The K&N West Racing Series rolls into town on May 13 for a full night of racing action at the Spokane Super Oval in Airway Heights. If you enjoy watching NASCAR live or even on TV, and haven’t been out to the local races for a while, this event is a terrific choice for you and the whole family. The K&N West Series has a 14-race season starting mid-March and running until early November. It is a traveling series racing circle tracks all over the Western U.S., as does its sister series K&N East which runs out East. It is the primary developmental series for NASCAR, so many upcoming and talented drivers are anxious to make their mark in K&N Racing.

Two drivers racing at the Super Oval on May 13 are Nicole Behar of Otis Orchards and Braeden Havens of Spokane. Behar, 19, is racing the full K&N schedule this year and is currently sitting fourth in points after four races. She raced a full K&N season in 2015 and had the best finish ever for a K&N West female driver and was awarded the 2015 K&N Most Popular Driver Award. In 2016, she raced a limited schedule with the K&N Series and ran races in the ARCA tour last year back east. Prior to that she was a Hydrive Late Model Champion and two-time Baby Grand Champion. She started racing in go karts at the age of eight and hasn’t looked back since. Behar comes from a racing family: her dad and grandfather are past champions.

Much like Behar, Havens comes from a racing heritage starting with his grandfather who raced on dirt in Minnesota in the 1960s and his father who still races against Havens in Late Models locally on occasion. Havens also started his racing career as so many do, driving go karts. After multiple wins and championships he moved into the driver’s seat of a late model at age 15, and started racing with the K&N series when he was 17. This year he is running the K&N series on a limited schedule so that he can pursue a full tour season with the Northwest Super Late Models where he finished a strong second last year. This year, he really wants to run for the championship. In 2016, he won the coveted Idaho 200, his biggest thrill to date in racing, made all the sweeter by winning on his home track in front of his family and friends.

That is a theme throughout racing which rings true with both of these young and talented drivers, sharing hard work and long hours, but also the fun and excitement of racing with their friends and family. You can follow both of these drivers and their racing season at Nicole Behar Racing and Killer “B” Racing. This upcoming race should be a great match-up between these two drivers and the rest of the strong field from all over the Western United States.

The racing action at the Spokane Super Oval on May 13 will include School Bus Races and Pony Stocks, prior to the running of the Toyota Napa Auto Parts 150 K&N Race. Upon the conclusion of the racing, the night will be capped off by a fireworks show. When NASCAR comes to town it puts on a great show, and its one not to be missed. “Like” the Spokane Super Oval Facebook page where you can get the most up to date information on their racing for that night and the whole season.

Michele Martin is a photographer and lifelong Spokane resident and motorsports enthusiast.