle Keller (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Keller is racing a lot this year with his SLM and he is getting very good results. All this helps to give him the right rhythm and it shows in his results in the West Series where he is very efficient. With his crew chief Jerry Pitts, he will aim for victory at Kern. Let us remember the two victories obtained by Pitts here in 2013 and 2014 with the double champion of the West Series Greg Pursley. A track where Keller already got a top-10, sixth, in 2020 when he was a rookie in the series.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 12 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 2 starts, best result : 6th |
No. 77 Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports)
Unlucky at Irwindale where he could do nothing to avoid an accident during a restart, Joanides will use a new car acquired by PP1M for the Bakersfield race. It is also Joe Nava, himself, who will be the crew chief. The start of a new adventure for the team. More info to come on Kickin The Tires soon.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 20 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4th | 2 starts, best result: 11th |
No. 88 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
The rookie experienced the joys of the podium in Phoenix and the pangs of contact with the wall in Irwindale. This is learning session for a rookie. But the young driver is very talented and he was able to guarantee a top-10 in Irwindale despite a damaged car.
No doubt he will be at the forefront again at KCRP, a track where he will make his first start in the West Series. Tony Caputo his crew chief and Mike Naake, his owner, will be able to guide him towards Victory Lane because they know this track perfectly.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3rd | n/a |
Final notes:
Following the Bakersfield race, the West Series Series will take a month-long hiatus before returning in early June for the two road races on the 2023 schedule in Portland, OR on June 2 and Sonoma, CA on June 9.