Jacob Gomes Grabs Second “All-Star Showdown” Victory

Bakersfield, CA – In what may have seemed like a case of déjà vu, for both Jacob Gomes and Kole Raz, the three-time series champion passed the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist on a lap 85 restart and led the rest of the “All-Star Showdown 125 presented by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse” to take home the $15,000 winner’s prize. Unlike in 2023, Raz was able to complete the event in the runner-up position, at the Irwindale Speedway 1/2-mile, just missing another Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series victory.

Blaine Rocha drew first blood taking home the RaceCals Fast Time Award with a lap of 17.515 seconds in the ½-mile oval. The top-six times were inverted at the front of the field putting Kole Raz on the Pole followed by Cale Kanke, Dylan Zampa, Gomes, Sean Hingorani, and Rocha. Raz got a great start as Kanke fell from second to fifth in the three-wide racing before a lap was complete. Hingorani held the second position after lap 1, but Dylan Zampa took the spot on lap 2. Gomes was on the move on the bottom lane taking the runner-up position a lap later.

Gomes took up chase of Raz and reached his rear bumper by lap 10. By lap 30, the top five positions had broken away from the pack with Raz leading Gomes, Hingorani, Rocha, and Zampa. The quintet would lead the field to the lap 40 Competition Caution with all teams still on the lead lap.

The restart saw Rocha use the outside line to grab third, with Buddy Shepherd up to fourth using the low line. As the laps clicked off, Zampa dropped Shepherd to fifth on lap 62. In the meantime, Gomes began to close on Raz for the lead, reaching his back bumper on lap 72. Gomes began to apply pressure to Raz, making a dive to the bottom of Turns 3 and 4 on lap 74. But the effort fell just short as the lap 75 break slowed the action. Raz led Gomes, Rocha, Zampa, Shepherd, Hingorani, Kanke, Austin Herzog, John Dillon, and Nickolas Cooper.

The lap 75 restart found Raz and Gomes side-by-side, with Raz on the outside. Gomes nosed ahead on lap 76, in a near dead heat, but Raz fought back leading the following stanza, clearing Gomes a few laps later. Meanwhile Zampa used the outside restart to take third from Rocha, who retook the spot on lap 80. Shepherd used the low line to get by Zampa on lap 83 before the yellow waved for the first incident of the day between Ethan Myers and John Dillon. Myers ended up in the Turn 1 wall and was the first retire of the day on lap 85.

The ensuing restart saw Gomes get a great run, grabbing the lead from Raz before clearing him in Turn 2. But the action was slowed again for an accident eliminating Chris Clyne in Turn 3 on lap 89. The final restart found Gomes holding off Raz in the high line as Shepherd began challenging the Oswego, OR driver for the runner-up position. As the laps began to tick off, Shepherd continued to hound Raz to the inside, as his teammate, Rocha, fell victim to Sean Hingorani for fourth and then Zampa for fifth on lap 117. With 10 to go, Raz began to distance himself from Shepherd and close on Gomes. But there was not enough time, as Gomes earned his second “All-Star Showdown” victory, and his 16th career series win worth $15,000.

Raz finished in the runner-up position with Shepherd third, Hingorani fourth and Zampa the final car in the top-five. Rocha survived to finish sixth with Nick Cooper, Austin Herzog, Cale Kanke, and John Dillon the top-10. Keith Spangler fell out of eighth with 11 laps remaining, ending a solid comeback effort as Tyler Reif and Scott Sanchez rounded out the top dozen.

Trevor Huddleston earned his second Spears Pro Late Model win beating Linny White, Parker Malone, Nash Youngren, and Andrew Chapman. In Spears Modified Series action, Kyle Jacks earned his first series victory in his 14th start. He scored the win over Jeff Longman, Holly Clark, Aaron McMorran, and Kevin Vossen.

The next event for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will be at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (CA) on June 29th with all three divisions in action.

Super Late Model Results:
1. Jacob Gomes, 2. Kole Raz, 3. Buddy Shepherd, 4. Sean Hingorani, 5. Dylan Zampa, 6. Blaine Rocha, 7. Nick Cooper, 8. Austin Herzog, 9. Cale Kanke, 10. John Dillon, 11. Tyler Reif, 12. Scott Sanchez, 13. Keith Spangler, 14. Chris Clyne, 15. Ethan Myers, DNS. Dan Holtz

Celebrating its twenty fourth season in 2024, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.