POUNDS AND JOHNSON STAR IN MCGOWAN MEMORIAL AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (June 29, 2025) – Racing before a large crowd for the 14th annual Richie McGowan Memorial with Bakersfield’s Biggest Fireworks Show, Brad Pounds and Nicholas Johnson each claimed $1032 prizes with victories on the Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Other winners included Jason Bannister, Roger Holder, and Kyle Wood. Photo by Tom Macht
The 30-lap IMCA Modified feature lined up Bryan Clark and Brad Pounds on the front row for the big prize. A brief four-wide tussle on the opening lap worked in Pounds favor as he darted ahead with the lead. Pike chased Pounds on the high side of the speedway through lapped traffic. A pair of restarts in the final ten laps kept the leaders close together for the sprint to the coveted win. Pounds maintained a one car length lead over Pike to win the feature in honor of his father in law. Rob Sanders finished third followed by points leader and defending champion Gavyn Manning, and Dalton Houghton. Ricky Childress, Jr., Pounds, and Houghton won the heat races.
“Yeah this means a lot to me and my family. Shoot I was so nervous for that race just now. I gave it everything I had,” Pounds said.
17 cars rolled off the 32-car H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks feature but a familiar face led the way, with Bakersfield’s Nicholas Johnson winning his eighth Bakersfield main event of the season and second in the division.
Johnson stormed away on the first lap of the long-distance feature and at times built up a straight away advantage. A caution near the halfway mark gave his father Chad an opportunity to challenge. A three-wide battle with the Johnsons and Eric Cimental in turn four gave Chad Johnson the lead on lap 16. Cimental worked the high side to lead lap 17 over Chad Johnson. Chad and Nicholas Johnson both passed Cimental in lapped traffic. Chad Johnson then spun in turn two on lap 21, allowing Nicholas Johnson to take over the lead.
Nicholas Johnson led the final 11 circuits, followed by Cimental, Tyler Irwin, Dakota Brown, and Matt Wankum. Johnson, Cimental, and Irwin won the heat races.
The family feud in the IMCA Sport Modifieds continued in Saturday’s 25-lap feature with champion Jason Bannister topping points leading son Tyler. The Bannisters started eighth and 11th respectively in the feature. Paul Brown enjoyed the lead while the Bannisters battled with John Piker for second.
Jason Bannister took over the lead on lap 20 working the inside and he brought Tyler Bannister with him. Jason Bannister fended off Tyler Bannister over a green-white-checkered shootout at the finish, followed by Brown, Nick Spainhoward, and Chris McKellar. Piker fell back to seventh at the finish. Tyler Bannister, Piker, and Dylan Wilson won the heat races.
Roger Holder won the IMCA Stock Car feature from the pole position for his second win of the year. Nicholas Johnson was second ahead of Justin Schweitzer, Austin VanHoff of Chowchilla, and Jacob Van Essen of Visalia.
American Stocks points leader Kyle Wood worked from 20th on the grid to take the 20-lap feature. Wood had already advanced to third by a lap 15 restart, challenging the leader Nicholas Johnson and defending champion Sunnie Simkins. Wood drove around the outside of Simkins for second.
Wood then served a slide job on the inside of Johnson in turn one on the final lap, taking the thrilling victory. Johnson settled for second followed by Simkins, Jamesie Goff, and Roger Holder.
Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway takes a break from the action before returning on July 26th.
For more information on Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, visit www.BakersfieldSpeedway.com or follow the speedway on social media. Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, near Enos Ln and Interstate 5 in Bakersfield.
Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway June 28, 2025 – Race Results
IMCA Modifieds A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 15B-Brad Pounds[2]; 2. 223-Jake Pike[3]; 3. 10N-Rob Sanders[4]; 4. 51G-Gavyn Manning[7]; 5. 61-Dalton Houghton[9]; 6. 51B-Bryan Clark[1]; 7. 16-Ricky Childress Jr[6]; 8. 5W-Larry Wise[12]; 9. 21JT-Justin Crockett[16]; 10. 61X-Robert Witwer[8]; 11. 6A-Aries King[15]; 12. 55-Brad Watkins[17]; 13. (DNF) 91G-Billy Griffin[5]; 14. (DNF) 29-Andy Orbetello[10]; 15. (DNF) 1W-Mitchell Mohler[14]; 16. (DNF) 12-Michael Scruggs[11]; 17. (DNF) 3AC-Austin Kiefer[13]
IMCA Sport Mods A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 51-Jason Bannister[8]; 2. 151-Tyler Bannister[11]; 3. 99B-Paul Brown[1]; 4. 40-Nick Spainhoward[7]; 5. 18C-Chris McKellar[9]; 6. 80D-Dylan Wilson[12]; 7. 28P-John Piker[6]; 8. 172-Tyler Irwin[13]; 9. 38-KC Keller[3]; 10. 11B-Brian Baker[15]; 11. 13M-Matthew Mayo[14]; 12. 55K-Kegan Head[2]; 13. (DNF) 17A-Adam Baker[5]; 14. (DNF) 4M-Emali VanHoff[10]; 15. (DNF) 68-Santiago Lopez[4]
IMCA Stock Cars A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 24-Roger Holder[1]; 2. 26-Nicholas Johnson[8]; 3. 4-Justin Schweitzer[6]; 4. 44-Austin VanHoff[3]; 5. 54V-Jacob Van Essen[7]; 6. 68-Billy Simkins[4]; 7. 43-Jake Archibald[5]; 8. (DNF) 5-Raymond Noland[2]
H&S Body Works Hobby Stocks A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 1N-Nicholas Johnson[2]; 2. 25B-Eric Cimental[8]; 3. 2X-Tyler Irwin[7]; 4. 78-Dakota Brown[17]; 5. 3M-Matt Wankum[9]; 6. 55-Brock Crawford[3]; 7. 6X-Robert Lawler[14]; 8. 26S-Chad Johnson[11]; 9. 12-James Cecil[16]; 10. 87-Maverick Wren[12]; 11. (DNF) 91C-Marcus Wankum[5]; 12. (DNF) 11-Ethan Johnson[4]; 13. (DNF) 58T-Troy Thomas Jr[6]; 14. (DNF) 21XXX-Bryson Wood[15]; 15. (DNF) 14C-Colby Ward[1]; 16. (DNF) 79-Ryan Barnes[13]; 17. (DNF) 39-Matt Ehler[10]
American Stocks A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 4K-Kyle Wood[20]; 2. N2DEEP-Nicholas Johnson[5]; 3. 68S-Sunnie Simkins[4]; 4. 12-Jamesie Goff[1]; 5. 1-Roger Holder[12]; 6. 74M-Miranda Scott[2]; 7. 17-Jon McKinley[6]; 8. 40-Colby Ward[19]; 9. 31-Spencer Vasquez[15]; 10. 25-Carson Conway[8]; 11. 12B-Jesse Bowles[10]; 12. 0-Gene Glover[16]; 13. J15-John Robinson[13]; 14. 19-Ronald Lookadoo[11]; 15. 22J-Andrew Johnston[21]; 16. 23-Ryker Goforth[18]; 17. 83-landen linenberger[17]; 18. (DNF) 21XX-Cameron Campbell[7]; 19. (DNF) 33-Robert Swearengin[22]; 20. (DNF) 29-Trenton Millard[3]; 21. (DNF) 69X-Tyler Weeks[9]; 22. (DNF) 72-Mason Conway[14]; 23. (DNS) 01-Colton Hay
