PIT BOX: Kern County Raceway Park up next for ARCA Menards Series West stars

With two races officially in the books, the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West season continues Saturday when the series visits Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, California for the running of the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150.

Saturday’s 150-lap event at Kern County marks the 13th time the series has visited the half-mile paved oval dating back to 2013. Greg Pursley won the first two West Series events at Kern County. Derek Kraus is the most successful West Series competitor at the track after winning four straight races between 2017-19.

Other West Series victors at Kern County include Dylan Lupton, Dalton Sargeant, Todd Gilliland, Taylor Gray and 2022 race winner Landen Lewis.

Tickets to the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 are available at the track on race day. Below is everything to know about Saturday’s event.

NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 at Kern County Raceway Park

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Momentum is on the side of Sean Hingorani as the ARCA Menards Series West heads to Kern County Raceway Park this Saturday night.

The driver from Newport Beach, California scored his first West Series victory in the tour’s most recent stop at Irwindale Speedway on April 1. It made up for a rough start to his West Series campaign at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished 16th after a mechanical issue put him three laps down.

Hingorani will look to make up more ground in the battle for the West Series championship at Kern County while Tyler Reif, the driver who won the opener at Phoenix, will attempt to add to his margin at the top of the standings.

Landen Lewis, the most recent West Series winner at Kern County, enters the third race of the year two points behind Reif in the battle for the West Series championship. He is the only previous Kern County winner entered in Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150.

MORE KERN COUNTY: Complete race-day schedule

Trevor Huddleston, who earned his first West Series pole at Irwindale, is once again back in the High Point Racing No. 50 Ford. He’ll again have Jake Bollman as a teammate this Saturday at Irwindale. Bill McAnally Racing Tanner Reif, older brother of Tyler Reif, will also be in the field.

Other notable entries include Bradley Erickson, Kyle Keller, R.J. Smotherman, Todd Souza, Takuma Koga, David Smith and brothers Ethan and Eric Nascimento.

The complete entry list for Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 is here.

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA West races at Kern County
• ARCA Menards Series West drivers at Kern County

RACE FACTS

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 is limited to 22 plus provisional positions. This event will run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap per the timed session qualifying procedure.

RACE PIT STOP: Oval break pit stop procedure. Break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. All cars will be required to make at least one pit stop prior to last 10 laps of race. (Learn about all of ARCA’s pit stop procedures here.)

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 10. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4), two (2) for use at the break and two (2) for emergency use only.