Jacob Gomes Scores $10,000 Win at All American Speedway with Zampa and White Also Victorious.
Bakersfield, CA – Jacob Gomes led every lap of Saturday night’s “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout Back in Business 127” from All American Speedway, in Round #2 for the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, earning $10,000. Gomes had earlier earned the Performance Friction Brakes “Zero Drag Fast Time Award” while setting a New Track Record of 12.988 seconds on the 1/3-mile oval. In other action, Dylan Zampa parlayed a card draw of #1 into a wire-to-wire win in the SPEARS Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services, which served as a combination race with the local NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Models. Brandon White was able to take the lead on lap three of 75, to secure $2,000 and the victory in the “California Tank and Pneumatics 75”
Gomes victory was sweet revenge for the Manteca, CA driver, as Gomes led this event over Derek Thorn in 2021. Gomes suffered a flat tire with four rounds to go, ending his race and his shot at victory, while leading at the time. Gomes was not to be denied, as he led from the start and was never seriously challenged. Buddy Shepherd started alongside Gomes at the onset of the event, and ran in that position for the first segment of the race. Jeremy Doss started third and Dustin Ash fourth, based on qualifying. The quartet ran in that position until Ash got around Doss on lap 23, as the duo sat on the rear bumper of Shepherd. Doss pulled a cross over move to maintain second however, and moved by Shepherd on lap 31. Ash and Trevor Huddleston also got by Shepherd a few laps later. Sheperd pitted a few laps later when Jace Hansen was sent into the spin cycle for a lap 38 caution.
A quick caution on the restart saw Dan Holtz around in Turn #1. The ensuing restart saw Doss and Ash in a side-by-side duel, until Ash overdrove the entrance to Turn #1, resulting in contact with Doss and Ash spinning in Turn #2 on lap 42. The restart found the field racing clean and green to a Competition Caution on lap 89. The green flag run found Doss holding second with Trevor Huddleston up to third as the top-three separated themselves. By that time Eric Schmidt had advanced from ninth to fourth with Kole Raz also in the top-five, until Hansen displaced him just before the caution.
The final restart saw Hansen battle with Schmidt, before eventually grabbing the position. As the final stanza continued, Gomes pulled away with Huddleston pressuring Doss to his inside on multiple occasions. Hansen was the man on the move however, as he ran down the duo of Doss and Huddleston, grabbing third as Huddleston battled Doss on lap 118. Hansen began to close on Doss as the laps ran down, but a bobble in Turn 1, with three to go, ended his hopes of a runner-up spot. On lap 127, Gomes crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of Doss for his eighth career victory. Doss was second followed by Hansen, Huddleston, and Schmidt. Kole Raz led the second five, with John Moore, Dustin Ash, Cale Kanke, and Andy Allen rounding out the top-10. It was Allen’s first top-ten in 32 series starts.
The Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services found another wire-to-wire winner, in an event that was a combination effort with the NASCAR Late Models at the facility. Dylan Zampa pulled the lucky #1 card after qualifying second. He parlayed it into a $5,000 victory in the “Sigma Performance Services 75”. Tanner Reif pulled the #2 with Logan Zampa, Mike Mitchell, and Jason Romero the top-five. Fast Qualifier Tyler Reif was sixth with John Moore and Travis McCullough the remainder of the redraw participants.
The race got off to a rugged start with several cautions in the early going, for harmless spins. By the lap 10 caution, Dylan Zampa continued to lead Tanner Reif, with Tyler Reif up to third ahead of Mike Mitchell and Travis McCullough. The ensuing restart found the field settling down with Tyler Reif by his brother on lap 14. John Moore was on the move getting by Logan Zampa on lap 21. He chased down McCullough by lap 35 and got by him on lap 44. Dylan Zampa was on cruise control however, as he built up an eight-car lead by lap 50. Over the last 25 laps, Tanner Reif began to close on his brother Tyler, but he was unable to make the move in the final two stanzas.
Dylan Zampa was able to score his second SPEARS Pro Late Model win in a row at All American Speedway, and his seventh in the last 12 months at the facility. Zampa was followed by Tyler Reif, Tanner Reif, John Moore and Travis McCullough. Logan Zampa, Mike Mitchell, Mike Beeler, Seth Wise, and Jason Gilbert rounded out the top-10.
In the SPEARS Modified Series, Brandon White got the PFC Brakes Zero Drag Fast Time Award and parlayed a third-place start into his first series victory. Ian Elliott drew the #1 card, to sit on the pole next to Idaho’s Shelby Stroebel. White lined up third alongside Sam Jacks. The green found Elliot to the lead with Stroebel dropping back and Kyle Jacks moving forward. Elliott was soon under pressure from White however, surrendering the lead on lap-four. Travis Thirkettle followed him through with Stroebel into the top-three.
A lap seven slowdown for a Jeff Longman spin found Stroebel back around Thirkettle on the restart. Going back to green, White led Kyle Jacks, Stroebel, Thirkettle and McCullough. A long green-flag run found White with a comfortable lead, but the battle was heating up for second as a Competition Caution fell on lap 48, bunching the field. The ensuing restart saw Stroebel and Thirkettle battling for third, before Thirkettle could secure the position four laps later. The final 27-lap run saw White pull away with the battle for second between Jacks and Thirkettle raging on. Sam jacks was able to get around Ian Elliott with championship leader Jaron Giannini also following for the six-seven positions.
But after all was said and done, Brandon White was able to secure his first series victory in his first series start. Kyle Jacks earned his best series finish with second, holding off a charging Travis Thirkettle. Thirkettle was able to hold off a challenging Stroebel, with Travis McCullough fifth in the 18-car field. Sam Jacks came home sixth followed by Jaron Giannini, Chris Dalton, Jason Philpott, and Ian Elliott.
The next event for the series will be at Kern County Raceway for the Winter Showdown. All three divisions will be back in action at the ½-mile Kern County Raceway Park on April 2nd.
