By Ben Deatherage
(4/6/24 – ) Stockton, California … Cole Macedo has started the season on a hot streak, dominating the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series competition by leading all 28-laps of the curfew-shortened Asparagus Cup at the recently reconfigured Stockton Dirt Track. It was his second straight NARC victory driving the Tarlton & Son/Complete Parts and Equipment Solutions #21 Maxim for car owners Tom and Tommy Tarlton. It was also the first time he has scored in Stockton.
“I’d rather be lucky than good any day as long as I get a check like this,” commented an ecstatic Macedo in victory lane. “Luckily, Drew (Warner, crew chief) and the guys gave me such a good car.”
Starting on the outside front row, Macedo powered past polesitter D.J. Netto to lead the opening lap of the contest. Macedo had to deal with several caution periods throughout the feature, which put a lot of pressure on perfect restarts to stay ahead of the field.
Twice, Macedo entered lapped traffic, and every time he seemed to get bottled up behind slower cars, he was blessed with a caution. Despite three restarts in the last half of the main event, Macedo ran his line and outlasted all challengers to win his third career NARC 410 Sprint Car Series victory.
“I knew if I got off the bottom, I was probably going to get passed, and I kept hearing (Justin Sanders), but after a lap or two, I could get into a rhythm and get my gap,” continued Macedo. “I was getting worried about those late-race restarts, and all it would take is me biking one time, and someone was going to get by me.”
The eighth starting Sanders rallied in the race’s second half to earn the runner-up in the Farmer’s Brewing Company/North County Plastering #2X Maxim. Tanner Carrick placed his California Waterfowl/TC Guide Service #83T Maxim, in third for his first NARC podium since 2022.
Chase Johnson, who started tenth, battled fiercely to stay among the top five and managed to post a fourth-place result in the Toyota of Marin/Price Family Dealerships #24 Maxim. The Parker Automotive/MetalTec Fabrication #15 Maxim driven by Nick Parker posted a NARC career best fifth place finish.
Kaleb Montgomery earned Williams Roofing Hardcharger honors after a 20th to sixth place run, while Bud Kaeding came back from an early race spin to end the night in seventh. Caeden Steele wound up the highest-finishing rookie in eighth. Ryan Bernal and Gauge Garcia rounded out the top ten.
Colby Copeland, Shane Golobic, Dominic Gorden, and Landon Brooks went for red flag rides in the feature, but all walked away unharmed.
Macedo was the fastest driver in ARP Qualifying.
Bud Kaeding, Joey Ancona, Netto and Croft collected heat race victories. Netto won the Beacon Wealth Strategies Trophy Dash.
HOOSIER RACING TIRES A-FEATURE (30 Laps): 1. 21-Cole Macedo[2]; 2. 2X-Justin Sanders[8]; 3. 83T-Tanner Carrick[12]; 4. 24-Chase Johnson[10]; 5. 15-Nick Parker[15]; 6. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[20]; 7. 29-Bud Kaeding[5]; 8. 121-Caeden Steele[14]; 9. 73-Ryan Bernal[23]; 10. 2K-Gauge Garcia[21]; 11. 7B-Sean Becker[16]; 12. 12-Jarrett Soares[18]; 13. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez[17]; 14. 88N-DJ Netto[1]; 15. 45W-Landon Brooks[19]; 16. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[24]; 17. 29ER-Willie Croft[7]; 18. 88A-Joey Ancona[6]; 19. 26-Billy Aton[22]; 20. 10-Dominic Gorden[9]; 21. 0-Tim Kaeding[4]; 22. 17W-Shane Golobic[3]; 23. 5V-Colby Copeland[13]; 24. 42X-Justyn Cox[11]
METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Cole Macedo, 1-28
WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER: Kaleb Montgomery +14 (20th to 6th)
ARP FAST QUALIFIER (31 Cars): Cole Macedo, 13.379
BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (10 Laps): 1. 29-Bud Kaeding[1]; 2. 42X-Justyn Cox[6]; 3. 21-Cole Macedo[4]; 4. 121-Caeden Steele[3]; 5. 45W-Landon Brooks[7]; 6. 26-Billy Aton[5]; 7. 2K-Gauge Garcia[2]; 8. 45-Jake Morgan[8]
KIMO’S TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (10 Laps): 1. 88A-Joey Ancona[1]; 2. 10-Dominic Gorden[2]; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders[4]; 4. 15-Nick Parker[3]; 5. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[8]; 6. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[5]; 7. 21M-Michael Ing[7]; 8. X1-Michael Faccinto[6]
BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT THREE (10 Laps): 1. 88N-DJ Netto[3]; 2. 0-Tim Kaeding[4]; 3. 83T-Tanner Carrick[2]; 4. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez[6]; 5. 12-Jarrett Soares[5]; 6. 75-Bill Smith[8]; 7. 2R-Richard Brace Jr.[7]; DNS 73-Ryan Bernal
KAEDING PERFORMANCE CENTER HEAT FOUR (10 Laps): 1. 29ER-Willie Croft[1]; 2. 24-Chase Johnson[2]; 3. 5V-Colby Copeland[5]; 4. 7B-Sean Becker[3]; 5. 17W-Shane Golobic[4]; 6. 12J-John Clark[6]; 7. 4-Burt Foland Jr.[7]
BEACON WEALTH STRATEGIES & RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL TROPHY DASH (6 Laps): 1. 88N-DJ Netto[2]; 2. 21-Cole Macedo[1]; 3. 17W-Shane Golobic[7]; 4. 0-Tim Kaeding[6]; 5. 29-Bud Kaeding[3]; 6. 88A-Joey Ancona[5]; 7. 29ER-Willie Croft[8]; 8. 2X-Justin Sanders[4]
STARR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT B-FEATURE (12 laps): 1. 2K-Gauge Garcia[1]; 2. 26-Billy Aton[3]; 3. 73-Ryan Bernal[2]; 4. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[4]; 5. 45-Jake Morgan[11]; 6. 75-Bill Smith[6]; 7. 21M-Michael Ing[9]; 8. 4-Burt Foland Jr.[8]; 9. 2R-Richard Brace Jr.[7]; 10. 12J-John Clark[5]; DNS X1-Michael Faccinto