First Late Model Trophy Dash Start!

May 17, 2014 - Hats off to Buddy's crew for putting a blistering hot rod underneath him which earned him bragging rights for laying down the fastest laps times during all practices on Friday and Saturday over all his competitors!  He then threw down the 2nd fastest qualifying lap (personal best) putting him in his first Late Model Trophy Dash, finishing 2nd!  He earned two more top 5's feature finishes, placing 4th in the first Twin 35 Lap Feature and 3rd (personal best) in the second Twin 35 Lap Feature.  It was an over the top exciting race, you could have throw a blanket over the top 4 as they battled it out to the checkered flag!

Buddy, his crew and all the other teams had to endure the hottest race days so far this season at the track over these 2 days.  The heat made the track slick and greasy, but only to Buddy's liking.  He says those hot, slick, greasy tracks are his favorite, reminds him of his dirt track racing roots!

HUGE THANKS to his CREW: Dick, Joel, Tom, Gary, Kenny, the guys back at the shop. SPONSORS: D'ANGELOS Automotive & Industrial Coatings, AXALTA, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, Advanced Distribution, H&S Body Works and Towing, DC's RV Center, RTS, RaceHard, Crystal Pools and friends, HONDO Inc., Schaeffer's Racing Oil and Wilson's Industrial Pump Inc.

NEXT RACE.....May 24th @ KCRP.

Race On!!!

Two more TOP 5's

April 26, 2014 - More AWESOME finishes for the 14 year old kid!  Buddy started off his amazing race day by posting his personal best lap time during practice early in the day. Then just when you think it couldn't get any better, Buddy shattered his personal best with a qualifying time of 18.82!!!  He then greeted many of his fans at the ON TRACK Autograph Session, who were ecstatic to see him race tonight.

Once all the fun was over it was time to get in his office chair and go to work.  Buddy started in the 5th position for the first 35 lap main, he raced to a solid fifth place finish trailing the top 4. After the crew made a few adjustments, he then started in the fourth position for the second 35 lap main.  He took the green with an awesome start, and found himself in a battle for the second position.  He settled into the fifth position and with a late charge in the race he found himself in a side-by-side battle for fourth with second and third place an arms reach away. As the checkered flag flew he earned his second 5th place finish for the race night.

"My crew gave me a heck of a fast hot rod tonight, looking forward to hitting the track with more speed again on May 17th at Kern County Raceway Park, come out and cheer me on!"

Race On!!!

Buddy's Late Model Debut at KCRP

April 11 & 12, 2014 - After a disappointing practice night for his Late Model debut at Kern County Raceway which spilled over into the first practice session on race day, the exhausted, stellar Buddy Shepherd Racing Crew discovered the problem with the car, eliminated it, and the 14 year old was wheeling the D'ANGELOS' AUTOMOTIVE & INDUSTRIAL COATINGS, AXALTA, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, Advanced Distribution, H&S Body Works and Towing, DC's RV Center, RTS, RaceHard, Crystal Pools and friends, HONDO, Inc. Schaeffer's Racing Oil hot rod to his personal best lap times on the track!

In "welcoming" D'ANGELOS' AUTOMOTIVE & INDUSTRIAL COATINGS, AXALTA, DC's RV Center, HONDO, Inc. and our "continued" sponsors for  their support in the 2014 season, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, Advanced Distribution, H&S Body Works and Towing, DC's RV Center, RTS, RaceHard, Crystal Pools and friends, HONDO, Inc., and Schaeffer's Racing Oil the kid made us all proud as he drove his hot rod home by qualifying 5th fastest (missing the dash only by one position) and earning 2 impressive fourth place finishes for the night!  Once again his performance exceed the expectations of all, and gained respect from his newly expanded family in the Late Model Division class.

The team's goal now is to focus on turning wrenches to get Buddy's hot rod blistering fast! They only had a short time to make chassis changes after they chased and discovered the mechanical issue, but it was enough for Buddy to get some AWESOME, FAST seat time for the race.  "It's SO fun, I'm hungry for more speed and racing with these great drivers out here!", said Buddy.  "My crew is AMAZING, they never gave up, kept digging, and worked their butts off to give me a great car to race, thanks Joel Askew, Tom Barton, Gary Spangle, Kenny Cleveland, Jeff Schrader, Derek Thorn and dad for all your hard work and giving it your ALL this weekend and all the hours away from the track.  And, thanks to their families for sharing them with me, couldn't have done it without ALL of your dedication and commitment!", he added.

Come out and watch Buddy in his next Late Model race at KCRP on April 26th.

Race On!!!

Lake Havasu City, Az

BUDDY SHEPHERD MAKES HIS LATE MODEL DEBUT!

February 1, 2014 - After a few mechanical mishaps and great team of guys pulling together, Buddy was able to make his Late Model debut at Lake Havasu City, Arizona over the weekend. He qualified a strong ninth and finished the race with an impressive eight place finish.

In practice on Friday, Buddy laid down amazing laps times which were just as fast as a few West drivers that were there practicing for the race also.   Then an engine failure during his fifth practice session sidelined him.  He was able to rent a motor and with the help of friend, Jerry Pitts and the rest of the guys that were there practicing, they all came together and installed another power plant in the car.

Returning to the track early Saturday morning for minor completion, Buddy hit the track once again for practice.  However, in P2, the throw out bearing went out, Buddy was sidelined once again.  His crew decided to replace it, which was very involved, and got the kid rolling again. Only barely making it to tech and rolling out as the last qualifier of the day, Buddy laid down a solid ninth place qualifying effort.

Buddy started in the ninth position for the main, the cars were lined straight up from qualifying for the 100 lap main event, which is the longest race he's every competed in.  He dodged some close calls and drove 99 laps to finish eighth.  Once his helmet was off, he couldn't thank his crew enough for all of their hard work and for making it possible for him to race and he learned a lot more respect for the cup drivers having to drive those long distances each race.

Buddy had an awesome debut, and gained a lot of fans at the track, they were impressed of his age of 14, racing with grown men and women.

A big thanks to my dad who makes my racing dream a reality, to my crew Joel & Tom for making the trip over a day early to take over Saturday morning after our exhausting afternoon and evening with the motor.  And, thanks to their families for sharing them!  

Race On!!!

Sponsorship Opportunities for the 2014 late model season

This season, at the age of 14, Buddy will be the youngest driver in the Late Model Class. He's proven to be a winner in any motorsport he's chosen thus far. And this challenge he will prove it once again. Buddy says it best: “My goals for 2014” are to be “Rookie of the Year”and win races!" It doesn't get much clearer than that. For more more information click here to download our sponsorship flyer.

Bakersfield, Ca.

September 28, 2013  - BUDDY STILL HOLDS ONTO THE POINTS LEAD AT KCRP!

Running a very close second place, a breathtaking climb up back straightaway k-wall on lap 27, Buddy and his HALL AMBULANCE, CRYSTAL POOLS, COW-BOY BAIL BONDS, ADVANCED DISTRIBUTION, H & S BODY WORKS and TOWING, RACEHARD.COM, SCHAEFFERS RACING OIL hot rod finished in the eighth position and continues to lead the Legends Division Points at Kern Co Raceway Park!

The feature saw a complete invert for the field in Saturday night's action.  Once the green flag flew for the start of the race, Buddy worked his way into the second position. He once again had the fastest car, proven by Race Monitor, as he posted the fastest lap time in the feature.  As he closed the gap between him and the leader only to find that "Lady luck" was not on his side once again.  Gaining ground on the leader and sucking up on the leaders rear bumper, coming out of turn 2, using up as much track to gain enough momentum for the pass, he took a breathtaking ride on the back straightaway k-rail.  As his car drove up on the k-rail, the underneath of his car could be seen by all team crew members who just knew it was going to flip over.  However, with Buddy's quick reactions that enabled him to get off the k- wall on all four tires instead of on his roof!  He limped his way under his own power to his pits with excitement to share about his ride!!!

Buddy posted the fastest lap in P2, second fastest in qualifying, and a second place finish in the Trophy Dash to concluded the night. 

With one points race remaining, Buddy still leads the Legends Division field in the point standings, with hopes that him and his AWESOME team will be take home the inaugural Kern County Raceway Park Legends Division Championship on Saturday, October 19, 2013.  

RACE ON!!! 

Bakersfield, Ca

BUDDY SHEPHERD IS CROWNED THE INAUGURAL 2013 INEX LEGENDS TRACK CHAMPION AT KERN COUNTY RACEWAY PARK!!!

Buddy Shepherd and crew were crowned and awarded the inaugural 2013 INEX Legends Track Championship Saturday night at the Kern County Raceway Park.  They celebrated the evening with their sponsors, family and fans of MANY.  He also was awarded the win for the night. 

Buddy and his AMAZING team were excited to win their first career championship and Buddy was quick to say, "It feels GREAT!  You can do anything with a GOOD crew behind your car!".  Buddy was just as quick to thank all his sponsors: HALL AMBULANCE, CRYSTAL POOLS, COW-BOY BAIL BONDS, ADVANCED DISTRIBUTION, H&S BODY WORKS and TOWING, RACEHARD.COM, SCHAEFFER'S RACING OIL and RTS.   " Without all this support", Buddy says, "I would have not been able to fulfill my dream!".

Buddy also extends his thanks and appreciation to all of you who believe in him, support him and encourage him to dig every time he sits in his rolling office chair.  He is a very humble, now 14 year old and realizes how fortunate he is to be living the dream.

RACE ON!!!  ​

Bakersfield, Ca

September 7, 2013  - ANOTHER TOP 2 FOR THE BUDDY SHEPHERD RACING TEAM!

As the team was honored to be joined in their pits for the night by the Honorable Mayor Hall, they fought hard and crossed the finish line second.

Buddy found himself starting in the 6th position (outside third row) for the main event, only to drop back a few positions when the green flag waved.   He found that working his way to the front was no easy task.  With a caution and once again lining up on the outside row, dropping back positions, he maneuvered his way around to regain control of the track.  He fought hard to overtake the second position, and set his sites on the leader.  With the race coming to an end, he tried his best to catch the leader but time just ran out. 

Thanks to HALL AMBULANCE, CRYSTAL POOLS, COW-BOY BAIL BONDS, ADVANCED DISTRIBUTION, H&S BODY WORKS and TOWING, RACEHARD.COM and SCHAEFFER'S RACING OIL.  

Race On!!! 

Bakersfield, Ca.

August 31, 2013 - Another TOP 5 finish for the Buddy Shepherd Racing Team Saturday night at the Kern County Raceway Park!

After qualifying 2nd, winning the Trophy Dash from the P3 position the team went on to capture another Top 5 finish.

Buddy's team worked hard ALL night to get the car just right for the Main Event. Starting on the outside front row for the Main Event, forced to drop back and settle into the 3rd position, maneuvered his way around the 2nd place car only to find himself with a lot of ground to make up to the leader. Buddy got his groove thing on and found himself catching the leader, only to have a yellow caution flag wave.  When the race resumed, Buddy was once again on the outside front row, forced to drop into the 3rd position again.  After successfully passing the 2nd place car, he was punted in the left rear tire by the 3rd place car which sent him for a crazy ride coming out of turn 4.  Once he collected his car, it was a drag race to turn 1, with Buddy coming out ahead to secure the 2nd place position.  Buddy once again found himself with a substantial amount of ground to make up between him and the leader.  He dug every lap making up as much ground as he possibly could, and when the checkered flag flew Buddy had wrapped up a solid 2nd place finish for the night.

Kudos to his team for their dedication and determination during this horribly humid race weekend, and for all his fans, family and friends for sitting through the humidity too!  A BIG shout out to Randy Smith/RTS for providing the transporter to get the race car hauler to the track!  And sponsors: Hall Ambulance, Crystal Pools, Advanced Distribution, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, H&S Body Works and Towing, RaceHard.com, MDRN.DVSN.

The team has maintained their points lead and will be ready to hit the track again this Saturday, September 7th at Kern County Raceway Park.  See you all there!

RACE ON!!! 

Bakersfield, Ca.

August 24, 2013 - After an awesome practice session on Friday night, Buddy earned a struggling 4th place finish on Saturday night at Kern Co Raceway Park.  "My car was blistering fast last night, only to struggle with the car all day today!", said Buddy.  

He laid down his personal best practice times on Friday.  On Saturday he qualified 2nd fastest, started P3 and finishing P2 in the Trophy Dash.  Fast qualifier rolled an invert of 6, putting Buddy on the inside of row 3 for the Feature.  He eventually drove up to 3rd and was battling for 2nd only to find the car so loose coming out of the corners that he just couldn't keep the momentum up to make the pass for P2.  This kept him stuck on the heels of the car in front of him while the 4th place car caught up to them, and passed them both with just a few laps remaining.  However, Buddy still maintains the point lead in the Legends Division, despite his disappointing day.  However, there is one thing that really cheers him up and it's the Autograph Session.  He digs meeting and visiting with his fans of ALL ages.

On Sunday the team scaled the car and located the mystery.  And with that said, he'll be back in the office chair at Kern Co Raceway Park this Saturday looking for that 4th win of the season!

Race On!!! 

Stockton, Ca

August 17, 2013 - Buddy found himself starting in the 8th position and finishing a solid 5th place in the 21 car field of the Main Event Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway.   He qualified 4th fastest of 22 cars, his personal best qualifying effort at Stockton 99 Speedway!

As Buddy maneuvered his way around a close call in a turn 3 melee in the early laps of the 35 lap feature, only to see a red flag hold the race for several minutes.  Once the feature went back to green, he again found himself dodging several mishaps.  He continued to dig each lap to earn a solid 5th finish when the checkered flag flew and tech was concluded.

A special thanks to my crew, Tony and Garrett Fine for wrenching on my car on race day, sponsors HALL AMBULANCE, CRYSTAL POOLS, ADVANCED DISTRIBUTION, COW-BOY BAIL BONDS, H&S BODY WORKS and TOWING, RACE HARD.COM, MDRN DVSN.

Race On!!! 

Bakersfield, Ca

August 4, 2013 - Another hot day saw Buddy looking as though he had a great opportunity to lock in a starting position for the National Legends Race to be held in Pennsylvania. 

Buddy began his journey way back in the field, P9, carefully maneuvering his hot rod through the field, finding himself in the lead on lap 9 of the 30 lap feature!  After breaking away with a substantial lead, he had to whoa his hot rod for a few yellows. The last being on lap 25 with one car blowing a motor.  Oil was dumped on the track from the entry of turn 1 to the middle of 1/2, however, the clean up crew missed the 5 feet at the entry of turn 1.   There is a strict rule that the cars in our class are not supposed to cut the track, so Buddy, the driver that he is, drove his car on this oil slick each time he entered into turn 1.  He had to go into the turn "easy" as not to slide into the car on the outside of him.  The field doubled up on the restart, Buddy battled for the lead for a lap and a half before regaining the lead, fighting the car tooth and nail the entire time.  Fast forward to the last lap, turn 3...Buddy had at least a 2 car length advantage over the second place car who drove right into him causing Buddy to spin out in turn 4, only get hit by two more cars, settling for P5!  Buddy was fine, but extremely disappointed for a great weekend to end in that way.

Buddy gives his crew a HUGE shout out for giving him a bullet for a hot rod all weekend.  And to all his sponsors, fans, family and friends who support him 110% every race.

Race On!!! 

August 3, 2013 - WIN #3

Buddy and his team won their 3rd straight main event victory at Kern Co Raceway Park Saturday night, earned another fast qualifier too!

Friday's night practice was the beginning of a three day weekend in the hot Bakersfield sun, with Sunday's race scheduled as a National Legends Qualifier.  

Buddy began his day from his office chair that hot Saturday afternoon, driving his way to being the fastest qualifier, and to his third straight victory from the sixth staring position.  This makes his third victory in his 2nd year career in the Young Lions Legend Division.  The kid continues to amaze all of us.

 Race On!!!

Bakersfield, CA

 July 20, 2013  - WIN #2 for the Buddy Shepherd Racing Team!!!           

After earning another fast qualifier, the field was a complete invert for the 30 lap feature.   Buddy piloted his backup hot rod to victory lane from the last starting position to pick up his 2nd win, making it two-in-a-row for the 13 year old Bakersfield driver!  

A BIG THANKS to his crew, Hall Ambulance, Crystal Pools, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, Advanced Distribution, H&S Body Works and Towing, RaceHard.com, fans, family and friends for their continued support.

Race On!!! 

Bakersfield, Ca

July 6, 2013 - LEGENDS CAREER WIN #1

Buddy and team celebrated their FIRST Legend MAIN EVENT WIN in the winners circle Saturday night (7/6) at Kern Co Raceway Park.  They also took home their 2nd fast time for the season!

He started in the 6th position, moved into 2nd by lap 10, then moved into the lead on lap 20 of the 30 lap race.  They made him work hard for his first victory, but everyone ran a very exciting, hard and clean race.

Big thanks to all the fans and family who came out to watch, to Hall Ambulance, Crystal Pools, H & S Body Works and Towing, Advanced Distribution, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, and RaceHard.com !!

Race on!!! 

Bakersfield, CA

After an awesome day of practice at Madera Speedway on June 29th, Buddy qualified a discouraging 17th the following day.  He rebounded by winning his heat, and finishing an impressive 7th in the main from his 17th starting position!

Buddy was on a mission and made his moves on the inside and outside of the 26 car field.  It was an exciting night for the 12 year old as he raced hard around his fellow competitors, some of which are twice his age! 

After the race he was greeted in his pit by a few of those fellow drivers who congratulated him on a “GREAT RACE”.   He is looking forward to competing in the next SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour event on August 18th at Stockton 99 Speedway.  He may sneak in a few dirt races before the 18th, we will keep you posted.

With this awesome run at Madera Speedway, Buddy finds himself in 7th place in the SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour Legend points.  He began the night in 10th position.

Buddy Shepherd would like to thank his sponsors for their support:  H&S Body Works and Towing, Advanced Distribution, RTS, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, Airco, American Fabrication, and Race Hard.com. 

Bakersfield, CA

Buddy put his Hall Ambulance, Crystal Pools, H & S Body Works and Towing, Advanced Distribution, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, RTS, Race Hard.com 37 Ford Sedan in the number 5 position in practice out of 39 legend cars at Stockton 99 Speedway on Saturday!  He was smokin’ fast!  He then found himself 14th fastest in qualifying, locking up a starting position in the A-Main and, followed it up starting and finishing 4th in his heat.

Buddy’s A-Main was cut short though after he burst into flames on the back stretch in just the beginning laps, due to an oil line blowing off the oil fitting!  As he made his way around to the front straightaway, he was already unbuckled and out of his HOT rod when it came to a stop.  The track fire crew was on it immediately and extinguished the flames.  Buddy was fine, just bummed that he dnf’d for the night.  And, the car didn’t receive much damage, mostly and oily mess and a few wires charred.

Buddy’s crew will have the car ready for practice this Friday, April 12th at the Kern County Raceway Park.  And, will be racing it on their opening night May 4th.  Hope to see all of you there!

Race on!!!

Bakersfield California

The 2013 racing season is about to begin, but not until Buddy is recognized for a respectable 6th place overall points finish out of 94 drivers in the 2012 SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour Legend Series (Young Lions, Semi-Pros, Pros and Masters combined).  He will be honored on February 9, 2013 at the Crystal Palace for his outstanding efforts.

This now 13 year old kid raced his heart out all season piloting the #22 H&S Body Works and Towing, Advanced Distribution, Cow-Boy Bail Bonds, RTS, American Fabrication, Race Hard.com sponsored 1937 Ford Sedan around many oval tracks throughout California, Nevada and Arizona.

As being the youngest driver at 12 years old, competing in the Young Lions Division, he amazed us all on his first racing season EVER on the asphalt.  He qualified hard, raced hard in heats and a won a few B mains to capture a starting position in EVERY “A” Main he entered!

The car count was always large, anywhere from 25-45 legends competing for the same 22 car “A” Main field.  Not only did these events have Young Lions but also included Semi-Pros, Pros and Masters.  Most of these drivers had several years of experience, and ages ranged from 12 to 70, with the majority of these drivers being in their 20’s.  Buddy had to start mid to the back of the field most races, and drove his way past all of his peers for solid finishes.  Calculations show that he was the highest passing driver during the 2012 season!

During the 2012 racing season he accomplished many goals that he set out for himself with the help of his AWESOME pit crew; earning the respect of his fellow drivers, figuring out the asphalt game, piloting his #22 race car to the extreme, passing and mixing it up with drivers and most of all, having a ton of fun!

Buddy is looking forward to competing at the Kern County Raceway here in Bakersfield, SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour Series, a handful of events at Irwindale Speedway and trying to fit in a few races at The Bullring in Las Vegas during the 2013 racing season.  His schedule is quite full and is happy that his sponsors, team, fans and family will be supporting him each time he hits the track!

We are so proud of him and look forward to the many surprises his talent has to offer in the upcoming season.

See you on April 20th at the Kern County Raceway for the opening race!

Race on!!!

Bakersfield, CA

Buddy Shepherd Rocks Roseville!!!  Just after celebrating his 13th birthday earlier in the week and his first time ever racing at the All American Speedway in Roseville, California, he finished with an amazing 6th place finish from 18th starting position.  The Buddy Shepherd #22 Young Lion Legend was SMOKIN’ FAST!

After Friday nights’ practice and ending up 9th fastest, he was pumped to hit the track on Saturday.  After practice, 31 Masters, Pros, Semi-Pros and Young Lions hit the track to qualify.  Buddy was bummed, as he qualified 18th out of the 31 Legends.

He made an attack plan for the main, which was made up of a 26 car field.  Once the green flag dropped he never looked back!  As he passed cars on the low side, on the high side and dodged a few mishaps along the way, he came across the finish line in 6th, just missing 5th place by inches!  He definitely executed the mission he had planned, however, a shortened race (cutting it by 10 laps due to time restraint), left him out of time for more victims!

Thanks everyone!!!

Bakersfield, CA

12 year old Buddy Shepherd takes the Bullring in Las Vegas by the horns!  After 3 days of racing his Legend car in the Young Lions/Semi-Pro division, he racked up an impressive 4th place finish Friday night, 2nd place finish on Saturday and unfortunately dnf’d while running 4th on Sunday.

His first win almost came Saturday night as he battled it out on the last lap!  Once he caught up to the leader he waited patiently for the last lap, then making his move coming out of turn 2 on the last lap underneath the leader.  When they both entered turn 3, the leader cut down on him, Buddy got a little sideways, collected the car and received the checkered flag in 2nd position.

And, Sundays’ race ended when he became an innocent victim of the two cars in front of him.  As he went into turn one in 4th position, (at which time you could throw a blanket over 2nd, 3rd and 4th) the car in 3rd punted the car in 2nd place and Buddy had nowhere to go.  He suffered right front end suspension damage and had to be taken off the track on the hook.

It was an awesome weekend of racing!  Many thanks to the team, sponsors, family and friends who support his dream.