The 2023 NAPA Auto Parts BlueDEF 150 was the 3rd stock car race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West season, and the 9th running of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, California, a 0.50 mile (0.80 km) permanent asphalt tri-oval shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. Sean Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would overcome from a late-race penalty, and took the lead from the dominating Landen Lewis, leading the final 39 laps to earn his second career ARCA Menards Series West win, and his second consecutive win. Pole-sitter Landen Lewis dominated nearly the entire race, leading a race-high 111 laps before being passed by Hingorani and finishing 2nd. To fill out the podium, Trevor Huddleston, driving for High Point Racing, would finish in 3rd, respectively.
Report
Background
Kern County Raceway Park is a oval speedway located on CA 43 (Enos Lane) just off Interstate 5 in Bakersfield, Kern County, California, United States. Opened in 2013, it was built as a replacement for Mesa Marin Raceway.
Kern County Raceway Park hosts events with NASCAR's Whelen All-American Series along with an ARCA Menards Series West race since 2013.
The track has banks of 8° in the straightaways, with 14° paved corners. The track has 15,000 seats for fans, and room to expand to 17,000 seats for various events. It also contains 21 suites in the grandstand along with 18 concession stands.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor04Ethan Nascimento (R)Nascimento MotorsportsToyotaRAILBAR Protein Bar4Eric NascimentoNascimento MotorsportsChevroletFidelity Capital / RJs Paintshop05David Smith (R)Shockwave MotorsportsToyotaShockwave Marine Suspension Seating7Takuma KogaJerry Pitts RacingToyotaYamada13Todd SouzaCentral Coast RacingFordCentral Coast Cabinets15Sean Hingorani (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyotaMobil 116Tanner ReifBill McAnally RacingChevroletNAPA Auto Care17Landen LewisMcGowan MotorsportsChevroletAmerican Resurfacing Inc. / MMI27Bobby Hillis Jr.Fierce Creature RacingChevroletCamping World / First Impression Press41Tyler Reif (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFordPower Gen Components / Stoney's46R. J. Smotherman (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFordCountry AF Radio / Stoney's50Trevor HuddlestonHigh Point RacingFordHigh Point Racing / Racecar Factory55Jake BollmanHigh Point RacingFordHigh Point Racing / Racecar Factory70Kyle KellerJerry Pitts RacingToyotaEverReady Health / Star Nursery77Nick JoanidesPerformance P–1 MotorsportsFordJan's Towing / King Taco88Bradley Erickson (R)Naake-Klauer MotorsportsFordL&S FramingOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, April 22, at 3:00p.m. PST, and would last for 1 hour. Landen Lewis, driving for McGowan Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 19.046, and a speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed117Landen LewisMcGowan MotorsportsChevrolet19.04694.508215Sean Hingorani (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota19.09494.270350Trevor HuddlestonHigh Point RacingFord19.10794.206Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, April 22, at 4:40p.m. PST. The qualifying system used is a multi-car, multi-lap based system. All drivers will be on track for a 20-minute timed session, and whoever sets the fastest time in the session will win the pole.
Landen Lewis, driving for McGowan Motorsports, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 18.622, and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed117Landen LewisMcGowan MotorsportsChevrolet18.62296.660215Sean Hingorani (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota18.71196.200316Tanner ReifBill McAnally RacingChevrolet18.77895.857413Todd SouzaCentral Coast RacingFord18.79395.780550Trevor HuddlestonHigh Point RacingFord18.92395.122641Tyler Reif (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFord18.92395.12274Eric NascimentoNascimento MotorsportsChevrolet18.99494.767888Bradley Erickson (R)Naake-Klauer MotorsportsFord19.01494.667904Ethan Nascimento (R)Nascimento MotorsportsToyota19.01794.6521046R. J. Smotherman (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFord19.04394.5231155Jake BollmanHigh Point RacingFord19.06894.399127Takuma KogaJerry Pitts RacingToyota19.11694.1621370Kyle KellerJerry Pitts RacingToyota19.25893.4681405David Smith (R)Shockwave MotorsportsToyota19.41192.7311577Nick JoanidesPerformance P–1 MotorsportsFord19.47292.4401627Bobby Hillis Jr.Fierce Creature RacingChevrolet20.30588.648Official qualifying results
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1215Sean Hingorani (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota15039Running472117Landen LewisMcGowan MotorsportsChevrolet150111Running453550Trevor HuddlestonHigh Point RacingFord1500Running414316Tanner ReifBill McAnally RacingChevrolet1500Running405888Bradley Erickson (R)Naake-Klauer MotorsportsFord1500Running396641Tyler Reif (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFord1500Running3871155Jake BollmanHigh Point RacingFord1500Running378704Ethan Nascimento (R)Nascimento MotorsportsToyota1500Running369413Todd SouzaCentral Coast RacingFord1490Running35101577Nick JoanidesPerformance P–1 MotorsportsFord1480Running3411127Takuma KogaJerry Pitts RacingToyota1470Running33121627Bobby Hillis Jr.Fierce Creature RacingChevrolet1430Running32131405David Smith (R)Shockwave MotorsportsToyota1330Accident31141370Kyle KellerJerry Pitts RacingToyota920Engine301594Eric NascimentoNascimento MotorsportsChevrolet720Electrical29161046R. J. Smotherman (R)Lowden Jackson MotorsportsFord80Gear28Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 1 Landen Lewis 131 1 2 Tyler Reif 126 (-5) 3 3 Sean Hingorani 122 (–9) 1 4 Trevor Huddleston 118 (–13) 5 Bradley Erickson 115 (–16) 1 6 Tanner Reif 111 (–20) 3 7 Kyle Keller 107 (–24) 8 Todd Souza 101 (–30) 9 Takuma Koga 95 (–36) 10 David Smith 92 (–39)
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References