Cancilla Wins Spears Pro Late Model Series Portion of the “October Classic”

Bakersfield, CA – Vito Cancilla became the sixth different winner in six events for the Spears Pro Late Model Series in 2024, crossing the line first in the “October Classic 60 presented by Visit Bakersfield and LIUNA” at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (CA) Saturday night. Cancilla had a dominant weekend setting the fastest lap in Final Practice, Qualifying, and winning his first series event. Cancilla’s Nascimento Motorsports Pro Late Model was powered by a Chevy 602 Crate Motor in a Victory Circle chassis.

After Cancilla claimed the RaceCals Fast Time Award, he redrew the number four, in the four-car redraw. Kale McClenny drew the pole followed by Tanner Huddleston, Seth Wise, and Cancilla. Nash Youngren, Sean Woodside, Scott Youngren, and Christian Bazen rounded out the top eight of the 20 Pro Late Models on hand.

At the initial start, Kale McClenny jumped to the lead, with Seth Wise up to second under Huddleston. Cancilla got under Huddleston for third on lap four and moved Wise back a position a lap later. It took Cancilla only two more laps to grab the lead from McClenny. On lap nine, McClenny fell off the pace and pitted. Sean Woodside was the man on the move getting under Huddleston for third on lap 19. The first yellow flew on lap 24, when Roy Luft got loose, making contact with Gavin Ray. Ray went around exiting Turn 4 as the field was slowed.

The restart found Cancilla back to the front with Wise tucking into the second position. Two laps later, Mike Beeler spun out of eighth position, after contact with Kale McClenny while battling for position. The lap 27 restart found the running order unchanged as Cancilla led Wise, Woodside, Huddleston and Scott Youngren at the lap 30 halfway mark. By lap 40, Woodside began to apply heavy pressure to Wise for second, as they weaved in and out of lapped traffic. On lap 50, Woodside was finally able to make the inside pass stick, grabbing the runner-up position.

The field ran the remainder of the laps caution free, as at the checkered, Cancilla led Woodside by nearly five seconds, with Wise crossing the line third. Huddleston would finish fourth with Scott Youngren the final top five competitor. Christian Bazen would finish eighth and wrap up the championship for the Spears Pro Late Model Series. He was the fourth different champion in four seasons for the series.

For Cancilla, it was his first Spears Pro Late Model Series victory, in his first start at a half-mile facility. It was a dominant win for the 13-year-old rising star, and he gave credit to the Nascimento Motorsports team.

“We had an amazing car all weekend and we couldn’t have done it without the Nascimentos”, Cancilla told the fans at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. “I’m super blessed to have them. The car was on the top of the board all weekend and I was pretty happy because it was my first time here.”

The ”October Classic” wrapped up the fourth season for the Spears Pro Late Model Series. Bazen joined Jeremy Doss, Seth Wise, and Linny White as series champions. Cancilla added his name to the 2024 winners list joining Kabe McClenny, Justin Philpott, Trevor Huddleston, Scott Youngren, and Dylan Zampa.

Results: 1. Vito Cancilla, 2. Sean Woodside, 3. Seth Wise, 4. Tanner Huddleston, 5. Scott Youngren, 6. Gavin Ray, 7. Nash Youngren, 8. Christian Bazen, 9. Andrew Chapman, 10. Mike Beeler, 11. Hans Beeler, 12. Chase Lopez, 13. David Quartaro, 14. Lawrence Massone, 15. Roy Luft, 16. Nicholas Leonard, 17. Kale McClenny, 18. Kabe McClenny, DNS. AJ DiMarzo, DNS. Kody Kiemele