Zampa and Huddleston Dominate October Classic as Champions Are Crowned at Kern Raceway
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2026) — The October Classic delivered a championship night packed with horsepower, close finishes and plenty of hardware at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway on Saturday, as the CARS Tour West brought its season to a close with an action-filled program presented by Haddad Dodge RAM.
With championships hanging in the balance and some of the West Coast's best short-track competitors ready for battle, the October Classic produced a pair of qualifying and main event sweeps, four feature winners and a night of celebration as the 2026 championship season reached its conclusion.
Dylan Zampa and Tanner Huddleston stole the spotlight, each setting fast time in qualifying before backing it up with a trip to Victory Lane.
Zampa Strikes in Harvey L. Hall 125
The CARS Tour Southwest Pro Late Models brought the thunder in the 125-lap Harvey L. Hall 125, with Dylan Zampa putting together a winning performance aboard his No. 29 machine.
Zampa fired the opening shot in qualifying, blistering the Kern Raceway asphalt with an 18.031-second lap to capture fast time.
When the checkered flag waved on the 125-lap main event, Zampa was back on top, completing the qualifying and feature sweep.
Jaron Giannini wheeled his No. 23 machine to a runner-up finish, crossing the stripe 3.999 seconds behind Zampa. Jeremy Doss brought the No. 24 home third, followed by Buddy Shepherd in the No. 22.
While Zampa collected the feature victory, another celebration belonged to Robby Sawyer, who wrapped up the 2026 CARS Tour West Pro Late Model Series Championship aboard his No. 7 machine.
The Pro Late Model division also featured the conclusion of the $7,500 Triple Crown competition, adding another championship prize to the October Classic weekend.
Huddleston Answers With a Sweep of His Own
Not to be outdone, Tanner Huddleston brought his own brand of horsepower to the CARS Tour West/Kern Raceway Limited Late Model division.
Behind the wheel of his No. 56 machine, Huddleston laid down a blistering 19.327-second qualifying lap to capture fast time for the 75-lap Haddad Dodge RAM 75.
But the real fireworks came in the main event.
Huddleston completed the 75-lap contest with Jeffrey Peterson breathing down his neck at the finish, taking the checkered flag by just 0.987 seconds over Peterson's No. 51P.
Joey Iest rounded out the podium with a third-place finish in his No. 88 machine.
Huddleston's performance gave the October Classic its second qualifying and feature sweep of the evening.
While Huddleston celebrated the race victory, Christian Bazen had a championship celebration of his own, earning the 2026 Kern Raceway Limited Late Model track title aboard his No. 43.
Chambers Takes Legends Victory
The Frank's Radio Legends added their own dose of high-speed excitement to the October Classic, with Logan Chambers putting his No. 13 machine in Victory Lane following the 30-lap CARS Tour West Legends main event.
Chambers completed the distance ahead of Jarred Torres in the No. 07, with Antonio Gonzales taking third aboard the No. 84.
Chambers crossed the finish line 5.258 seconds ahead of Torres to claim the victory.
Peterson Pulls Double Duty in Crown Vics
If racing one division wasn't enough, Jeffrey Peterson made sure his October Classic would be a busy one.
After finishing second to Huddleston in the Limited Late Model feature, Peterson climbed behind the wheel of his No. 34 NASCAR Crown Vic and delivered a winning performance in the 30-lap main event.
Peterson took the checkered flag 2.452 seconds ahead of Rider Gardner's No. 76, while Richard Herzog completed the podium in the No. 7H.
The Crown Vic victory, combined with his Limited Late Model runner-up finish, gave Peterson one of the evening's standout performances.
Demolition Derby Brings the October Classic to a Smashing Finish!
When the checkered flags had fallen on the championship racing, it was time to trade horsepower for destruction!
The Demolition Derby brought a completely different kind of excitement to Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway, as the evening's finale turned the spotlight from precision racing to crunching metal, hard hits and automotive mayhem.
After a night of fast laps, close finishes and championship celebrations, the Demolition Derby provided one final dose of entertainment to close out the October Classic.
From high-speed racing to smashing and crashing, the October Classic delivered a little bit of everything!
A Championship Night to Remember
The October Classic wasn't just about feature victories. It was about months of preparation, hard work and championship dreams coming down to one final night on the Kern Raceway asphalt.
From Zampa's 125-lap victory to Huddleston's narrow Limited Late Model win, the evening delivered plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Sawyer and Bazen added their names to the 2026 championship honors, while Chambers and Peterson joined Zampa and Huddleston on the October Classic winners list.
With four feature winners, two qualifying sweeps, championship celebrations and a Demolition Derby to finish the evening, the October Classic put an exclamation point on a memorable night at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway.
Four feature winners. Two qualifying sweeps. Championship hardware on the line. One October Classic!
All race results are unofficial.
