BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — From Jason Leffler to Buddy Kofoid, No. 71 has had its share of monumental moments over time in USAC NOS Vitality Drink Midget Nationwide Championship racing.
Tuesday evening’s Jason Leffler Memorial at Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in California was no exception.
In 1997, Leffler was within the midst of attaining his first USAC Nationwide Midget driving title whereas wheeling the No. 71 owned by Pete Willoughby and wrenched by crew chief Keith Kunz.
On Tuesday evening, the exact same steady’s No. 71 was as soon as once more in victory lane with Kofoid. In a full circle second, Kofoid gained the occasion in a automobile owned by Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, the place Willoughby at present serves as CEO.
Fittingly, Kofoid’s triumph got here within the eleventh operating of the Leffler Memorial, and none apart from Charlie Leffler, Jason’s son, was there to current Kofoid the winner’s trophy.
Stunningly, it was KKM’s first win on the Jason Leffler Memorial after 10 earlier tries, ending because the runner-up on three events in 2014-15-16 with Christopher Bell, Rico Abreu and Tanner Thorson, respectively.
For Kofoid, it was his third profession USAC Nationwide Midget win in Bakersfield, with the earlier two coming on the former Bakersfield Speedway again in 2020-2021. Moreover, in September, Kofoid grabbed a World of Outlaws NOS Vitality Drink Dash Automotive rating at new Bakersfield third-mile.
It was additionally Kofoid’s first USAC win since June 2023 at Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway and the twenty fifth of his profession.
Kofoid additionally achieved his newest victory whereas on the mend. In his most up-to-date flip behind the wheel on Saturday at Merced Speedway, Kofoid endured an enormous collection of flips throughout a warmth race that left him dazed however not fazed, though his standing was unsure.
“I didn’t even know if I’d be OK sufficient to return race at this time,” Kofoid admitted. “I used to be sort of on the fence a little bit, even yesterday. After Merced, I wasn’t actually seeing straight and I’m nonetheless sort of hurting to be sincere with you. However this positively makes up for it.”
Kofoid’s final go to to victory lane throughout USAC’s Golden State Invasion got here through the western swing in November 2022 at Merced. After opening this month with a sixteenth at Placerville adopted by a runner-up end result at Merced and a DNF on the second evening at Merced, Kofoid started to marvel if he might get again to the highest.
By no means concern, the sixth place beginning Kofoid adamantly declared on Tuesday evening as he charged round racelong chief Kevin Thomas Jr. on the thirteenth lap, then led the remaining 18 circuits of the 30-lapper in his Mobil 1 – TRD – Curb Information/Lynk/Speedway Toyota to earn a $12,500 prize.
“I haven’t gained on the west coast swing in a few years, so I’ve simply been questioning like, ‘man, does it damage me being away for thus lengthy and coming again?,’” Kofoid contemplated. “However I really feel good. I really feel higher than ever, higher than I’ve been in a few years, truthfully.”
Thomas led practically your entire first half of the characteristic from the pole place. Kofoid, nevertheless, was rapidly rising, taking pictures to 3rd previous Daison Pursley on lap 4. He scooted into second across the exterior of Jake Andreotti coming into flip one on the seventh lap. He then set sail on monitoring down Thomas on the entrance.
Simply earlier than halfway, Kofoid was hovering across the neighborhood of Thomas for the lead. Nonetheless, ninth operating Carson Macedo’s spin in flip one on the thirteenth lap put the frontrunners nose-to-tail for the restart. On the following resumption, Kofoid ripped across the exterior of Thomas and immediately started to tug away from the pack.
Even on the tempo laps, Kofoid knew the place he needed to go. Immediately, he made himself snug on the cushion.
“The underside was smoother and it was nonetheless good, and going across the high possibly wasn’t the popular groove but,” Kofoid stated. “I actually don’t assume (the highest) was one hundred pc there through the characteristic both. I simply stored operating it and it felt easy and it received higher and higher and I received used to operating it. I feel that was a part of it. I used to be the primary man up there and was probably the most snug. My automobile was good and I used to be in a position to get it higher. However I really feel prefer it cleaned up a little bit bit on exit the place it was okay to sort of be hung on the market.”
On the midway mark, fifth place wasn’t the place anybody needed to be apparently. On the sixteenth journey, fifth operating Drake Edwards slowed dramatically on the again straight. He ultimately grinded to a halt in flip three along with his automobile spewing smoke. Throughout the yellow, new fifth place occupant Corey Day pulled into the pits. Each drivers didn’t resume.
Denney moved into the runner-up slot on the twenty first lap previous Thomas after which went to work on discovering Kofoid. Nonetheless, Kofoid was lengthy gone.
“I might make good drive to the patch on the entry of three and will get in there good,” Kofoid defined. “It was good by means of the holes, and I used to be good simply exterior the holes. I felt like I used to be good on the highest, however with a monitor that’s this evening and day completely different, it’s laborious to really feel one hundred pc snug. So, I don’t know if I used to be that good. I felt snug and I felt like what I used to be doing was working. I attempted to maximise all of the clear corners and decrease all of the errors. I really feel like getting by means of the holes is one thing that’s in my wheelhouse, and has been within the midgets, but additionally (crew chief) Beau (Binder) and everybody received the automobile adequate to the place I might do it.”
Kofoid was by no means contested down the stretch as he closed out a 1.057 second victory over Denney, Thomas, Andreotti and USAC Nationwide Midget Max Papis Improvements Rookie of the Yr Steven Snyder Jr. who rounded out the highest 5.
In the meantime, Cannon McIntosh posted a distant 14th place characteristic end result however remained forward of eighth place finisher Justin Grant on the high of the USAC Nationwide Midget standings. McIntosh’s lead sits at 52 over Grant with one race remaining.
USAC NOS Vitality Drink Midget Nationwide Championship, Bakersfield Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, Bakersfield, California, Nov. 25, 2025
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-14.512 (Monitor Report); 2. Buddy Kofoid, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.527; 3. Gavin Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.613; 4. Jacob Denney, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.649; 5. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-14.670; 6. Daison Pursley, 84, CBI-14.680; 7. Kevin Thomas Jr., 14, 4 Kings-14.690; 8. Michael Faccinto, 68, Six8-14.711; 9. Justin Grant, 87, CBI-14.712; 10. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-14.726; 11. Kyle Jones, 27x, Joyner-14.735; 12. Steven Snyder Jr., 4, RMS-14.751; 13. Jakeb Boxell, 14JB, 4 Kings-14.779; 14. Cale Coons, 63, Dooling/Curb-Agajanian-14.797; 15. Cannon McIntosh, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.824; 16. Brecken Reese, 20Q, Reese-14.845; 17. Karter Sarff, 25, Rodela-14.859; 18. Jett Yantis, 4y, Carlile-14.859; 19. Drake Edwards, 83, CBI-14.876; 20. Kale Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.880; 21. Gunnar Setser, 43, Arnold-14.900; 22. Michael Pickens, 31, Beilman-14.912; 23. Ronnie Gardner, 4R, RMS-14.927; 24. Jake Swanson, 31B, Beilman-14.943; 25. Corey Day, 4K, Kahne-14.983; 26. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold-Underwood-15.033; 27. Brandon Carr, 98K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.158; 28. Ty Gibbs, 86, CBI-15.206; 29. Dane Culver, 73, Alexander-15.207; 30. Dalten Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-15.254; 31. Mathew Radisich, 17NZ, Out & About-15.348; 32. Kaylee Bryson, 11, Abacus-15.543; 33. Drake Cardey, 17A, Dunkel-15.623; 34. Broedy Graham, 66, BGR-NT.
CAR IQ FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 switch to the characteristic) 1. Karter Sarff, 2. Gunnar Setser, 3. Jake Andreotti, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Jakeb Boxell, 6. Hayden Reinbold, 7. Carson Macedo, 8. Broedy Graham, 9. Dalten Gabbard. 1:59.564 (New monitor Report)
K1 RACEGEAR SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 switch to the characteristic) 1. Daison Pursley, 2. Michael Pickens, 3. Buddy Kofoid, 4. Logan Seavey, 5. Cale Coons, 6. Jett Yantis, 7. Mathew Radisich, 8. Brandon Carr. 2:01.087
USAC GEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 switch to the characteristic) 1. Drake Edwards, 2. Cannon McIntosh, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Gavin Miller, 5. Ronnie Gardner, 6. Kyle Jones, 7. Ty Gibbs, 8. Kaylee Bryson. 2:01.584
COOK OUT FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 switch to the characteristic) 1. Corey Day, 2. Steven Snyder Jr., 3. Kale Drake, 4. Brecken Reese, 5. Jacob Denney, 6. Michael Faccinto, 7. Dane Culver, 8. Drake Cardey. 2:01.574
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 switch to the characteristic) 1. Hayden Reinbold, 2. Carson Macedo, 3. Michael Faccinto, 4. Jett Yantis, 5. Kyle Jones, 6. Brandon Carr, 7. Kaylee Bryson, 8. Dane Culver, 9. Ty Gibbs, 10. Mathew Radisich, 11. Dalten Gabbard, 12. Broedy Graham. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, beginning positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Kofoid (6), 2. Jacob Denney (4), 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 4. Jake Andreotti (3), 5. Steven Snyder Jr. (14), 6. Daison Pursley (2), 7. Kale Drake (20), 8. Justin Grant (12), 9. Jett Yantis (19), 10. Brecken Reese (18), 11. Logan Seavey (13), 12. Jakeb Boxell (15), 13. Gunnar Setser (21), 14. Cannon McIntosh (17), 15. Gavin Miller (5), 16. Carson Macedo (10), 17. Karter Sarff (7), 18. Ty Gibbs (25-P), 19. Michael Pickens (22), 20. Ronnie Gardner (23), 21. Hayden Reinbold (24), 22. Corey Day (9), 23. Drake Edwards (8), 24. Cale Coons (16), 25. Michael Faccinto (11).
