The Dirt Track
Kern County Raceway Park

Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield Season Opener
KCRP Bakersfield - February 20, 2021
By: Steve Evans E-mail: dreamteamspeedway@sbcglobal.net
Photos by: Kenny Lonngren

MAX RUML WINS BIG TWICE IN BAKERSFIELD OPENER!

North American continental champion Max Ruml was the big winner as California’s newest speedway venue Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield opened its doors to the sport on February 20th. The track went from it’s first public to racing in just 49 days, with the new safety fence and track surface only arriving on site less than ten days before opening night. The banked short 220-yard track held up fantastically with some great racing served up on its grand opening.

A massive field of 22 riders raced in Division 1. After two rounds of heats, the lowest 6 scorers were eliminated with 16 riders going to round 3 and then the top 8 in points then moving to the semifinals after three rides. Broc Nicol, Dillon Ruml and Aaron Fox were unbeaten on 9 points in the heat rounds, with Russell Green and Max Ruml close behind on 8. Billy Janniro had to settle for 7 points and 6th place heat ranking, with Blake Borello and Sebastian Palmese making the cut on 6.

Semi final #1 saw Broc Nicol keep his unbeaten streak with another win, with Janniro behind in second place. Palmese came in third ahead of Green. Max Ruml’s win in the second semifinal over Fox and brother Dillon meant that Nicol would be the only unbeaten rider come Main Event time.

Any hopes of a Nicol maximum were dashed when he lifted a little at the start of the Main. This was enough to give Max Ruml the edge going into turn 1. Nicol immediately fought back, charging around the outside of Janniro to get second and then setting site on Ruml. The new track provided multiple race lines and Nicol tried them all, deep and wide and then inside but the older Ruml kept his composure and confidently held the racing line to fend off the intense challenge and become the first winner at America’s new speedway venue. Janniro came third with Fox fourth.

North American continental champion Max Ruml was the big winner as California’s newest speedway venue Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield opened its doors to the sport on February 20th. The track went from it’s first public to racing in just 49 days, with the new safety fence and track surface only arriving on site less than ten days before opening night. The banked short 220-yard track held up fantastically with some great racing served up on its grand opening.

If this was not enough, after the heat four invited riders competed in a special ‘Last Bandit Out’ match race, in honor of the return of speedway to Bakersfield and in honor of the Bakersfield Bandits Speedway team from the 1970s. Both Ruml’s were joined by Janniro and Nicol. The event consisted of two, two lap heats, with last place in each eliminated and a four-lap match race to end. The first Moto lived up to Kelvin Tatum’s TV cliché of “You could throw a blanket over all four riders, Nigel” with Nicol narrowly missing out. Round two saw Janniro as the odd man out leaving a battle of the brothers for the gold. Max on his powerful Ashtech tuned GM came out the winner.

Brad Sauer won a handicapped consolation race for the non-qualifiers from round 2. Sauer, a local rider to Bakersfield had put many hours into the track building project with raceway staff.

Division Two featured 10 riders who each raced twice to determine who would make the A Main. Heat winners were Mark Fillebrown (2), Dylan Wagner and Sean McDougall. Wagner, the young nephew of Billy Janniro got better as the night went on, taking victory in the final. Tim Dion and Jake Myers were winner in Division Three heats but it was local veteran Tom Settlemire who won the Main.

National Champion Nick Hohlbein took a clean sweep in the 150 Mini Speedway class, a feat that Long Track Champ Alex Martin repeated in the 250-junior class. National Sidecar Champions Dillon Osborne and Jamie Morabito were unbeaten in the Sidecars, Robert and Laurie Curry taking the other heat.

After the speedway a large turn out of flat track riders staged their own event. The brand-new race track was still in great shape after a grand total of 68 races between both programs.

The new Bakersfield venue at the multi-purpose Kern County Raceway has already announced a once-a-month speedway program, with the next event set for March 20th.

Results
Division 1 Main Event
5 Max Ruml
4 Broc Nicol
1 Billy Janniro
46 Aaron Fox

Semi 1: Broc Nicol, Billy Janniro, Sebastian Palmese, Russell Green
Semi 2: Max Ruml, Aaron Fox, Dillon Ruml, Blake Borello

Heat Points: Dillon Ruml 9, Broc Nicol 9, Aaron Fox 9, Max Ruml 8, Russell Green 8, Billy Janniro 7, Blake Borello 6, Sebastian Palmese 6, Anthony Dion 5, Eddie Castro 4, Rheten Todd 3, Chance Grove 3, Mike Miller 3, Rees Todd 2, Timmy Dion 2, Kyle Cunningham 1, Kayle LeoGrande 1, Robbie Sauer 1, Brad Sauer 1, Dan Faria 1, Michael Wells 1, Mark Fillebrown 0.

Last Bandit Out Challenge
5 Max Ruml
3 Dillon Ruml
1 Billy Janniro
46 Aaron Fox

Handicap Consolation
21 Brad Sauer (10)
185 Kayle LeoGrande (20)
17 Robbie Sauer (20)
168 Mark Fillebrown (10) fell

Division Two Main
114 Dylan Wagner
168 Mark Fillebrown
17n Rick Shafer
228 Aidan McNutt
243 Sean McDougall

Consolation
31n Robert Curry
275 Lawrence McNutt
242 Sammy Tetrault
163 Ron Davis

Division Three Main
115 Tom Settlemire
353 Ray Holt Jr.
365 Dean Newnham
117 Tim Dion
138 Jim Sanders (20)
175 Jake Myers (ret)

250 Junior Main
30 Alex Martin
48 Jose Navarrete

150 Mini Main
2 Nick Hohlbein
74 Kensei Matsudaira
203 Darren Armbruster
48 Jose Navarrete

Sidecar Main
1 Dillon Osborne / Jamie Morabito
31 Robert Curry / Laurie Curry
07 Kevin Kale / Tracey Gallagher
28 Lawrence McNutt / Dana Miller

Kenny Lonngren Photos

Hello, I have full D1 results from Bakersfield.

I posted them on Polish website: Bakersfield Results

Mateusz Kozanecki <mateuszkozanecki@gmail.com>

Scoring:
1. Max Ruml 14 (3,3,2,3,3) - 1st in the final
2. Broc Nicol 14 (3,3,3,3,2) - 2nd in the final
3. Billy Janniro 10 (3,2,2,2,1) - 3rd in the final
4. Aaron Fox 11 (3,3,3,2,0) - 4th in the final
5. Dillon Ruml 10 (3,3,3,1)
6. Russell Green 8 (3,3,2,0)
7. Sebastian Palmese 7 (2,2,2,1)
8. Blake Borello 6 (1,2,3,0)
9. Anthony Dion 5 (2,2,1)
10. Eddie Castro 4 (2,2,0)
11-12. Mike Miller 3 (1,2,0)
11-12. Rheten Todd 3 (2,0,1)
13. Chance Grove 3 (1,1,1)
14. Rees Todd 2 (2,0,0)
15. Timothy Dion 2 (1,0,1)
16. Kyle Cunningham 1 (1,0,0)
17-19. Kayle LeoGrande 1 (0,1)
17-19. Brad Sauer 1 (1,0)
17-19. Robbie Sauer 1 (0,1)
20-21. Michael Wells 1 (ef,1)
20-21. Daniel Faria 1 (ef,1)
22. Mark Fillebrown 0 (0,0)

Heats results:
1. Nicol, Castro, B. Sauer, Fillebrown
2. Janniro, A. Dion, Miller, Wells (ef)
3. M. Ruml, Re. Todd, Cunningham, R. Sauer
4. Fox, Palmese, Grove, LeoGrande
5. Green, Rh. Todd, Borello, Fillebrown
6. D. Ruml, Miller, T. Dion, Faria (ef)
7. Nicol, Borello, Grove, Rh. Todd
8. Green, Janniro, Faria, Re. Todd
9. M. Ruml, Castro, Wells, T. Dion
10. D. Ruml, Palmese, LeoGrande, B. Sauer
11. Fox, A. Dion, R. Sauer, Cunningham
12. Nicol, Palmese, A. Dion, Cunningham
13. Borello, Green, T. Dion, Castro
14. D. Ruml, Janniro, Grove, Miller
15. Fox, M. Ruml, Rh. Todd, Re. Todd

Semis:
16. Nicol, Janniro, Palmese, Green
17. M. Ruml, Fox, D. Ruml, Borello

Final:
18. M. Ruml, Nicol, Janniro, Fox

Lawrence McNutt and Mike Miller