By Jim Allen
Chico, CA – (4-25-22) … The NARC Fujitsu General 410 Sprint Cars will travel to the historic Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California this Saturday, April 30th for the tenth annual David Tarter Memorial. Joining the 410-winged sprint car will be a point race for the B mods.
The event honors the late driver who tragically passed in 2012, less than a year after he claimed Silver Dollar Speedway’s Rookie of the Year honors. On top of being a promising talent behind the wheel, the Chico native was admired in the community, and his home track has hosted a night of racing in his honor since 2013. Saturday’s Fujitsu General USA Feature will award $3500 to the winner as a tribute to Tarter’s car number.
Proceeds and donations raised at the event will go to the David Tarter 35 Foundation which benefits the pediatric ward of Chico’s Enloe Medical Center. The foundation has already helped raise more than $20,000 for Enloe.
Saturday will mark the second race of the 2022 NARC campaign. The West Coast’s premier 410 sprint car series has made more than 200 trips to Silver Dollar Speedway since the first visit back in 1968, but this will be the first since the promising new promotional group, SLC Promotions, took the reigns.
The trio that composes the group, Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson, and Colby Copeland, are excited to welcome NARC for the special event as they continue to usher in a new era at the quarter mile dirt oval.
“Tarter was a great guy on and off the track because he would do anything for anyone to help them out,” Copeland said. “He didn’t have a very big budget at all but would give his shirt off his back if a guy needed it.
“It’s cool to help the David Tarter Memorial race keep going because he was loved by so many people,” Copeland added. “It’s awesome to see how many friends and family come out to support the Tarter race. Hopefully we can do a good job and live up to the hype the Tarter Memorial brings.”
Championship Chase
Colby Copeland leads the way courtesy of his dominant win at the NARC opener. However, with his promoting obligations this weekend Copeland will have to exit the cockpit and relinquish the points lead.
Full-time series drivers Dominic Scelzi (2nd in points), Mitchell Faccinto (3rd), and Willie Croft (5th) are primed to take over the point lead early in their championship hunts. A host of others chasing the title are also hoping to make leaps in the standings this weekend.
Who to Watch:
A driver everyone will be keeping their eyes on is Elk Grove native Paul McMahan. The 1994 & 1995 NARC runner-up is flying in from his home in Tennessee and is climbing back in Clyde Lamar’s iconic TRI-C Machine with hopes to wheel it to Silver Dollar Speedway victory lane one more time as the ultimate tribute to the late car owner. Before he became a star on the World of Outlaws tour, McMahan cut his teeth in California and picked up his fair share of checkered flags in the No. 3C. McMahan is a four-time NARC feature winner at Silver Dollar Speedway with a trio of those coming in the TRI-C Machine. Also helping to honor Clyde Lamar will be a celebration of life at the track at 12:30 P.M. on Saturday.
“I’m semi-retired,” McMahan said. “But I couldn’t retire without driving Clyde Lamar’s car in Chico one last time.”
There is no track more synonymous with success on Tim Kaeding’s NARC resumé than Silver Dollar Speedway. Of TK’s 71 series victories, 18 of them have come in Chico. During one stretch of the San Jose driver’s career from 2003 to 2008, Kaeding put together a run of 20 consecutive NARC top-fives at Silver Dollar Speedway including 11 of his 18 total wins.
Aromas’ Justin Sanders has developed a reputation as one of the best on the bullrings, and he’ll look to add to that this weekend. Sanders has won in two of his last three series starts at Silver Dollar Speedway including NARC’s most recent trip for last year’s Louie Vermeil Classic finale.
A driver hungry to get to victory lane with a good shot Saturday is Colfax’s Willie Croft. Croft hasn’t snagged a NARC checkered flag since a 2018 triumph at none other than Silver Dollar Speedway. The track is also home to his inaugural series win back in 2004.
Also expected to compete this Saturday are Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Hanford brothers Mitchell and Michael Faccinto, Benicia’s Billy Aton, Hanford’s D.J. Netto, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Sebastopol’s Joel Myers Jr., Australian Kerry Madsen, Clovis’ Corey Day, Roseville’s Sean Becker, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Idaho’s Logan Forler, the brothers from Lincoln Tanner and Blake Carrick, Angelique Bell from Sacramento, Redding’s Max Mittry and more.
Fan & Competitor Info
The NARC-King of the West Hoosier Tire format will feature ARP Fast Time Qualifying, four 10-lap Heat Races, a six-lap Sunnyvalley Bacon Trophy Dash, a Kaeding Performance Semi and the Fujitsu General USA Feature.
The pit gates will open at 2:00 P.M. with the front gates following at 4:00 P.M. The drivers meeting will take place at 4:45, and cars will hit the track for wheel pack at 5:15 with hot laps and qualifying set to follow.
Happy hour will take place at 4 P.M. near the beer booth and will feature a live DJ.
Adult General Admission tickets are $25. Seniors ages 60+ and juniors ages 12-15 will be admitted for $20. Kids ages 11 and under will be admitted for just $5. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance via the following link: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/silver-dollar-speedway-2022.
Camping is available at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. Please call (530) 966-4020 to reserve your spot.
Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds at 2343 Fair St, Chico, CA 95928. For more information visit silverdollarspeedway.com or call (530) 966-4020
The David Tarter Memorial will be broadcast live on floracing.com along with the entire NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car schedule.
NARC RACE TEAMS: Flowmaster or Spintech mufflers are required at Silver Dollar Speedway.
David Tarter Memorial Winners
2013 – Sean Becker
2014 – Kyle Hirst
2015 – Craig Stidham
2016 – Kyle Hirst
2017 – Kyle Hirst
2018 – Kyle Hirst
2019 – Kyle Hirst (5)
2020 – cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 – Justin Sanders