It’s a tradition that started in 1934 at famed Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, now the home to CBS Studios. Nine speedways have hosted the event, which has been won by some of the sport’s biggest and anonymous names.

This year’s edition, held for the third straight year in Riverside County, will not only feature USAC championships but also a look at some of the country’s best young drivers competing against established veterans.

In fact, one of the young bucks started what is now a tradition at the half-mile clay oval. In 2012, Kyle Larson, two years before his NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie season, kissed J.C. Agajanian’s bronzed hat that is mounted upon the Aggie trophy that lists all the winners. Agajanian, who passed away in 1984 at age 70, forged the status of the race while he operated Ascot Park in Gardena.

The roots of racing in the region can be traced to this event. It was held at Gilmore from 1934 to 1950, before it dropped from the schedule for four years. In 1955, it was revived at Gardena Stadium and moved to Ascot Park from 1960 to 1974. It was run at 605 Speedway in Irwindale for a year before returning to Ascot for another 15 years.

Since then, the event has been run at Saugus Speedway (1991), Bakersfield Speedway (1992-1995, 1998), Ventura Raceway (1997), Irwindale Speedway (1999-2011) and now at Perris Auto Speedway.

PAS will honor the link to the past as Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner who also won the Thanksgiving night race in 1964 and 1966, will serve as the event’s grand marshal. Also, the fastest qualifier will receive the Jason Leffler Fast Time Award in honor of the late Long Beach driver who won in 1999 and 2005.

Defending champion Dave Darland is among three past winners expected to compete in the 98-lap classic (another salute to Agajanian’s old car number). Darland also has the distinction of being the only driver to have won the event on pavement (Irwindale, 2007) and dirt (PAS, 2013).

Darland is ninth in a tight points battle for the USAC National Championship. Rico Abreau has a 26-point edge on Christopher Bell — winner of 25 main events in sprint cars, midgets and pavement stock cars this year — and 36 ahead of Tracy Hines.

Larson and 19-year-old Tyler Thomas provide a peek into the future. Larson, one of the leading rookies in NASCAR’s premier series, will return to dirt racing for the first time since the Chili Bowl in Oklahoma City earlier this year.

The 18-year-old Thomas, 10th in points, has raced in the Lucas Oil National Midget and Late Models in addition to his USAC schedule.

Larson will drive for Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian Racing team along with Bryan Clauson. Other teammates will include Bell, Abreu and Tanner Thorson.

Darland will team with Kevin Thomas Jr. and Trey Marcham for car owner Keith Ford.

The local contingent for Turkey Night will include 2014 USAC/CRA champion Damion Gardner and Norco’s Ronnie Gardner (no relation). Damion was en route to victory a year ago but had a left wheel fall off late in the race. Ronnie Gardner won his second straight Western Midget championship last Saturday in Peoria, Ariz.

Ron Shuman is the all-time “Turkey Night” winner with eight between 1979 and 1993. Billy Boat, the former IndyCar driver whose son Chad will be in the field, scored a record three consecutive wins at three tracks (1995-1997). Darland and Clauson could become only the third driver to win the race at least three times.

While the list of winners also includes Jones, A.J. Foyt, Tony Stewart, Tony and Gary Bettenhausen and Bill Vukovich, it was Rancho Cucamonga’s Danny McKnight who stole the spotlight in 1974.