By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
The cancellation on March 30 of the Irwindale Speedway race, which was postponed to July 6, will have made us wait nearly a month and a half before the second race of the 2024 season. But our patience will have been rewarded because the Bakersfield race was incredible until taking the checkered flag.
The second of twelve races of the season, the MMI Oil Workers 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame, contested on the half-mile at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, Bakersfield, CA, concluded with the first victory career of young Kole Raz. The driver of the No. 5 Jerry Pitts Racing Toyota was taking part in his third career race and was able to get the better of Trevor Huddleston in the very last corner of the race and take the checkered flag with a lead of 58 thousandths!
For a complete recap of the race, I invite you to read the article « Race review » available here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-west-2024-bakersfield-race-review/
Complete race results: www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2024-02/AW/
The top-five in the championship being the following: Sean Hingorani (79 points), Tyler Reif (77), Trevor Huddleston (70), Jack Wood (69), Kyle Keller (63).
Driver & owner point standings: www.racing-reference.info/standings/2024/AW/
We will have to wait again for more than a month before the third race of the year. There is no doubt that our wait will once again be rewarded with an incredible race for the first road track of the season. The race will take place on May 31 at Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR, for the Portland 112, the first road race of the season, which is streamed live on FloRacing.
As after each race we are going to detail the statistics for each driver, embellished with the reactions collected from many of them, drivers, owners and crew chiefs.
ARCA West Quick stats
-71st season in history.
-Race No. 1018 since the inception of the West Series in 1954.
-2024 race No. 2 of 12.
-Race No. 14 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (KHKR), Bakersfield, CA, since 2013.
-Win No. 8 for Toyota at KHKR. Among the manufacturers Toyota leads the dance with 8 wins ahead of Ford (5) and Chevrolet (1).
-82nd win for Toyota in West Series. The all-time most successful manufacturer is Ford with 290 wins.
-Sixth win for team owner Jerry Pitts.
-Win No. 1 for Jerry Pitts Racing. The all-time most successful owners in history are Bill McAnally (99), Fred Elder (45), Bob Bruncati (42) and Ernie Conn (41).
-First win for Jerry Pitts Racing at KHKR. The most successful team at KHKR is Bill McAnally Racing with 6 wins.
-First career win for Kole Raz (third career start) and first at KHKR. Derek Kraus is the most successful pilot at KHKR with four wins. Kole Raz is the 9th different race winner at KHKR. In all, 9 different drivers have won at least one race.
-Kole Raz is the 210th race winner in history since 1954.
-With his victory, Kole Raz allows the Raz family (with his brother Gracin) to join the very private club of brothers who have won races in West Series history since 1954. The others being Chuck and Jim Bown, Jeff and Jason Jefferson as well as Tanner and Tyler Reif.
-Third career pole position for Tyler Reif (16th career start) and first at KHKR (in two starts at KHKR).
-First pole for Central Coast Racing at KHKR. Bill McAnally Racing is the most successful teams with six poles at KHKR.
-Third pole for Central Coast Racing and owner Kelly Souza in West Series. The most successful team in history is Bill McAnally Racing with 79 poles. The most successful owner in history is Bill McAnally with 52 poles.
-First career attempt in West Series for (3 drivers): Henry Barton, Tony Huffman, Mason Mitchell.
-First career start in West Series for (3 drivers): Henry Barton, Tony Huffman, Mason Mitchell.
-First career attempt at KHKR in West Series for (9 drivers): Henry Barton, Danica Dart, Tony Huffman, Eric Johnson, Jr., Cody Kiemele, Mason Mitchell, John Moore, Ryan Philpott, Kole Raz.
-First career start at Phoenix in West Series for (9 drivers): Henry Barton, Danica Dart, Tony Huffman, Eric Johnson, Jr., Cody Kiemele, Mason Mitchell, John Moore, Ryan Philpott, Kole Raz.
-Best career result in West Series for Kole Raz (1st), Mason Mitchell (18th), Cody Kiemele (19th), Herny Barton (20th), Tony Huffman (21st), Danica Dart (22nd).
-First career Top-10 result in West Series for (no new driver)
-First careet Top-5 result in West Series for (no new driver)
-Fifth win for the No. 5 in history. The first at KHKR. Note: first win for the No. 5 since Jim Thirkettle at Saugus, CA, on June 18, 1977 (race No. 425 in history, or 593 races !)
-Third pole for the No. 13 in history (all by Tyler Reif). The first at KHKR.
-Fourth career pole for crew chief Michael Munoz. The first at KHKR.
-27th career win for crew chief Jerry Pitts. The third at KHKR (2013 and 2014 with driver Greg Pursley)
-75th pole for Toyota in West Series and ninth at KHKR. The all-time most successful manufacturer is Chevrolet with 258.
-The pole sitter has won the race five times. Whoever started second has won four times.
– The driver who won the race from the worst starting position was Dylan Lupton. ninth in 2014.
-The track record is owned by Gray Gaulding at 100.514 mph achieved in 2013.
-As far as yellow flags are concerned, the record is 8(thrice). The 2015 race holds the record for the number of yellow flag laps with 43.
– The record for the fewest caution is 3 (the last two races). With just 12 laps behind the pace car, the 2022 race holds the record for fewest laps under yellow flags.
-The most leader changes occurred in 2016 with 9. The fewest leader change is zero in 2019.
-The largest starting field was in 2013 with 28 cars.
-The smallest starting field was in 2019 with 13 cars.
-Four times the race has been extended by an overtime (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019).
-683rd paved oval race in history.
West Series fun fact: What do Kole Raz’s victory in Bakersfield have in common with the one his big brother Gracin obtained in Roseville in 2015? They both led a single lap during the race. But the only one that counts, the last!
The Drivers
No. 0 Tony Huffman (Fierce Creature Racing) Start: 23rd – Fin: 21st DNS
A one and only lap during practice, no attempt in the qualifying session. Huffman did the pace laps and at the end of the last one went straight into the pitlane to perform his planned start and park. He immediately joined the pit box of his owner/teammate Bobby Hillis, Jr. to resume his role as crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 1 (1DNS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 1 start (1 DNS), best result 21st |
No. 05 David Smith (Shockwave Racing) Start: 22nd – Fin: 16th
Anonymous race for the Canadian veteran. However, wasn’t the first objective to finish the race without problems? The bad memory of Phoenix (with two damaged cars) is behind the Shockwave Racing team. The car has been well repaired and now that we know it is reliable, the team will be able to concentrate on finding more speed. The next oval race at Irwindale in July will be interesting to watch.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10th | 2 starts, best result 13th |
No. 1 Robbie Kennealy (Kennealy Keller Motorsports) Start: 20th – Fin: 23rd DNS
But what a disappointment for Kennealy who had a high-performance car during practice on Friday and Saturday. He was continually in the top5 and a big result was possible. Unfortunately the engine broke down during the qualifying session. With the team unable to field a new one for the race, Robbie was forced to move from the role of driver to that of spectator. But let’s keep the positive in mind. KKM has a very quick car on fast ovals.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 7 (1 DNS) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5th | 2 starts (1 DNS), best result 5th |
No. 3 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing) Start: 11th – fin: 9th
Slower than his teammate Tyler Reif, Souza was able to take advantage of obtaining the free pass during the first yellow flag to capitalize on a new top-10, his 70th in his career. The car had a better pace during the second segment but it was impossible to leave the bottom of the top-10. The No. 3 having spent almost the entire race in ninth position. Being at worst 11th or at best eighth between the 82nd and the 92nd lap.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 122 | 1 | 22 | 70 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 9 starts, best result : 5th |
No. 4 Eric Nascimento, Jr. (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports) Start: 7th – Fin: 6th
Best career result at KHKR for Bubba who had a good car but not fast enough for a top5. But his consistency allows him to obtain big points for the championship. The next race will take place on the Portland road track where he is very fast. And if he is spared from mechanical problems as the previous years he should be a candidate for victory.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 21 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2nd (1x) | 4 starts, best result: 6th |
No. 5 Kole Raz (Jerry Pitts Racing) Start: 3rd – Fin: 1st
Kole Raz takes his first career victory in his third race. He put on an incredible show, coming back in the last 20 laps like a cannonball on the leader Huddleston. The two drivers will drive side-by-side for almost 10 laps but it is Raz who will have the last word by taking the advantage in the last turn of the last lap of the race. He crosses the line with a lead of 58 thousandths in a suspenseful finish. He joins his brother Gracin Raz in the list of West Series race winners. Jerry Pitts, his owner/crew chief, won his third victory at KHKR.
“It was just really good, hard racing. I don’t get opportunities like this very much, but I had to capitalize this for Jerry Pitts and Dustin Ash. They haven’t won a race in such a long time and work hard at the shop to bring good quality cars. That was a little bit more rubbing than I obviously wanted. I hope Trevor knows with how we’ve raced in the past, it’s always been clean. I was just trying to get it there and I was trying to put on a show for the fans.” Raz said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 1 start, best result 1st |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing) Start: 12th – Fin: 15th
Last year Koga made a mistake during the pace laps, destroying any chance of a good result. This year, he once again lost all chances of a good result in Turn 4 at the end of the second lap in an accident with Johnny Borneman III. But the time it took to repair the No. 7 Toyota, he lost several laps to the leaders. Then his car no longer had any downforce in the turns. He reached the finish in a distant 15th position. But, good teammate that he is, he was one of the first to congratulate Kole Raz in Victory Lane.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 115 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 10 starts, best result : 9th |
No. 11 Danica Dart (Kennealy Keller Motorsports) Start: 18th – Fin: 22nd DNS
Like her teammate Robbie Kennealy, Danica Dart was unable to start the race due to an accident during the qualifying session. Her No. 11 Ford was too damaged to be repaired in time for the race. Huge disappointment. Collateral victim of an accident at the start of the Phoenix race, can she console herself by holding the record for a female driver of having completed zero laps in two races? No, because she has talent and we can’t wait to see her behind the wheel again. You just have to have luck on your side.
“Not the weekend we wanted at all at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. We battled through practice trying to find the right adjustments. I know stuff happens. I’m okay, my body is sore and so is my heart. We will find the positive and keep charging. Thank you to my team for grinding and working hard. And everyone who supports me.” Dart said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 2 (1DNS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40th | 1 start (1 DNS), best result 22nd |
No. 12 Kyle Keller (Kennealy Keller Motorsports) Start: 10th – Fin: 7th
Keller is the only one of the trio of KKM drivers who can start the race and he will race intelligently as he is used to and know how to get the maximum performance from his car. Victory was clearly not possible this time but the gain in performance during the second segment demonstrates that the team was able to make the car evolve in the right direction.
“We had a decent points night at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway! Brian Kizer and the whole KKM Driver Development team made good adjustments at the half way break to help us gain some spots to finish P7. Thank you to my entire crew for their hard work and of course all of my sponsors onto Portland on May 31st.” Keller said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 24 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 4 starts, best result : 6th |
No. 13 Tyler Reif (Central Coast Racing) Start: 1st – Fin: 3rd
Dominant from Friday’s optional practice, Tyler obtained his third career pole position thanks to a second lap in the qualifying session that was almost perfect. He easily dominated the first segment. He started the second segment at the same pace but after around twenty laps the Toyota No. 13 lost efficiency due to excessive wear on its tires. Tyler lost two positions but managed to maintain a place on the podium, very important for the championship where he is now second, just two points behind the leader.
“So close this weekend. Unloaded really strong in my Central Coast Racing Toyota Camry ending up P1 in both practices and put together a great qualifying lap 2 tenths ahead of second. We lead the whole first half and went the wrong way at the half time break. ending are night at P3. Very successful weekend making up good points with this team. Excited for this season.” Tyler Reif said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 16 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1st | 1 starts, best result 3rd |
No. 16 Jack Wood (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 2nd – Fin: 12th
Big disappointment for Jack Wood who had a very fast car but who will encounter big problems with his brakes overheating. The KHKR being a fast oval very hard with the brakes. Second at the start of the race, even contesting the leadership in Reif for a few laps, Wood remained in the top four until mid-race.
During the break the team made adjustments which allowed the driver of the No. 16 to regain a place on the podium. Unfortunately his brake problems returned at the end of the race. Wood managed to stay in fourth position when a puncture on his right front tire six laps from the finish ruined all his efforts. He finally finished 12th.
“We had a fast NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet today. I’m proud of the speed these guys at BMR had in our car. We had a brake issue and I didn’t have much of a pedal before halfway and we got really loose. Kevin (Bellicourt) and the guys made a good adjustment at the halfway break on the balance and we got the car better. But the brake pedal just went to the floor as the night went. We were still in the top five and were going to have a good points night but had a flat right front at the end. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get the result, but happy with the speed we had today.” Jack Wood said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 21 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4th (3x) | 3 starts, best result 10th |
No. 19 Eric Johnson, Jr. (Bill McAnally Racing) Start: 16th – Fin: 10th
Complicated race for Johnson, Jr. who started the race at the back of the pack. He managed to climb to 11th position and benefited from the free pass during the midway break. He will then maintain this position until he benefits from the problems of his teammate Jack Wood to enter the top-10. This result allows him to currently be the best rookie in the championship.
“Our race pace felt solid in practice but unfortunately, we missed the mark a bit once the track rubbered up and temps dropped. Just part of learning these tracks for the first time. We’ll work to come back stronger for the next one. I’m happy to earn my first top-10 finish this season and hope there is plenty more to come.” Johnson, Jr. said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th | 1 start, best result 10th |
No. 21 Henry Barton (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports) Start: 14th – Fin: 20th Vibration
Despite adjustments before the start of the race, which he took from last position, the rookie Barton did not go very far. Insoluble vibration problems forced him to abandon after two laps. Too bad because he demonstrated during practice that he had the speed to get a top-10. We look forward to seeing him again in Irwindale next July.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20th | 1 start, best result 20th |
No. 23 Mason Mitchell (Sigma Performance Services) Start: 8th – Fin: 18th Overheating
Rusty? No! The 2014 ARCA Menards Series champion didn’t take long to get back into a good rhythm. He was holding on to eighth position when he encountered overheating problems after around 40 laps. With its engine at risk of breaking, the team preferred to stop the No. 23 on the 58th lap. There is no doubt that he will be keen to finish the race at the top of the standings in Irwindale next July.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18th | 1 start, best result 18th |
No. 24 Sean Hingorani (Sigma Performance Services) Start: 6th – Fin: 4th
The deal between Hingorani and SPS was made at the last minute but he was directly rewarded with a good fourth position. Harmony and efficiency. This is how I would summarize this first race between them. Fast at the wheel of a car he was discovering, the 2023 champion was a little below the leading trio in terms of pure speed. But his racing intelligence allowed him to finish fourth and at the same time take command of the championship.
“West points leader and more determined than ever to chase wins and championships. Thanks to Joe Farrè and the entire SPS team for an incredible job prepping me the second car and giving me something I could race up to P4 on such short notice.” Hingorani said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 19 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 1st (4x) | 1 start, best result 1st |
No. 27 Bobby Hillis, Jr. (Fierce Creature Racing) Start: 21st – Fin: 17th
With a completely revamped car, Hillis, Jr. ran a decent race that was in effect a “real racing condition” test session. If he lacked speed, the strategy was to finish the race without damage. The road races are coming and this is where Bobby Hillis, Jr. has the most hope of top-10.
Hillis, Jr tells us in detail about his race: “[I] hired a race engineer and spent a lot of time reworking the yellow car. Bought my full allotment of tires (10) which I never do and went out for Friday night practice. Car felt great, stable, and neutral. Didn’t want to use everything up so stopped after several runs but before the session was over.
“Saturday came and it was still pretty good in practice so again didn’t want to overdo it. Did a couple of runs and then got ready for qualifying. Qualified in the back by design because it’s not worth wrecking a car just for a better starting position. Plus I always like going for the hard charger award. Started the race and everything was great and I was hanging out at the back waiting for things to happen but other than the first lap caution it never really happened.
“Car started to get loose after about 20 laps so I had to back off and that was pretty much my race. Pinned down at the bottom and several laps down but at least we finished! Haven’t done that in a while. Crash at Vegas, cut tire and almost crashed at November Phoenix and drug the sway bar off it getting back to the pits, March Phoenix new car and no brakes.
“Done after 30 laps so it an improvement I guess! Lol, decided we had too much wedge in the car and that’s why it went loose plus need different front shocks so it transfers the weight better to the rear. Time to work on it more to be ready for the double header at Irwindale. In the meantime we’re preparing the orange car for the back to back road courses and I’m really looking forward to those.”
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfeild |
| 98 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8th (1x) | 4 starts, best result : 11th |
No. 33 P.J. Pedroncelli, Jr. (Rodd Racing) Start: 9th – Fin: 8th
P.J. Pedroncelli, Jr. had an intelligent race and obtained a good top-10 for his return to the West Series, having not raced since Roseville in October 2022. At the wheel of a Rodd Racing car (Rodd Kneeland) he slipped in 11th position shortly after the start. But once “hot” he found the top-10 around the 50th lap and spent the rest of the race between 9th and 10th position. With Keller and Souza, they hardly let each other go. Like many, he gained a position at the end of the race following Jack Wood’s flat tire. Next race for No. 33 in Sonoma where P.J. is expected in the top5.
“Well after about 2 years, I was able to get back in the driver seat. Thanks to Rodd Renovations Inc. for letting me run his new car. We had a fun weekend, didn’t get the results we were hoping for, but the car came back with no scratches and rolled back in the trailer. Qualified P9 finished P8. Thanks to my family and friends for coming out and supporting us. Onto Sonoma in June.” Pedroncelli, Jr. said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 30 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 1st | 2 starts, best result: 5th |
No. 41 Johnny Borneman III (Lowden Jackson Motorsports) Start: 13th – Fin: 11th
A misunderstanding at the end of the second lap in Turn 4 with Koga and Borneman III literally took off on his opponent. The car is miraculously little damaged in view of the accident! But enough so that it lost efficiency and maneuverability. As a result, a long and anonymous race which nevertheless ends just outside the top-10.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 127 | 3 | 27 | 61 | 1 | 1st (3x) | 5 starts, best result: 9th |
No. 50 Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing) Start: 4th – Fin: 2nd
Seventh consecutive top-10 in seven races at KHKR for Huddleston and this second position is his best result. But what a bitter taste it has! Trevor seemed headed for victory once he took command of the race from Tyler Reif. But that was without counting on the rookie Kole Raz who came back on him in the last twenty laps. Their side-by-side battle was superb. But Raz’s little contact on the No. 50 in the very last corner of the race was enough to break Huddleston’s momentum a little. The latter had his victory snatched away at the finish line by 58 thousandths. Third in the championship, he hasn’t said his last word!
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 67 | 3 | 25 | 54 | 2 | 1st (3x) | 7 starts, best result : 2nd |
No. 52 Ryan Philpott (Philpott Racing) Start: 17th – Fin: 14th
Race without problem for Philpott who finished 14th. He did his best with his car but it simply lacked speed. Philpott had fun at KHKR, the car is intact. It should be much faster on the upcoming road tracks.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 42 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 6th (2x) | 1 start, best result 14th |
No. 71 Nick Joanides (Jan’s Racing) Start: 5th – Fin: 5th
This is the race that was needed to demonstrate that all the work done in recent months is showing its fruits today. This top-five owes nothing to chance. Several private practice sessions, qualified staff recruited by Jan Qualkenbush and excellent driving skills by Joanides. The veteran is in good shape! Jan’s Racing is hungry for success and this is just the beginning of a great adventure. Joanides was in the top-five throughout the race and yet he and the team are not fully satisfied with their performance! We will have to count on them for victory soon.
“We’re finally getting in the ballpark! Still a long way to go. Got some speed in the car, but we still struggled quite a bid with the handling. But, from where we started to where we are now, we’ve come a LONG way. Two road courses next, so who knows how those will go, but hopefully by the time we get back to the ovals, we’ll have a lot more figured out and be able to contend.” Joanides said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 30 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 4th | 4 starts, best result 5th |
No. 77 Cody Kiemele (Performance P1 Motorsports) Start: 19th – Fin: 19th Crash
Rookie Kiemele was sandwiched between Philpott and Joanides on lap 36. The Toyota No. 77 having suffered major damage to the front, the PP1M team was forced to put the car in the hauler. Note that this accident did not cause a yellow flag. After the accident in Phoenix for which he was in no way responsible, Kiemele’s learning of the West Series is definitely fraught with pitfalls.
“Cody was passing the 52 car on the inside Nick drove it into the dirt making it three wide and knocking Cody into the 52. Putting us out.” Joe Nava (owner) said.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19th | 1 start, best result 19th |
No. 88 John Moore (Naake-Klauer Motorsports) Start: 15th – Fin: 13th
The veteran Moore had gained several positions in the first 30 laps and was even in 12th place when his car began to lose efficiency. The ax fell on the 59th lap when the right front tire punctured on turn 1. Moore managed to avoid contact with the outside wall. The time lost will not be made up and the rest of the race will be spent further down the rankings. He fought during the second segment with Koga and Philpott and won the battle, taking the checkered flag in 13th position.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At Bakersfield |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5th | 1 start, best result 13th |
The next race on May 31 at Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR, for the Portland 112, the first road race of the season, which is streamed live on FloRacing.