By Ben Deatherage
(4/1/24)- Stockton, CA … The wait will soon be over as the highly anticipated reshaped Stockton Dirt Track is set to host the 900+ horsepower speed machines of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series. The Saturday, April 6th show will feature the West Coast top teams as they negotiate a new ¼-mile clay oval at the 2024 Asparagus Cup.
“Sprint car teams have been asking for a reconfiguration of our track to promote even better open-wheel racing,” explained promoter Tony Noceti. “We worked hard over the winter to meet that demand, and I’m proud of what we have created at the Stockton Dirt Track. Race fans are going to be treated to an exciting bullring of sprint car racing action on our new quarter-mile oval.”
With the newly configured track, all of the traveling teams will have to start from scratch, negating years of research and volumes of track notes on car set-ups. That makes the Asparagus Cup a wide-open affair with no team having a distinct advantage.
This marks the second round of the Northern Auto Racing Club’s 65th-anniversary series, that has already experienced two rainouts this Spring. The companion division for the evening is the Sprint Car Challenge Tour 360 Sprints.
Who to Watch
Colby Copeland will make his 2024 debut with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series on Saturday, driving the Larry Antaya-owned #16A entry. Copeland, from Roseville, is the defending winner of the Asparagus Cup, claiming top honors in April of 2022. The 2023 event was rained out.
“I know there’s a little different shape of a track, but we are hoping to get dialed in be at the front,” commented Copeland, who hopes to continue the Asparagus Cup success. “It should be interesting, but the thing is that everyone will start on the same track and no one will have an advantage on anyone else. “It would be good to win again. The #16A car was fast at the Mini Gold Cup with (Ryan) Robinson and should be fast at Stockton.”
2019 NARC champion D.J. Netto has visited the trademark winner’s circle twice at Stockton in NARC action. Both were Salute to LeRoy Van Conett events, and his most recent Stockton victory was in July of 2022.
Cole Macedo is the lone winner on the current NARC circuit, having earned $10,000 at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Mini Gold Cup. The Lemoore driver, aboard the famed Tarlton Motorsports #21, is looking to capture his first Stockton victory. His best 410 finish was a 14th-place effort in November 2018 at the Tribute to Gary Patterson.
Justin Sanders is no slouch at Stockton, as he had an incredible performance at the 2022 Tribute to GP to close out the NARC season with a victory. Behind the wheel of the Mittry Motorsports #2X, the Aromas driver is looking to open up his 2024 winning account on Saturday night.
Other NARC 410 Series regulars competing for a NARC victory include the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X driven by Clarksburg driver Justyn Cox, 2017 series champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Oakley pilot Dylan Bloomfield in the Vertullo #83V, Billy Aton from Benicia, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Chico’s Nick Parker, Jarrett Soares of Gilroy and many more. This includes the sizable NARC rookie class of 2024, which includes Easton’s Caeden Steele, Gauge Garcia of Lemoore, Dominic Gorden from Clovis, and Chico native Michael Ing.
Fan & Competitor Info
The Stockton Dirt Track is located at the San Joaquin County Fairground at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton, California. Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, Juniors (5-17)/Seniors (65+)/Military (with ID) $25.00, Kids (6-10) $5.00, and 4 and Under are FREE. Online tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asparagus-cup-narc-kws-410-scct-360-sprint-cars-tickets-859908508497?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Pit Gates will open at Noon and the Front Gates at 4:00 pm. Wheel Packing and Hot Laps are slated for 4:30, with time trials and racing to follow.
Additional information can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.com.
The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance race, and a 30-lap main event.
The NARC 410 Sprint Series is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, it has enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit its website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.
The Asparagus Cup at the Stockton Dirt Track can be viewed live on Floracing.com, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race.
The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Diversified Machine Inc., Jim Allen Promotions, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.
NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER ONE EVENT IN 24-RACE SERIES)
Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 142
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 139
Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 138
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 137
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 136
Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 135
Sean Becker, Roseville – 134
Nick Parker, Chico – 133
Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 132
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 131
Ryan Robinson, Roseville – 130
Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 129
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 128
DJ Netto, Hanford – 127
Andy Forsberg, Auburn – 127
Jayson Bright, Antioch (R) – 125
Kalib Henry, Sacramento (R) – 125
Michael Faccinto, Hanford – 123
Robbie Price, Cobble Hill, B.C. – 122
Max Mittry, Redding – 121