After covering a variety of sports over the past five decades, I am putting away the chisel and stone and calling it a career.

Linny White went from sixth to fourth in the final three laps and that was enough to propel him to the overall win of split Spears Southwest Tour race on Saturday night at Kern County Raceway.

Whether it’s on the dirt at Bakersfield Speedway or the pavement of Kern County Raceway there are sure to be fireworks galore on Saturday night.

Dylan Thornton was the class of the IMCA Modified field on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

Like many of the young guns in the Mod Lites series the past couple of years, Kaden Cochrun often ran well but came up short of rolling into Victory Lane.

The Western Racesaver Sprint cars make the first of three appearances this season at Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday night.

Twin Late Model features on Saturday night at Kern County Raceway produced the same three drivers at the front of the field, just in inverse order.

Jim Coffey has never ran out of gas on the open road.

Late Model stock cars headline six divisions of competition on Saturday night at Kern County Raceway.

There was one fast way around Bakersfield Speedway in the Sports Mod feature on Saturday night: up high on the third-mile clay oval.

The Johnson brothers were racing for more than a win on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

The local racing community lost a big supporter on Sunday when Dawn Johnson died after a sudden illness.

By the looks of early results, the Sports Mod division at Bakersfield Speedway is shaping up to be one of the most competitive classes this season on the third-mile oval.

It’s been a while since The Californian has covered racing and yes, I have heard about it in phone calls, on social media and in some direct messages.

Kern County Raceway Park kicks off it’s regular season this weekend with a rare doubleheader with action on both the dirt and pavement tracks.

It was a highly-emotional moment for Adam Sorokin when he saw the win light come on indicating that he had claimed the second March Meet Top Fuel championship of his career.

Some of Ron Capps fondest childhood memories are of attending the annual March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

Day 2 of the March Meet came and went on Friday, with action set to get revved up going into the weekend. Saturday's races get underway with qualifying at 8:15 a.m., followed by Funny Car and Top Fuel qualifying at noon. Sunday's races get going with 9 a.m. eliminations, followed by opening …

Mendy Fry finished pouring fuel into the High Speed Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, looked up and smiled.

Scott Schweitzer gazed over the Bakersfield Speedway track before a test session, smiled, was animated and appeared ready for the season to begin.

For Condors coach Jay Woodcroft, the sounds blaring from the Condors’ locker room after games for the past six weeks has been music to his ears.

The Fifth Annual Winter Showdown got under way with a full day of practice on Friday at Kern County Raceway then off and on rain showers played havoc with the schedule.

Some of the top Super Late Model drivers from throughout the country have rolled into Kern County Raceway Park where they will be gunning for a $30,000 victory in the Fifth Annual Winter Showdown.

Ryan Reed has always wanted to compete in the Winter Showdown at Kern County Raceway but for the past four years he’s focused on job No. 1: The NASCAR Xfinity Series and the opening race at Daytona International Raceway.

Former Bakersfield resident Ryan Reed, who won two Daytona 300s in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will compete in the Fifth Annual SRL Winter Showdown on Feb. 1-2 at Kern County Raceway.

From racing classes for youngsters, to entry-level divisions on to 800-horsepower Sprint Cars, Bakersfield Speedway is serving up a varied menu of racing for 2019.

Auto Club Famoso Raceway holds a variety of events throughout the year, but there is no doubt the March Meet rules supreme.

Former Bakersfield resident and four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears is among 12 finalists for induction into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame’s 2019 class.

Less may not be more, but Kern County Raceway Park is betting that a slightly reduced schedule featuring better quality events will be a recipe for success in 2019.

At Large

The season started with Kyle Busch winning one of the richest short track races in the nation, ended with the fastest cars to circle the paved half-mile — winged sprints — and saw Bakersfield native Kevin Harvick compete there for the first time.

It’s a track where stock car racing is king, but a pair of open wheel events provided a bit of thunder in 2018 at Bakersfield Speedway.

The biggest race of the year was plagued by rain, but all-in-all it 2018 was a pretty good year for Auto Club Famoso Raceway.

It’s hard to believe, but there is hardly any offseason when it comes to racing in Bakersfield.

Logan Seavey pulled off a last-lap pass of Rico Abreu to win the 30-lap USAC National Midget November Classic on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

Brady Bacon will be looking for a repeat victory and rookie Logan Seavey will be trying to wrap up a national championship when the USAC Midgets roll into Bakersfield Speedway Saturday for a combination National/Western States race.

Bobby Santos was in a class of his own Sunday evening at Kern County Raceway Park.

Strap Davey Hamilton Jr. into a race car and he’s good to go.

Eighteen hours after starting a championship celebration, Bakersfield’s Derek Thorn was back in victory lane at Kern County Raceway Park.

Five years after racing to his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship, Derek Thorn of Bakersfield now has two.

Twenty-seven miles from its original location and 13 years later, the October Classic is back.

Jason Rupert left Auto Club Famoso Raceway a year ago with his tail between his legs after making three quick runs in his Funny Car but having all three disqualified.

Jim Young swung for the fence and burned up some parts; Adam Sorokin made the show on his last-gasp bid and four-time March Meet winner Jim Murphy failed to qualify for Sunday’s Top Fuel Show at the 27th annual California Hot Rod Reunion.

Kelly Brown really didn’t know what he was getting into when, as a 16 year old in March of 1959, a friend told him there was a big deal going on in Bakersfield and they should be there.

When defending NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion Top Fuel champion Jim Young rolled in Bakersfield a couple of days ago, he had a bit more than just his dragster in a semi trailer.

There was a definite theme to Day 2 of the Bud Nationals at Bakersfield Speedway.