News and Notes SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series – Kern County Raceway
For Immediate Release: SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series Media Relations
Event: The “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout – Get It Hot 75” will take place at Kern County Raceway on June 26th. Round #6 for the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will pay $10,000-to-win at the end of 75 laps. In a unique format, 10-lap Heat Races will follow qualifying. Drivers who qualify in the top-eight will redraw for position in their Heat, with the winner sitting on the pole for the Wild West Shootout Round #2. Odd and Even Heat Races will line-up straight-up, and will set the inside and outside rows. In a unique twist, any driver who qualifies in the top-eight has the option to start in the rear for an extra $10,000-to-win. $1,000 will also be awarded to the leader on lap 27. There may be a competition caution within the first 30 laps, and any time after 40 laps of consecutive green flag racing, except in the final 10 laps.
The Pro Late Models will compete in the “Sigma Performance Services 50” for $7,600-to-win. It will also be Round #6 of their season. The SPEARS Modified Series will compete in the “SPEARS Manufacturing Modified 50”, paying $2,500-to-win.
Championship Battle: Heading into Kern County Raceway, three-time Madera Speedway Nut Up Pro Late Model Champion Buddy Shepherd holds a slim two-point lead over five-time SRL Champion Derek Thorn. 2015 SRL Champion Jacob Gomes sits third, after leading the standings prior to the previous All American Speedway event. Gomes stood to increase that lead, when a flat tire with four laps to go, cost him the win while leading. All three are looking forward to this weekend on the big ½-mile tri-oval.
Buddy Shepherd: Buddy enters the event coming off a second-place finish at All American Speedway. Shepherd may have had the fastest car at the end, but bodywork damage, while battling for the lead, caused him to pit after leading through lap 76. Shepherd stormed back through the field to finish second, on lap 147. He will now head to his hometrack, looking to get his second career SRL victory, and first at Kern County Raceway.
“I’m super excited to be back at KCRP”, Shepherd exclaimed! “I can’t wait to chase that $10,000 at my home track, in-front of my friends and family. We were really good there the first race, and I’m hoping to carry our momentum back there and have a strong finish.”
Derek Thorn: There is no doubt that Derek Thorn is looking forward to returning to his home track in Bakersfield. He has 12 SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series wins at the facility, which includes two Winter Showdown wins. He has four wins in a row at Kern, but admits this weekend will be a challenge with Summer coming on and new race format.
“Kern will be a challenge”, Thorn stated, “Summer is here, and the temps will be up. The shortened race and the need to make sure tires don’t come apart will make it tough. I’m looking forward to racing on our home turf and making the most of it.”
Jacob Gomes: Gomes can only dream of what might have been at All American Speedway, after his near win. He has been close to several wins as of late, and had eight consecutive top-five finishes prior to the All American Speedway event. Gomes is looking forward to this weekend, but feels it will require one thing to change, to get that win.
“A lot of luck”, Gomes replied. “It seems we have good cars and are right there, it’s just things seem to want to go another way. We have everything put together. It just seems like Lady Luck has different plans. I can’t wait to be back on track, and I’m ready for a good run again, to see if we can get it done!”
Rookies: Five Rookie-of-the-Year candidates are entered for this weekend’s event. The list is made up of the top-five in rookie standings. Buddy Shepherd leads that list followed by Kole Raz, Brandon Farrington, Corey Neveau, and Dylan Garner. Neveau and Garner will make their first starts since the Irwindale Speedway event on April 10th.
Modified Points: Jeremy Doss retook the championship lead in the SPEARS Modified Series at All American Speedway. Doss holds a slim 828 to 805 lead in the standings. Travis Thirkettle is third with 795 points, Travis McCullough is one point back with 794, and rookie Sam Jacks is fifth with 730 points.
Pro Late Model Points: Jeremy Doss has had a dominant season in the SPEARS Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services. Doss has won all five feature events this season and leads the championship standings. Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist Dylan Zampa is second, Logan Zampa is third, followed by Tanner Reif and Mike Lovell.
Solid Field: 24 Super Late Models are entered for this weekend’s action. There are three former series champions on the roster, which includes Derek Thorn, Jacob Gomes, and Cole Moore. 11 drivers on the entry have Super Late Model touring series victories. John Dillon and John Moore have Super Late Model touring series championships, outside the SRL. Four states are represented on the entry list; California, Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona.
Recent Winner: Austin Thom will make the trip down from Dundee, OR to make his second start at Kern County Raceway. Thom is coming off a Northwest Super Late Model Series victory at South Sound Speedway. Thom finished 11th at the Winter Showdown back in March, for his best SRL finish in three starts.
Prescott Returns: La Quinta, CA driver Andre Prescott will make his first series start since May of 2017. Prescott was the Rookie-of-the-Year Runner-up in 2016.
First-Time Winner: Among the drivers looking for their first SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series victory is Elk Grove, CA racer Dylan Lupton. Lupton has two wins in ARCA Menards Pro Series West competition and was its series championship runner-up in 2014. Lupton has three Performance Friction Brakes “Zero Drag Fast Time Awards” but has yet to score a win in 14 starts. At Kern County Raceway, Lupton has an ARCA Menards Pro Series West win, to go along with a second. In the SRL he has and two top-five finishes in five SRL starts. His best was a second.
Half-Mile Specialist: Christian McGhee will return to the seat of the Garcia Racing Super Late Model this weekend. McGhee has been alternating starts with Zach Telford, with McGhee participating on the series ½-mile ovals. McGhee has 10 SRL starts at Kern County Raceway, scoring four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His best finish has been a third, which he accomplished twice. McGhee was the 2016 series rookie-of-the-year, finishing third in the championship standings.
Fireworks: LiUNA Local 220 will be on hand to present one of the biggest fireworks shows in Central Valley of California.
Schedule: General Admission Gates will officially open at 5:00 pm (PST) with Qualifying for the Pro Late Models, Modifieds and Super Late Models beginning at 5:30 pm. The BMR Drivers Academy will run their event after Qualifying with three Heat Races for the Super Late Models beginning at 7:30 pm. The “Spears Manufacturing Modified 50” and “Sigma Performance Services 50” will follow the Heat Races. Fireworks are scheduled next, with the JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout – Get It Hot 75” rounding out the evening.
Coverage: For those unable to attend the event in person, all the action can be seen LIVE at www.SpearsRacing.TV or on a delayed basis on MAVTV.
Celebrating its twenty-first season in 2021, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
Super Late Model Pre-Entry:
4 Dylan Lupton, Elk Grove, CA – Lupton Excavation
11B Tracy Bolin, Valley Springs, CA – Fisk Demolition, David’s Racing Products
11D John Dillon, Eagle, ID – Dillon Toyota Lift, Collins Motorsports
16 Jacob Gomes, Manteca, CA – Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats, Dell’Osso Family Farms
20 Cole Moore, Granite Bay, CA – JM Environmental Inc., Berco Redwood
21R Kole Raz, Lake Oswego, OR – Sigma Performance Services, Wells Johnson*
22A Andy Allen, Garden Grove, CA – RJ Allen, Inc.
22S Buddy Shepherd, Bakersfield, CA – Martin Auto Color, Advanced Distribution*
24 Scott Sanchez, Bakersfield, CA – Salted Metals, Gibson Crane
25F Brandon Farrington, Tucson, AZ – Sigma Performance Services, Wells Johnson Co.*
27 John Moore, Granite Bay, CA – JM Environmental Inc., Berco Redwood
33 Cale Kanke, Frazier Park, CA – Allie Bakes, Movember
43 Derek Thorn, Bakersfield, CA – Santa Maria Brewery, H&M Motorsports
44 TBA – Alliance Rental Solutions, Shell Roofing Solutions
51T Dean Thompson, Anaheim Hills, CA – Thompson Pipeline, Racecar Factory
51V Carlos Vieira, Livingston, CA – 51 FIFTY, Allied Packaging
71M Christian McGhee, Claremont, CA – Western Concrete Pumping, All Pro Coating
71N Kyle Neveau, San Clemente, CA – Santa Monica Brew Works, Axalta
78 Corey Neveau, San Clemente, CA – Santa Monica Brew Works, Axalta*
80 Andre Prescott, La Quinta, CA – Burgeson’s Heating and Air, Prescott Sports Therapy
90 Ross Strmiska, Stockton, CA – Nut Up, Masellis Drilling
93 Austin Thom, Dundee, OR – Sherwin Williams, Realtree Outdoors
97 Dylan Garner, Yorba Linda, CA – Global Emissions Systems, CA Analytical Instruments*
98 Blaine Rocha, Oakdale, CA – MASROC Farms, Masellis Drilling
* SPEARS Southwest Tour Series Rookie
