PIT BOX: ARCA Menards Series West championship winds down at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway

Only two races remain in the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West season before a champion gets crowned.

Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is the site of the penultimate event. Built in 2013, the half-mile oval in Bakersfield, California quickly became a staple of the West Series calendar, as the facility has hosted 14 races since it officially opened to the public.

The most recent West Series race at Kern Raceway was one of the most thrilling in recent history. A heated fight for the win between Kole Raz and Trevor Huddleston came down to the last lap in April, with Raz prevailing by .058 seconds.

Huddleston returns to his home track with momentum on his side after winning the last two races, but he will have to deal with a talented field of drivers that includes invaders from the East Coast and the two West Series championship favorites in Tyler Reif and Sean Hingorani.

Tickets to the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the 11^th event of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West season.

NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame

Aside from the fans, the one person who got the best view of the fantastic finish between Kole Raz and Trevor Huddleston in April was Tyler Reif.

After leading a race-high 104 laps at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in the Spring, Reif faded in the closing laps to settle for a disappointing third-place finish. That performance served as one of eight top fives for Reif in a solid 2024 campaign that consists of victories at Shasta Speedway and Tri-City Raceway.

Despite his consistency, Reif enters Kern Raceway trailing Sean Hingorani by five points in the West Series standings. Nothing about 2024 has been orthodox for the defending West Series champion, as Hingorani has managed to maintain his efficient ways while driving for four different operations.

Both of Hingorani’s wins this year came at Irwindale Speedway while driving for Venturini Motorsports, the team that guided him to his championship last year. Hingorani is back in the No. 15 for Venturini Motorsports at Kern Raceway on Saturday evening as he looks to bolster his narrow advantage over Reif before heading to Phoenix Raceway in two weeks.

Joining Hingorani in the Venturini Motorsports stable for Kern Raceway are Isabella Robusto and Brent Crews. Robusto has shined in limited West Series starts this year that nearly included a victory at Irwindale before losing a tire in the closing laps. Crews is making his first West Series appearance since Sonoma Raceway in June.

Raz also looks to defend his victory at Kern Raceway from April. He will be joined in the field by Spencer Davis, Jaron Giannini, Eric Nascimento Jr., Joey Kennealy and Rip Michels, among others.

The complete entry list for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame can be found here.

RACING REFERENCE

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

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame is limited to 22 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2024 ARCA Menards Series 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: Break pitting procedure. Break at/or near the conclusion of lap 75. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: 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 = 4, 2 for use at the break and 2 for emergency use only.