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.

A few years back it was often joked that Watsonville’s Bobby Hogge IV had the keys to Bakersfield Speedway.

With dwindling Late Model fields for regular summer shows, Bakersfield Speedway promoter Scott Schweitzer was seriously concerned on how to treat the premier stock car division during the Bud Nationals.

There’s no doubt that Madera Speedway and Buddy Shepherd of Bakersfield are a good fit.

Nick Spainhoward would have liked to have finished the regular season off in better fashion, but a fifth-place finish in the final Sports Mod points race of the season on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway was more than enough to earn the championship.

The regular points season comes to a close on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway as IMCA Modifieds, Sport Mods, American Stocks, Mod Lites and Hard Tops take to the track.

There is no doubt that a Johnson will be celebrating a Hobby Stock championship on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

After 13 races and more than 400 laps of racing, the Super Stock championship at Kern County Raceway Park on night came down to a drag race down the front straight on Saturday night.

From the time he was in high school Paul Ebersbacher has been drawn to racing.

For the first time since 1979, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West is taking to the dirt.

Roger Holder raced to his fifth Super Stock victory on Saturday night at Kern County Raceway Park to set the stage for the championship finale next week.

Race fans can double their pleasure this weekend at Kern County Raceway Park as the facility will stage its final doubleheader of the season.

If you’re looking for some racing action around the Bakersfield area this weekend there is one choice: Buttonwillow Raceway Park.

Alex Stanford of Chowchilla took the lead on the 17th lap and led the rest of the way on Saturday night to win the IMCA Modified 50-lap feature in the Mike Moshier Classic at Bakersfield Speedway.

The weekends spent racing have dwindled over the past couple of years, but the pace of life for veteran IMCA Modified racer Brad Pounds is every bit as hectic.

Look out mama, it’s competition barbecuing and topless racing on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway during the fourth annual Mike Moshier Classic.

Zach Forster hinted a few weeks ago that this might be his last season in Mod Lites competition as his son will be competing next season.

IMCA Modifieds headline five divisions of action on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

Ryan Timmons will remember his run on Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

The Bakersfield Condors have finalized their hockey operations staff and goaltenders will be getting plenty of up-close and personal instruction as Edmonton goaltending development coach Sylvain Rodrigue will be based in Bakersfield.

Shannon McQueen summed up what it’s like to be a racer in one sentence earlier this week.

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series rolls into Bakersfield Speedway on Saturday night for its only appearance of the season at the third-mile clay oval.