By Adam Cree

Reporter

A new racetrack is coming to Bakersfield this year, and it will be holding NASCAR events.

The Kern County Raceway is scheduled to open April 20 and the track will be sanctioned for NASCAR events.

The track will be host to “all comers,” according to Steven Blakesley, the director of Marketing and Communications for the track.

The track will pit “drivers from different tracks” from all over California, said Blakesley.

The track will host pro-late model racing, or stock cars, to race fans, with about 650 horsepower, every Saturday.

The track will be a half-mile of pavement and the entire track has been sanctioned by NASCAR for their events.

It puts the track in an “elite status, among tracks,” Blakesley said. Only 118 tracks in the US have been sanctioned for NASCAR events.

The racetrack will have seating for 5,000, said Blakesley.

He also added that another 500 could sit in the suites.

Starting next year, the track plans on hosting races for NASCAR K&N West Pro Series and these races will be televised on “SPEED.”

A media event is scheduled for April 13 before the track opens a week later.

The track is at 13500 Raceway Boulevard on Interstate 5 and Enos Lane.

The first race is scheduled to start April 20, but the track is still waiting for a permit from Caltrans to widen Enos Lane by a lane of traffic in each direction. Without that, the track’s first race will be delayed until construction is finished.

The state of the permit was unknown.