News

 

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (November 18, 2014) – An all-star cast of the world's best Sprint Cars will hit Kern County Raceway Park this Sunday afternoon, in the highly anticipated inaugural King of the Wing "George Snider Classic".  Sunday's 2014 season finale for the brand-new asphalt oval in Bakersfield, CA will see 160 mile per action in a 40 lap feature for the first-ever national championship.  NASCAR Spec Modifieds and 911 Series will join the "open-wheel only" festivities with Zambelli Fireworks lighting up the sky after the show.

 

Korean War veteran and viral sensation Donald Lora, age 85 of Bakersfield, will present the national anthem.  A display of more than a dozen race cars, including vintage open wheel machines and some of the 2014 KCRP track champions, will line the concourse for fans to check out as well.

 

The series will compete at Madera Speedway on Friday November 21st, Irwindale Speedway on November 22nd, and conclude their season November 23rd at Kern County.

 

The race honors Indianapolis 500 legend George "Ziggy" Snider who made 22 starts at The Speedway mostly driving A.J. Foyt.  Ziggy finished in the top dozen positions five times including eighth place runs in both 1975 and 1978.

 

Promoter Davey Hamilton, himself an 11 time Indianapolis 500 starter, Verizon IndyCar Series team owner, and IMS Radio broadcaster, will also be behind the wheel along with his son Davey, Jr. and brother Ken.

 

Entries have flooded in from California, Indiana, Idaho, Michigan, Canada, Tennessee, Nevada, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, and Wisconsin.  Among the nine Californians is series points leader JoJo Helberg of Rohnert Park who won two of the three races in the July "Midwest Swing" to kick off the King of the Wing.  The top-three in Madera Speedway points, track champion Kyle Vanderpool, Tim Skoglund, and Cody Gerhardt, will also try to defend home turf.

 

Helberg's closest competition may come from 2014 Auto Value Super Sprints champion Jason Blonde ofLitchfield, MI.  Blonde ranks fourth in KoW standings.

 

Two-time Little 500 champion Jacob Wilson of Indiana and 2006 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos of Massachusetts bring top resumes into Kern County.  Canada will be well-represented by Ron and Ritchie Larson along with Matt Mansell.  2014 Meridian Speedway champion Bryan Warf leads the Idaho contingent while 2014 USAC Silver Crown main event winner David Byrne is en route from Wisconsin.  Garrett Green is perhaps the longest tow coming out of Florida.

 

Sunday's showing will include four eight lap heat races and a 40 lap feature, with the winner receiving $3,000 out of nearly $25,000 in posted awards.

 

For the 911 Racing Series, their 15 lap race on the quarter-mile will be their season finale with a tight battle between Shafter Police and Bakersfield Police department.  Other agencies competing include Kern County Fire, Kern County Probation, Kern County Sheriff, Bakersfield Fire, and Taft Police.

 

The NASCAR Spec Modified race will be a non-points, 30 lap event on the half-mile.  Two-time champion Chris Dalton will try to score one more victory before moving onto the NASCAR CITGO Lubricants Late Models for 2015.  Brock Thompson, rookies Jim Coffey and Gary Dutton, and Mark Allan of Orcutt rounded out the top-five of the standings this season.

 

Sunday's action be a twilight race with grandstands opening at 1:30 p.m., followed by practice with opening ceremonies at 4 p.m.  The 40 lap George Snider Classic is tentatively slated to push off at 7 p.m. with a huge Zambelli Fireworks show to cap off the evening.

 

Tickets for the King of the Wing are just $20 for Adults, $10 for Seniors 65+, Active Military, Children 6-15, and Children 5 and under are free!  A Family Pass for two adults and two seniors or children is $52 (Box office only).  Reserved stadium seats are $25.  Trackside RV and dry (no hookups) parking lot RV parking are available race weekend as well.

 

Major marketing partners at Kern County Raceway Park include Budweiser, CITGO Lubricants, Monster Energy, Advance Beverage Company, Coca Cola, DC's RV Center, Three-Way Chevrolet, and Whelen Engineering.

 

Kern County Raceway Park is online at www.kernraceway.com  More information is available on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/kernraceway and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kernraceway