Bakersfield Daily: Warm days and fog risk, Kern Raceway race roster, big community gathering

Top local headlines

• Spring-like warmth continues, with some early-morning fog possible in the valley.
• The entry list is out for Saturday’s Oil Workers 150 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
• A major Kern Catholic Prayer Breakfast program brought a large crowd to downtown Bakersfield and Garces High School.
• Regional watch: a massive solar buildout is advancing in the San Joaquin Valley, with potential ripple effects for jobs and land use.

Weather and commute notes

Temperatures have been running well above the late-February norm, and the warm pattern is expected to hold through Thursday. Forecasters also flagged the chance of patches of dense fog early Thursday in parts of the valley, which can cut visibility quickly on morning drives.

Weekend at Kern Raceway

Motorsports fans get a busy weekend: the ARCA Menards Series West Oil Workers 150 is scheduled for Saturday at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. A newly published entry list shows a mix of returning teams and new faces, setting up an early-season benchmark race for the series.

If you are heading out, plan for event traffic and give yourself time for parking and security lines.

Community

Thousands were expected for the Kern Catholic Prayer Breakfast events Wednesday, starting at a downtown parish and continuing with a stadium-style program at Garces High School. Organizers said the day was designed to blend worship, service, and a high-profile keynote talk.

Regional watch

A Valley news briefing highlighted continued momentum on what is being described as the country’s largest solar project underway in the region. While the project footprint is outside Bakersfield proper, the scale has locals watching for related workforce demand, contracting opportunities, and long-term changes in how farmland and open land are used.

Sources

• https://www.turnto23.com/weather/early-taste-of-spring-continues-wednesday
• https://www.arcaracing.com/2026/02/25/entry-list-oil-workers-150-at-kevin-harvicks-kern-raceway/
• https://www.turnto23.com/news/in-your-neighborhood/bakersfield/8th-annual-kern-catholic-prayer-breakfast-to-welcome-father-mike-schmitz-to-bakersfield
• https://www.kvpr.org/podcast/central-valley-daily/2026-02-26/feb-26-the-countrys-biggest-solar-project-is-underway-in-the-valley