STOCKTON — CARS Tour West made its only appearance of the season at Stockton 99 Speedway on Saturday night, and this party was banging.

The Pro and Limited Late Model divisions put on a quite a display for an enthusiastic crowd on April 18 with intense racing in the straights and corners. There was side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper action for position, and plenty of bumping and grinding.

In the end, Kyle Keller of Las Vegas and Jay Juleson of San Jose each captured their first CARS Tour West victories in the Impact Transportation 225 with Keller in the 125-lap Pro Late Model main event and Juleson in the 100-lap Limited Late Model feature. Interestingly, both drive car No. 12.

Keller nipped Jaron Giannini for the No. 1 qualifying spot in Pro Late Model with a lap at 13.511 seconds around Stockton 99’s quarter-mile paved oval to Giannini’s 13.516. Taylor Mayhew, 15, qualified third at 13.534, and those three were the top three for much of the main event until Mayhew tapped Giannini’s back left bumper in the backstretch late in the race. Giannini ended up in the wall in turn 4, exited his car and held out the “What gives?” sign with his arms spread wide when Mayhew came around again under yellow.

“Giannini and Mayhew were definitely really fast there,” Keller said in the winners’ circle. “I knew I had to save my tires as much as I could just in case something happens like it did.”

Mayhew was sent to the back of the field with 17 laps left, and local leadfoot Mike Beeler of Salida inherited the lead over Keller.

Yet another caution flag waved when Mayhew and James Hamlin of Oregon City, Oregon, tangled, setting up another restart for Keller to regain the lead from Beeler on lap 109. Keller pulled away to win by 1.116 seconds with Beeler second, Bakersfield’s Robby Sawyer third, Hans Beeler fourth and Vito Cancilla of Martinez fifth. The 14-car starting grid was thinned by half at the checkered flag.

“Beeler gave me a run for my money there, and that was really good, hard racing between both of us. That was probably the best battle there the entire race,” said Keller, who bagged $7,500 for the win. “We took the points lead so hopefully we can keep our momentum.”

Juleson then owned all but one restart to win the Limited Late Model race, beating points leader Kenna Mitchell of Loomis to the checkered flag by 2.104 seconds.

Like the Pro Late Model event, the Limited Late Model grind included several caution flags for spins and other assorted get-togethers, leaving five of the 15 starters in the infield by race’s end.

Having topped qualifying at 14.141 seconds, Juleson said he “knew it was going to be up to me” in the main event and he responded, setting the quickest lap of the race at 14.539 on lap 33 and winning all but one restart – against Justin Philpott of nearby Tracy.

Juleson got another opportunity, though, and regained the lead with the two drivers twisting and banging in turns 3 and 4.

“Restarts are so, so, so important here,” said Juleson. “When he got to the lead, I knew this would be my chance to get him back.”

Juleson led the rest of the way, saying while his racer went through post-race tech, “Those last 20 laps I was hoping to just stay green.”

Mitchell then battled Philpott with Brenden Ruzbarsky of Tracy also joining the chase. Mitchell eventually nudged her way by Philpott, as did Ruzbarsky, to finish second and third. Tanner Huddleston was fourth and Philpott fifth.

Mitchell sandwiched third- and fourth-place finishes at The Bullring in Las Vegas around a victory at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on March 14 before her runner-up finish at Stockton 99.

Legends: Logan Chambers of Bakersfield said his “car ran great” in winning the 30-lap main event (and $2,000) by .096 of a second behind Stockton 99 regular Wyatt Sansom. Ruzbarsky finished third and Wyatt’s brother Zach Sansom was fourth.

“It’s fun when you have Ruzbarsky in a Legends race, you’re racing against Chambers,” Wyatt Sansom said. “I always look forward to the next one.”

Stockton 99 Speedway returns to action Saturday, May 2, with racing in the Stockton Late Model, Stockton Mini Stock and Pure Stock divisions.