Spears CARS Tour West Event Preview: Kern County 160 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway

BROADCAST INFO: FloRacing (6:15 p.m. PT / 9:15 p.m. ET Saturday, March 14, 2026)

Kern County 160 Schedule 

Track: Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway

Location: Bakersfield, Calif.

Length: .500-mile paved oval

Laps: 125 (SLM), 75 (LLM), 30 (Legend)

The Spears CARS Tour West Super Late Models return to Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway for the second event of their seven-race season with this Saturday’s Kern County 160. It’s another action-packed weekend featuring the Super Late Model, Limited Late Model and Legend Car divisions. Live coverage of the event will be streamed on FloRacing, beginning at 6:15 p.m. PT (9:15 p.m. ET).

With $15,000 to win on the line, SLM point leader and 15-year-old Taylor Mayhew will have to fend off a field of 16 entries, including last year’s defending winner Jace Hanson, who is a consistent threat at the half-mile oval, along with Bryce Bezanson, who posted strong performances in the season opener. Joining the series regulars is the father-and-son duo of Kevin and Keelan Harvick who are sure to be among contenders for the win.

The Limited Late Models (LLM) will feature a field of 13 entries, with a $4,000 payout to the winner. The Bullring Hamke Pole Award winner, Tanner Huddleston of Agoura Hills, California, who led a race-high 54 laps at The Bullring, will be among the lineup. Kenna Mitchell, 19, is another driver to watch. Mitchell rallied to an impressive fourth-place finish in the season opener after contact from a competitor forced her to climb back from deep in the field.

Frank’s Radio Legend Car (LEG) division returns for its second outing of the season Saturday night with a 30-lap INEX/CTW points race. The division continues to showcase and produce emerging talent, including Las Vegas native Gavin Ray. The 19-year-old took the pole at The Bullring, leading 29 of 30 laps enroute to a dominant victory.

NOTES:

SUPER LATE MODEL: Jace Hansen, who dominated the season opener by leading 122 laps but finished runner-up to Taylor Mayhew, will look to rebound at Kern Raceway. The defending winner of last October’s SLM event at Kern, Hansen put on a show defending onslaughts from both Kevin and Keelan Harvick on the final lap. The win solidified the 2025 series championship for the Evans, Colorado native. Series regulars Buddy Shepherd and Vito Cancilla also recorded top-five finishes in the event.

DOUBLE DUTY FOR HARVICK: Kevin Harvick is set to return to Spears CARS Tour West competition for the first time since winning the Southwest PLM division’s season opener at Tucson Speedway in January. Harvick will pilot the No. 29 Rackley W.A.R. entry in Friday’s practice sessions before traveling to Las Vegas for NASCAR on FOX broadcast duties Saturday. He’ll then return to Kern Raceway to compete in the Super Late Model event that night before heading back to Las Vegas for Sunday’s Cup Series race broadcast.

KERN SENSE: Napa, California’s Dylan Zampa, now competing in the SLM division, knows how to navigate Kern Raceway’s 14 degrees of banking. Zampa won two of last season’s three LPL races at Kern.

LEGEND CAR WINNERS: Taylor Mayhew (two wins) and Brenden Ruzbarsky (one win) swept all three CTW Legend Car events at Kern Raceway in 2025. This year both young drivers have moved up to the ladder to the SLM and LLM divisions, respectively, opening the door for future stars.

BAKO BANNER: Representing their hometown in the SLM headliner are Bakersfield natives Kevin Harvick, Taylor Mayhew, Scott Sanchez and Buddy Shepherd.

KERN COUNTY 160: In 2026, Kern County celebrates 160 years since its founding in 1866. Throughout its history, the county has served as a critical hub for feeding and fueling California through its robust agriculture, oil and energy industries. Today, Kern County blends wide-open landscapes with rich Western heritage and year-round adventure, offering outdoor recreation, country music history, authentic California hospitality and motorsports as the home of Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

SLM 2026 SCHEDULE: In addition to this weekend’s race at Kern Raceway, the division races at Colorado National Speedway (May 2), Wenatchee Valley Super Oval (May 30), Tri-City Raceway (July 4), Evergreen Speedway (Aug. 13-15), before circling back to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Nov. 14) for the season finale.

RECORD SETTING PURSE IN 2026: The biggest payout in Spears CARS Tour West history is up for grabs in 2026 with $2.1 million in total payouts, including $200k in championship awards, $1.9 million in purse money and bonuses and partner awards at every race. Multiple marquee events with high-dollar purses are on the docket through the season.

SPEARS CARS TOUR WEST TO STREAM ALL SEASON LONG ON FLORACING: FloRacing kicked off its streaming partnership will CARS Tour West last month at Tucson and will continue to serve as the broadcast home of the Spears CARS Tour West in 2026. Earlier this year, the two announced an extension of their partnership that will see FloRacing continue to live stream all 54 events across the Spears CARS Tour West’s four divisions.   

LIMITED LATE MODEL 2026 SCHEDULE: In addition to this weekend’s race at Kern, the division races at The Bullring (March 28), Stockton 99 Speedway (April 18), Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (May 16), All-American Speedway (Aug. 29), Orange Show Speedway (Sept. 12), The Bullring (Oct. 2), Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (Oct. 17), The Bullring (Nov. 14).

LEGEND CAR 2026 SCHEDULE: In addition to this weekend’s race at Kern, the division races at is back at The Bullring (March 28), Stockton 99 Speedway (April 18), Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (May 16), Colorado National Speedway (July 31-Aug. 2), All-American Speedway (Aug. 29), Orange Show Speedway (Sept. 12), The Bullring (Oct. 2), Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (Oct. 17).

Spears CARS Tour West SLM race: 2 of 7

Spears CARS Tour West LLM race: 2 of 10

Spears CARS Tour West Frank’s Radio Legend race: 2 of 10

1. Taylor Mayhew 45

2. Jace Hansen -2

3. Bryce Bezanson -6

4. Haeden Plybon -6

5. Keelan Harvick -8

LLM Entry List (13 cars): #7 Kenna Mitchell, #7 Skyler Schoppe, #7 Michael Lawrence, #11 Chris Monez,  #13 Mia Wright, #20 Donald Witkowski, #22 Kellen Keller, #25 Charles Dozhier, #43 Christian Bazen, #51 Brenden Ruzbarsky, #56 Tanner Huddleston, #77 Micheal Nicks, #77 Chris Jackson

1. Jeffrey Peterson 46

2. Tanner Huddleston -3

3. Skyler Schoppe -7

4. Kenna Mitchell -7

5. Cody Brown -9

2026 Legend Car winners: #18 Gavin Ray (1)

LEG 2026 Driver Points:

1. Gavin Ray 48

2. Logan Chambers -8

3. Turner Brown -8

4. Robby Sawyer -9

5. Austin Steinke -11

———

Be sure to stay active and social with the tour by following @CarsTourWest on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) and liking Spears CARS Tour West on Facebook.

Founded in 2024, the Spears CARS Tour West is the premier stock car series of the West Coast. Under the ownership of California natives Tim Huddleston and Kevin Harvick, the series aims to create an organized, structured, and competitive place for racers on the West Coast. Competing at the best tracks on the West Coast, the Spears CARS Tour West provides the space and platform to crown champions and elevate West Coast racing to the top levels of motorsports. For more information, please visit www.carstourwest.com.