Gomes Captures Third Southwest Tour Title
Bakersfield, CA – The 2023 season for Jacob Gomes, was arguably the best season of Gomes’ racing career. Gomes earned his third Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series championship, a career high five victories, with career bests in race winnings, $70,183, average finish (4.0), qualifying average (2.4), and laps led with 404. His championship tied him with Jim Pettit II for second on the all-time list. Gomes remains the all-time starts leader with 135, while passing Derek Thorn for all-time top-10’s with 93. Gomes earned two PFC Brakes “Zero Drag Fast Time Awards” to bring his career total to 14, behind only Thorn.
The 2023 season brought change to the Gomes Motorsports stable, as the team joined forces with six-time SRL champion Derek Thorn and Derek Thorn Racing. Gomes and Thorn had a relationship through Campbell Motorsports, with Thorn helping the team, while driving on a part-time basis in Super Late Model competition. That relationship led to Gomes narrow championship in 2022. The relationship matured in 2023, with Thorn taking over the Campbell Motorsports operation, bringing Mike Keen with him. The pairing gelled immediately with Gomes winning the “All-Star Showdown 200” right out of the box.
Gomes recalled the origin and relationship with Campbell Motorsports, Thorn, Keen, and the Derek Thorn Racing operation.
“It came together with the help of Byron Cambell allowing us to do it”, Gomes recalled. “Just having a good relationship with Derek over the years, and then evolving into becoming really good friends with Mike (Keen), and to have the opportunity with Byron allowing us to be a part of Cambell Motorsports. It just built over the years, and it became a great combo between my dad, Mike Keen and Derek.”
Gomes continued his expression of the benefits of the relationship. “It was good for us to learn, and we are really looking forward to the future with these guys. They’re really smart and we’re just happy to be a part with them in an alliance. I can’t thank Mike and Derek enough for all they do for our team.”
Gomes finished the season with only one finish outside the top-five, on the nine-race schedule. Ironically, that was at his home track, The New Stockton 99 Speedway. Gomes grabbed wins at Irwindale Speedway (2), Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway (2), and Tucson Speedway. (1). He set Fast Time at Tucson and the May race at Irwindale. He led laps in six of the nine races, a personal best.
Gomes will now head to Irwindale Speedway on February 3rd, looking to repeat his $25,000 win from 2023. It would be his fourth victory at Irwindale and tie him with Jim Pettit II for career series victories at 16.
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”.
