BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The California roads lead the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship to Bakersfield Speedway for the penultimate round of the season on Tuesday night, Nov. 26.
The eighth annual November Classic brings three past event winners in NASCAR Cup champ Kyle Larson (2019), plus two-time USAC National Midget titlists Logan Seavey (2018 & 2023) and Buddy Kofoid (2020 & 2021) as well as a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, making his midget racing debut.
Thirty-six (36) entries are expected to sign in for the event at the one-third-mile clay oval, which first hosted USAC National Midget racing in 1959.
Among the 36 are Emerson Axsom, twice a Bakersfield runner-up finisher in 2021 and 2023. In both of those same years, Justin Grant finished third each time. Tyler Courtney, the 2019 USAC National Midget champion, took third at Bakersfield back in 2021.
The 2016 series king, Tanner Thorson, collected a fast qualifying time and a third place result in 2017. Cannon McIntosh also set fast time in 2021 before coming home fourth in the feature at Bako in 2022 and 2023 while Carson Macedo, a victor last Wednesday at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway, scored a fifth in 2023.
At press time, Daison Pursley leads the 2024 USAC National Midget standings and enters the event with a best Bakersfield performance of sixth in 2023. Jacob Denney raced to a 9th in 2023 while Hayden Reinbold rounded out the top-10 in 2023.
Also returning to the Bakersfield lineup are six-time Bakersfield USAC Western States Midget winner Ronnie Gardner, a 16th place finisher with the USAC National Midgets there in 2017. Cade Lewis is a Bakersfield native and was this year’s USAC Western States Midget champion. He finished 16th in the 2023 November Classic. Lewis’ car owner, Dean Alexander, scored a USAC Western States Midget win at Bakersfield back in 2019.
Another Bakersfield native, Brody Fuson, captured a USAC West Coast Sprint Car victory at his hometown track in 2022. Furthermore, he finished 17th with the USAC National Midgets there in 2022. Jake Andreotti took 11th in the 2023 November Classic and also captured a USAC Micro Sprint win at Bako in 2016. USAC National Midget feature winners Gavin Miller and Ryan Timms each notched a 13th in the event in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Exactly one-half of the field is looking to make their first Bakersfield USAC National Midget feature starts. Among them are Drake Edwards and Terry Nichols, each of whom have been victorious with the Western Midget Racing series at Bakersfield in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Two others, Corey Day and Cale Coons, have fathers who’ve experienced their fair share of success at Bakersfield. Corey’s father, Ronnie Day, scored four Bako victories with the BCRA Midgets, NARC Sprint Cars and USAC Western States Midgets between 1992-2002. Cale, son of Jerry Coons Jr., will be making his USAC National Midget debut. Jerry finished third with the USAC National Midgets at Bakersfield in 1998.
Additional first-time Bakersfield USAC Midget starting hopefuls include two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in his USAC debut. Four USAC National Midget winners are set for Bakersfield: Zach Daum and Chase McDermand, plus top series Rookies Kale Drake and Zach Wigal.
They’ll be joined in the Bakersfield lineup by Stevie Sussex, Karter Sarff, Brandt Twitty, cousins Todd Hawse and Kyle Hawse, Alex Karpowicz, Troy DeGaton, Abby Hohlbein and Austin Torgerson, all eying first Bakersfield USAC National Midget feature starts.