Doss Has Winning on his Mind at Kern County Raceway’s “Wild West Shootout”
Bakersfield, CA – In 2022, the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series championship came down to the last lap of the last race of the season. Jacob Gomes made a late race pass to grab third, clinching the championship by two points over Jeremy Doss, who won the season finale at Irwindale Speedway (CA). The previous event, Doss came home victorious in the “October Classic” at Kern County Raceway Park (CA), as he grabbed victories in three of the final four events. Doss will make his return to KCRP on June 17th, for the “JM ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. Wild West Shootout – For Those About to Rock 107”. He will seek to grab $10,000 and SRL victory #13, which would tie him with Gomes for third on the all-time list. He will bring a Bob Lyon owned Hamke Racecars Super Late Model that hasn’t seen the track since that “October Classic” victory eight month ago.
“I believe our win last October will help us with this is event”, Doss explained about his outlook for the weekend. “That car hasn’t been raced since then, and we have a great baseline to work with, which will help us with it only being a one-day event.”
With Doss and team owner Bob Lyon participating in a more national schedule in 2023, this event was not in their original plans, but was added recently after their participation in the “EMCD 150” at North Wilkesboro Speedway (NC). It comes at a time when the team was scheduled to have an extended break until July 21st, which helped to make the decision a little easier.
“I think the main reason for adding this race to the schedule is to keep me behind the wheel of a Super Late Model”, Doss speculated about his return to the Spears Southwest Tour. “Our current schedule had me off for a month or so, and with the big pay day, I believe that helps as well!”
As the 2018 series champion heads to KCRP, he will be keeping his eye on two-time and defending Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series champion Jacob Gomes. Gomes has won three of the first four events of the season, as he did in 2022. His lone defeat was a second in the last event at Irwindale Speedway, to Rookie-of-the-Year championship leader Dylan Zampa. Doss and Gomes have had a friendly rivalry since Doss entered the series as the Rookie-of-the-Year in 2013. The pair have competed against each other 47 times since that inaugural event at Madera Speedway, 10 years ago. To date, Doss holds the advantage in head-to-head competition, 30 to 17.
“Gomes is always fun to race with, and we’ve been battling it out ever since I started racing in the SRL in 2013”, Doss recanted about his battles with the Manteca, CA racer! “He’s a driver I’m very comfortable racing side by side with, knowing we won’t rough each other up, or take each other out of contention.”
The two-time Pacific Challenge Series champion has had a successful 2023 season to date, but he is still looking for his first Super Late Model victory of the season. He opened his schedule with a third in the “All-Star Showdown 200” at Irwindale Speedway, a combination race between the SRL National and the Spears Southwest Tour Series. Round #2 found Doss at 5 Flags Speedway (FL) for the ASA Stars National Tour, grabbing a second-place finish in a field of 35 teams. His next event found him at South Alabama Speedway (AL) for the SRL National “Rattler 250”, earning a third place run behind Bubba Pollard and Ty Majeski, in a 32-car field.
Doss’ lone disappointing outing came at North Wilkesboro Speedway (NC), when he finished 16th in the “EMCD 150” for the ASA Stars National Tour. Doss qualified into the top-22, of 52 entrants, to make the starting field on practice times. But his effort was hampered by an illness that required a pre-race IV, and a stagger issue that developed late in the race.
“North Wilkesboro was a pretty neat experience”, Doss began. “Unfortunately, I had gotten food poisoning while traveling to the event, which made it a little rough, and required two IV bags before the race. The car was pretty good, but when we put our last set of tires on, the stagger shrunk by half-an-inch, making the car really tight. But I really hope we get the chance to go back.”
The two-time Montana 200 winner at Montana Raceway Park (MT) will be looking to add to his winning legacy, which includes an “Idaho 200” win at Findlay Stadium Stateline Speedway (ID), an “Idaho 208” victory at Meridian Speedway (ID), a “Southern Idaho 100” triumph at Magic Valley Speedway (ID), two “Fall Spectacular 100” wins at Redwood Acres Raceway (CA), two Fall Classic Super Late Model victories at the Bullring at LVMS and a “Short Track Shootout 150” win at Madera Speedway (CA). With $10,000+ on the line, Doss knows how to win the big ones and will be a threat to grab the glory.
The “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout – For Those About to Rock 107” for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will take place on June 17th and will be a single day event for the Super Late Models, Spears Modified Series, and the Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services. The Super Late Models will race for $10,000, with $800 to start and $1,200 for those on the Spears Frequent Flyer Program. The starting lineup will be set through a Heat race, which will pay $1,000 to the winner, thanks to H&S Body Works and Towing. The Heat lineup will be set off of practice times for the series, with a redraw or invert at the front of the field. The LIUNA “Feel the Power” Fireworks Spectacular will also be a part of the evening.
Celebrating its twenty third season in 2023, 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”.
