BAKERSFIELD, California -- The June 26th Kevin Harvick Cup Drivers Challenge, at Bakersfield's Mesa Marin Raceway, was exactly everything promoters, sponsors and race fans hoped it would be: a well attended night of fun.
Over 9,000 packed the grandstands to see a special appearance by NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Kevin Harvick, Bill Elliot, Sterling Marlin and Scott Riggs and were treated to a special 20 laps challenge race by the quartet.
For the past two years Mesa Marin Raceway has hosted "Kevin Harvick Night," as a welcome home to the Bakersfield native that many of us watched grow in to the NASCAR star he is today. Each year Harvick would come home to Mesa Marin and participate in a NASCAR Late Model race which he won both times.
This year Mesa Marin wanted to try something a little different and they, in typical fashion, pulled out all the stops to make that happen with the "Cup Drivers Challenge." The timing of this event was perfect. Three of the four drivers were in northern California preparing for the NASCAR Nextel Cup event at the Infineon Raceway. The fourth driver, Elliot, took time off from a vacation to make the trip to Bakersfield.
The logistics to make this event happen were very tight. The drivers finished the final "happy hour" practice session at Infineon and then were wisked away to the airport for the flight to Bakersfield and then transported, via limo bus, to the track. Elliot flew into Bakersfield, via his private plane, from his vacation spot in Colorado.
The big result from the special efforts allowed time for an autograph session where 1,600 lucky fans got to meet the Cup drivers. The autograph session was based on special tickets, 400 per driver, that were handed out long before the evening's racing began. There was some grumbling from those who didn't get the autograph tickets but the fans have to understand that the demands on a Nextel Cup driver's time is huge and sometimes very limited. More and more fans can expect to see some form of lottery tickets for autograph sessions. It's both a fair and organized method. Can you even imagine the time it would take for 9,000 plus people to stand in line for autograph? I can't.
After signing everything from pictures, hats, shirts and you name it the drivers climbed inside of four ASA Speed Trucks for thier special 20 laps shoot out. The race format called for ten laps, a caution flag to invert the field and then the final ten laps. Sterling Marlin won the first ten lap segment. In the second segment Harvick and Elliot were on the front row and literally ran door to door in the final laps before Harvick pulled an outside pass to win the event by half a truck length much to the delight of the 9,000 who stood up during the entire race. All during the race the drivers ran so close that a large beach blanket could have literally covered the four trucks. It was an outstanding exhibition of just how could these Nextel Cup drivers really are.
With that oh so familiar boyish grin on his face, Harvick stood in victory lane and apologized for not doing victory burnouts saying he didn't want to damage Kenny Smith's truck.
Kenny Smith, an El Monte based regular with the ASA Speed Truck Challenge Series, was caught off guard with the entire event saying "I used to race with Kevin Harvick in the Winston West Series when he was first getting started. I don't know how all of this got together tonight, I didn't even know he was going to drive until the last minute. He remembered me and my wife and we had a little time to talk and laugh about some old times." Smith was delighted with the way his truck performed for Harvick and proudly stood next to him in victory lane.
With the fun completed the Nextel Cup drivers were quickly driven back to the airport to resume the serious business of getting ready for the Infineon road course except, of course, for Elliot who resumed his vacation.
While the NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers were the focal point of the evening, there was also plenty of action to whet the appetite of the race fans who were treated to 50 lap main events from the NASCAR Late Models and the ASA Speed Truck Challenge Series as well as some very good racing from the 911 for Youth and the Chevron Texaco High School Racing Series.
If there's one thing that Mesa Marin Raceway owner Marion Collins loves more that racing it's likely fireworks. The fans were treated to a massive fireworks display and the oohs and aahs could be heard from the fans above the patriotic music played over the PA system.
When you put it all together Mesa Marin Raceway put on an evening that the fans are probably still talking about. However, Mesa Marin officials will be the first to tell you that they had a lot of help from some very special friends.
I've always been one to try to acknowledge the special efforts of the sponsors who make it possible for all of us fans to enjoy an evening at a race track. A very big racing pat on the back goes to Kyle Carter-McMillen Homes, the Law Offices of Young Wooldridge and Cingular Wireless who stepped up to present this special evening. Also a big part of the evening was the presence of Bruce Patrum,of Patrum Motor Racing Enterprises, a firm that specializes in arranging special appearances by NASCAR drivers. Also a big thank you goes out to Oasis Air Conditioning who sponsored the fireworks show we all enjoyed so much.
After taking in, and enjoying, the "Kevin Harvick Cup Drivers Challenge" night it already has me wondering what Mesa Marin Raceway is going to do next year to top this evening.
