When the legendary Mesa Marin Raceway half-mile oval in Bakersfield, California, was sold in late 2005 and eventually demolished, it left a huge gap in the California asphalt racing scene.

Enter Kern County Raceway Park.

The track, located 30 miles west of where Mesa Marin once stood, brought professional stock car racing back to Bakersfield after more than a decade when it opened in 2013.

The venue has become a staple on the ARCA Menards Series West schedule. This year, the track welcomes the West Series back after a one-year hiatus for its 12th event in series history.

Below is everything to know about Kern County Raceway Park and its history with the West Series.

TRACK PROFILE: KERN COUNTY RACEWAY PARK

Work initially began in 2007 on Kern County Raceway Park with racing planned for 2008, but financial issues forced those involved to shelve the project.

Fast forward to 2012, and after countless hours of work by Daniel Smith to organize investors to save the project, construction resumed on the half-mile paved oval.

The inaugural race at Kern County Raceway Park took place one year later on May 18, 2013, with what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West making its debut later that year on Oct. 26, 2013. That event was won by two-time West Series champion Greg Pursley.

The venue, which also features a 0.333-mile dirt track on the property, has welcomed the West Series 11 times since its opening in 2013.

Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Derek Kraus owns the most victories on the Kern County half-mile after scoring four straight victories from 2017-19. Other West Series winners at the track include the aforementioned Pursley, Dylan Lupton, Dalton Sargeant, Todd Gilliland and, most recently, Taylor Gray in 2020.

The asphalt track focuses on special events, including the Winter Showdown and October Classic for Super Late Models. The adjacent dirt track features a similar special event schedule that includes visits from winged sprint cars, midgets and flat track motorcycles throughout the season.

West Series races at Kern County Raceway Park