By Ben Deatherage
(4/8/24 – ) Hanford, California … A crown jewel of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series schedule, the Peter Murphy Classic is on tap Saturday, April 13th, at Kings Speedway. The winner of the main event will collect a whopping $11,000 paycheck and etch their name on the prestigious winner’s list of this famed event.
The race pays homage to Kings Speedway promotor and longtime NARC competitor Peter Murphy. One of this events special features is a unique “pole shuffle” where two cars at a time will razzle and dazzle on the 3/8-mile clay oval to decide the main event’s starting lineup of the front of the field. It is always a fan-pleaser.
“I’m super excited to have this event come back to Kings,” commented Murphy, a transplanted Australian and open wheel racing enthusiast. “Last year’s pole shuffle was breathtakingly amazing, and the main event was a cracker, too, so come on out and bring a friend because Hanford is the place to be on Saturday night!”
This will be the third round of the highly competitive 65th anniversary season of the NARC tour and the second five-digit payday for the main event winner.
The companion division for the evening is the IMCA Stock Cars.
Who to Watch
Dominic Scelzi is looking to continue to reign supreme of the PMC. The Fresno driver has been on the road battling it out with the High Limit and World of Outlaw tour and is looking to come back to his native California and hit pay dirt. The 2021 and 2022 NARC champion is the three-time defending winner of the Peter Murphy Classic.
NARC point leader Cole Macedo wants to take the $11,000 winner’s check to the Tarlton Motorsports #21 shop. The Lemoore sensation bagged a $10,000 payday at the Mini Gold Cup in March and backed it up at the Stockton Dirt Track’s Asparagus Cup last Saturday. Macedo has three top five finishes at Kings when NARC has been to town and was runner-up in the second main event of the Morrie Williams Memorial.
Last October, Justin Sanders finally broke into victory lane at Hanford when he won the opening main event of the Morrie Williams Memorial. Once again piloting the Mittry Motorsports #2X, the Aromas driver has five podium finishes at the 3/8-mile oval and was fourth at last year’s Classic.
The last time NARC was on hand at Hanford, hometown driver D.J. Netto beat out the competition in the final feature of the Morrie Williams Memorial to score a big win for the team. Undoubtedly, the 2019 NARC champion is hungry to add the Peter Murphy Classic to his already decorated resume.
Eighteen-year-old Dylan Bloomfield is a rising star in the NARC 410 Sprint Series. The Oakley driver has twice finished the Vertullo Racing #83V entry among the Top 10 at Kings and is looking to be among the podium finishers on Saturday night. He was 14th last year.
Campbell’s Bud Kaeding is looking to build off a top five finish last fall at Hanford. The 2017 NARC champ was fourth in the final race at King’s in October 2023 and scored a victory at the facility on June 2nd, 2012. He was among the Top 10 at the 2022 Peter Murphy Classic when he posted a ninth-place result.
Justyn Cox has been very close to conquering Kings twice. The Roseville racer was runner-up in the first feature of the Morrie Williams Memorial last October and did the same thing the previous year but in the second main event. Will the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X slay the competition at the PMC?
The large 2024 rookie class will also be on hand, including Caeden Steele from Easton, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Chico chauffeur Michael Ing, and Dominic Gorden of Clovis.
Other teams looking for victory lane include Chase Johnson of Penngrove, Nick Parker from Chico, Benicia veteran Billy Aton, and Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares. Some other notables to look forward to are Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Hanford driver Michael Faccinto bout the F&F Racing #X1, and Templeton pilot Kaleb Montgomery.
Fan & Competitor Info
Kings Speedway 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.
The Pit Gates will open at 1:00 PM and the Front Gates at 4:00. Hot Laps will begin at 5:00, and racing will begin at 6:00.
Additional information can be found at www.racekingsspeedway.com.
The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting pole shuffle, 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
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 TWO EVENTS IN 24-RACE SERIES – 4/8/24)
Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 285
Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 273
Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 271
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 270
Nick Parker, Chico – 269
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 267
Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 266
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 265
Sean Becker, Roseville – 264
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 262
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 258
Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 253
DJ Netto, Hanford – 252
Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 249
Jarrett Soares, Gilroy – 244
Billy Aton, Benicia – 242
Ashlyn Rodriguez, Wilton – 241
Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 240
Michael Faccinto, Hanford – 233
Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 231
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 27 – Stockton Dirt Track – Salute to NARC champ Leroy Van Conett
May 4 – Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare) – Chris & Brian Faria Memorial
May 11 – Antioch Speedway – Contra Costa County Clash
May 18 – Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare) – KRC Night at the Races
June 1 – Placerville Speedway – Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial