BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Apr. 4, 2025) — On March 22nd this year, Bakersfield native Gavyn Manning embarked on what would become one of the most unforgettable nights of his young career. Competing at the Bill and Shirley Meyer Memorial at Mohave Valley Raceway in Bullhead City, Arizona, Manning flipped his car during hot laps—a chaotic beginning to what would soon become a rare and remarkable comeback story.
“I was going to try and go to the top of the board in hot laps, but I didn’t realize how greasy the track was,” Manning explained. “I hit some grease going into turn three and blew off the top and rolled and ended on top of the tractor tires. More than anything, it was sheet metal damage, but it really bent the J-bar. We beat out the roof, the sail panels, and the deck and had to scramble and find a new J-bar, and made it just in time for the heat race.”
What followed was the kind of story race fans live for. With adrenaline high and time short, Manning and his crew thrashed in the pits to get the car back on track. Just hours after flipping, he rolled into the feature like nothing had happened—ready to hunt down the front of the field. He started eighth in the feature and charged to the front, taking the lead on lap seven and never looking back…