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BAKERSFIELD, CA — September 13, 2026 — Kaleb Montgomery left no doubt this weekend in central California, sweeping both rounds of the Ultimate Sprint Car Series action. After winning Friday night’s revival at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Montgomery backed it up with a commanding victory in Saturday’s 25-lap USCS feature at Bakersfield Speedway, part of Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
The win marks Montgomery’s second consecutive USCS triumph in as many nights and solidifies his momentum midway through the 2026 season.
“Making the right adjustments before the feature was really good,” Montgomery said in victory lane. “I can’t thank Hoosier Tire enough for making these tires like this one I got on tonight. I love the USCS where you can run open tires and make the most of your car. I tried to make the most of some decisions, almost got upside down racing with Caden (Sarale). That was pretty cool. Man, hats off to everyone involved in this team. Thanks to Kern County for this awesome facility and Malyssa (Perkins) for putting on these races.”
Polesitter Grant Sexton led the field into lapped traffic early, but Camarillo’s Ricky Lewis executed a slide job just past the halfway point to take the lead. Meanwhile, Montgomery — who started sixth — had already worked his way into second by lap 10.
The pivotal moment came on lap 15 when Lewis and Montgomery were nose-to-tail in heavy lapped traffic. Montgomery threw a slide job at Lewis into turn one, but Lewis crossed him over down the backstretch. They swapped positions again in turns three and four, but this time Montgomery hung onto the top spot and led lap 18. A pair of cautions on laps 20 and 23 erased Montgomery’s lead, but he held off Lewis on each restart to seal the win.
“We had a great car, but Kaleb was just better tonight,” said Lewis, who settled for second. “When we got into traffic, I struggled a bit to pick my lines. He made the right moves.”
Grant Sexton finished third, Caden Sarale of Stockton fourth, and Ryan Timmons fifth. Rounding out the top 10: Cole Wakim (6th), Trent Carter (7th), Connor Wakim (8th), Bob Newberry (9th), and Tyler Cato (10th).
Lewis, Timmons, and AJ Bender won the three 8-lap heat races. Montgomery was the fastest overall qualifier, clocking a 14.351 in his group — nearly three-tenths quicker than the next-best time.
In the 25-lap National Dwarf Car feature, Michael Tobiason of Ramona, California used an outside pass on Kameron Cowles to grab the lead and never looked back, earning $1,500 as part of the Central Valley Clash. Friday winner J.D. Brown of Bakersfield also got around Cowles later in the race to take second. Cowles held on for third, followed by Ian Velasquez and Nick Velasquez. Tobiason was also quick qualifier, while Nick Velasquez won the fast dash.
Ricky Childress Jr. notched his 10th win of the season in the Hobby Stocks, leading Nicholas Johnson, Brock Crawford, Brooke Cimental, and Cameron Campbell to the line. In the American Stocks, Tyler Weeks claimed the win over Carson Conway, Dan Bryant, Mason Conway, and Jon McKinley Sr.
Jason Cook Jr. of Porterville wrapped up the 2026 Mini Stocks championship with a main event victory on Saturday night. Points runner-up Gene Glover of Visalia finished second, with Devin Kennedy rounding out the podium.
The track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway returns to action on Friday, September 25, hosting the World of Outlaws sprint cars. The following night, September 26, is championship night for the IMCA Modifieds, SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and American Stocks. Full schedule and ticket info available at BakersfieldSpeedway.com.
While the USCS Sprint Series does not award a traditional championship, Montgomery’s back-to-back wins vault him to the top of the unofficial points standings among full-time competitors. According to series director Malyssa Perkins, the sweep is Montgomery’s second of the season and places him as the driver to beat heading into the final stretch of the 2026 calendar.
“Kaleb has been consistent all year, but weekends like this show he can win on different track configurations,” Perkins said. “Bakersfield is a fast, tight 1/3-mile, and he handled it flawlessly.”
