‘It means we belong’: Trevor Huddleston’s proud family tradition continues with a soon-to-be second West Series championship

There are only a handful of reasons why Trevor Huddleston would voluntarily miss an ARCA Menards Series West race.

The birth of his first child, Harley, would have been high on that list.

Trevor’s wife Nastasia went into labor the week of this year’s penultimate West Series event. Missing that race at Phoenix Raceway would have dealt a catastrophic blow to the comfortable championship points lead Huddleston had built, but he was not worried about that. He just wanted to welcome Harley into the world.

Harley was born healthy and, fortunately for Huddleston, in a timely manner that Wednesday. Huddleston arrived at Phoenix shortly before the start of practice Friday and managed to pad his advantage in the West Series standings with a seventh-place finish the following night.

Two weeks later, Huddleston is on the verge of celebrating his second consecutive West Series title in his family-owned High Point Racing Ford, needing simply to start Saturday night’s finale at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Having competed in the West Series for more than a decade, Huddleston considers it a blessing to be among those to win multiple titles in the storied division.

“It means we belong,” Trevor said. “Obviously getting that first one was amazing, but to prove it was meant to be and that this team can win championships definitely kind of shows that. To do it with the same group of guys and the same family makes it that much more special.

“It’s hard to win these championships. Any time you’re able to hoist that big trophy at the end of the year, it’s truly something special.”

Huddleston has had plenty of time to think about family over the past year. Racing has long been one of the family’s most cherished traditions, which materialized while Trevor’s father Tim was still in high school.

For his senior project in 1988, Tim and his friends built a car from the ground up to go compete at the now-defunct Saugus Speedway in Santa Clarita, California. Tim was selected to drive the car when his name was picked out of a hat.

Saugus was where Tim met his future wife Lisa, the daughter of track legend Oren Prosser. Tim considers Prosser one of the greatest drivers who never got an ideal opportunity in NASCAR and has sought to carry on his legacy through his own racing ambitions.

The blue No. 50 Ford with the checkered flag base Trevor has raced in the West Series for the past four seasons is a perfect mixture of the two generations that came before him. Tim carried those colors when he was racing, along with the font, the latter of which harkens back to the days when Prosser was a dominant force on the West Coast.

“[Prosser] was No. 15, and his No. 5 was hand-painted,” Tim said. “In 1993, we had a graphic made of that 5. People look at it, and they don’t really notice it, but when you tell them, the front of the 5 is flat. That’s because there was a 1 there, and we took the 1 off.

“We’ve been running [Lisa’s] dad’s font since 1993 on every car we’ve ever run.”

What started as a high school project for Tim blossomed into a full-fledged West Series operation beginning in 2023. The Huddlestons had the equipment they needed after acquiring the assets from Bob Bruncati’s Sunrise Ford Racing, which had won the West Series championship the year before with Jake Drew.

Up next for the Huddlestons was establishing a solid foundation with High Point.

That alone would be a difficult task while going up against well-resourced organizations like Bob McAnally Racing and later Nitro Motorsports. High Point is limited to just one car per driver; Trevor has even used the same engine since last year.

Yet the limitations High Point faced only fueled their motivation. Many of Tim’s friends that were a part of that high school project were still on the team alongside Jeff Schrader, who started working with Tim in 2001 at California’s Irwindale Speedway and served as Trevor’s crew chief for High Point’s West Series venture.

With all that experience at his disposal, Trevor Huddleston never doubted High Point would find success in the West Series.

“It’s definitely a struggle, but it’s not impossible when you have people who believe in yourself and believe in the goal,” he said. “It’s about getting together with as many great minds as you can and double crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s. Obviously, we don’t have some of the technology the East Coast has, but it doesn’t mean it’s not possible to win.

“As long as we take that extra step, we’re able to really be competitive and show that West Coast racing is still alive and well.”

Huddleston and High Point have more than proven themselves as perennial contenders. Two years after making the jump, Huddleston crossed off a pivotal bucket list item by becoming a West Series champion, which he accomplished by tallying four victories and finishing outside the top five just twice.

In some ways, his title defense was even more successful. In 2025, he completed all but one lap. This year, he finished on the lead lap in every race prior to the finale. Huddleston also easily eclipsed his laps led total from last year, 503.

Yet there was one area where Huddleston knows he could have been better: race wins. Consecutive victories in May gave him some confidence about improving upon his win total from 2025, but checkered flags eluded him despite his efficiency.

One stretch saw Huddleston lead more than half the laps in three consecutive events — at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Trevor even led at the white flag during the latter two but came up short on all three occasions.

So many near misses in quick succession was frustrating, but Huddleston knows better than to linger on them for too long. He still finished inside the top five in those three events, which helped him keep his comfortable points lead intact.

The outcomes may have stung, but Huddleston found plenty of solace in staying consistent, a quality that has been instilled into him since the early days of his career.

“Derek Thorn and Ryan Partridge both sat me down as a kid and said sometimes you’ve got to look at the bigger picture,” Huddleston said. “It’s hard to as a racer. You want to win every single time you’re on that race track. The person who wins the most races isn’t always the one who wins the championship.

“At the end of the day, winning championships is our main goal.”

Two wins was more than enough for Trevor to have the West Series title locked down going into Kern when he had nine top fives accompanying that statistic. With no championship scenarios to stress over, Trevor can simply enjoy the evening and race for a win knowing exactly what’s waiting for him after the checkered flag: a boisterous celebration with Tim and the rest of his family.

The stars aligned perfectly for the Huddlestons with the 2026 West Series finale taking place at Kern, one of three venues on the schedule the family operates alongside All American and The Bullring. The Huddlestons also manage the Famoso Dragstrip and Bakersfield Speedway, which is a dirt oval adjacent to Kern.

Overseeing five tracks and a West Series operation means there are very few slow days for Tim. That’s why he’s cherishing every moment of High Point’s second consecutive West Series title with Trevor, something that started as an idea in high school nearly four decades ago.

“[High Point] is far past what my goals and dreams were for racing,” Tim said. “We are 24/7, seven days a week, non-stop racing. It’s kind of what we do. It’s our whole family. My wife, all three kids, my sisters, everybody in our family. It’s a village.”

Now that family includes an additional member in Trevor and Nastasia’s daughter. Harley’s arrival has been a joyous occasion for Tim, but the idea of him being a grandfather is one he’s still processing, as he often feels like he’s still in high school, bringing High Point to life.

Tim is proud of the responsibilities Trevor has taken on with helping Nastasia during her pregnancy. That process required Trevor to spend some additional time away from the shop, particularly with doctor’s appointments, yet he maintained his veteran poise and leadership through all 13 West Series races in 2026.

Seeing Trevor progress from Bandoleros into a two-time West Series champion has been rewarding for Tim in numerous aspects. There are many moments Tim could single out as his favorite, one of them being calling Trevor’s breakthrough West Series triumph in 2018 at Irwindale, a track the Huddlestons operated until its closure in 2024.

But nothing compares to being on the mic at Kern and interviewing his son Trevor as a two-time West Series champion. Tim can’t believe how much Trevor has already accomplished behind the wheel and is confident plenty more accolades are in his son’s immediate future.

“It’s been a ride,” Tim said. “I’m beyond proud. I was walking through the shop and looking at all the hardware he’s amassed for being 30 years old. I didn’t win my first race until I was 29. He’s 30 and won more than most. It’s definitely amazing. He puts in the hours, puts in the effort, and it equals results.”

Trevor has done everything possible to model himself after his father. Both are hard workers, both have found their own success in motorsports, and both even proposed to their wives at the track. The one key difference between the two is that Trevor is slightly quieter than Tim, but he is loud when it comes to leading by example.

Like his father, Trevor does not intend to rest and be content with High Point’s status; there is always more work to do. One more West Series title in 2027 would place Trevor in a tie on the all-time list with notable legends like Lloyd Dane, Eddie Gray, Jim Robinson and Eric Holmes.

Trevor knows he can become a three-time West Series champion next year. He has the experience, knowledge, personnel and passion to do so. It is not going to be an easy task, especially with so many young competitors to go up against, but Trevor is ready to face the challenges ahead.

“Anything’s possible,” Trevor Huddleston said. “I didn’t think we’d have our own team six years ago. I didn’t think we’d ever win a championship in the West Series three years ago. With the right group of guys and people believing in me, anything can happen. [It’s all about having] a never give up attitude. I knew I was capable, and I knew we needed some things to go our way.

“We’re on top of the world, but we can’t let that get to our heads. We have to keep proving why we belong to be here.”

Huddleston intends to enjoy his latest success while also spending quality time helping Nastasia raise Harley. Fatherhood is an exciting chapter that brings with it plenty of unknowns, but he’s fortunate to have his parents to lean on for advice.

One thing is certain: Huddleston is willing to do anything for Harley. That includes helping her carry on a proud family tradition into its fourth generation.

“I already have a countdown on my phone,” he said. “I believe [Harley’s] allowed to start racing a quarter-midget when she’s 4. I’m going to have one built sitting right here for her fourth birthday. With all the tracks we’re operating, there is no question she is going to continue the legacy.

“Luckily, I have her mom’s support on that one. She was a racer, as well.”