From Ben Deatherage
WATSONVILLE, CA (July 13, 2024) — Justin Sanders continues to impress on the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign, taking home a big $6,900 check for winning the 14th Annual Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway. The Monterey Bay, CA native solidified the lead after a spirited battle with Cole Macedo around the midway mark of the 30-lapper to secure his second career victory at the marquis event.
Macedo grabbed the initial lead when the green flag dropped in the lucrative headliner. The Tarlton & Son #21 Maxim pilot was the recipient of a claymaker in turn two by Sanders on the following circuit.
Sanders, aboard the Mittry Motorsports Farmers Brewing Company #2X KPC, was in the process of checking out before reaching lapped traffic on lap seven. Macedo took a swing at Sanders on the 10th circuit, but Sanders kept him in check and another caution waved shortly afterwards.
On the restart Macedo again got around Sanders in turn four to pace the field on lap 13, only for Sanders to return the favor the next time around.
Traffic became a factor again with a dozen circuits remaining until a late caution on lap 23 slowed the field one last time. Sanders took no prisoners the rest of the way to win by almost a second.
“We had a really good race car and were really good in the midpoint of the race,” commented Sanders in victory lane after his 19th career NARC main event. “I was sliding myself on exit, and I didn’t know when to stop doing that. I didn’t want to leave the top open for (Cole) to get a run on me going into turn three. It all worked out from us knowing when to move, how hard to push, and not making any mistakes with any lapped cars.”
Macedo finished a solid second. The podium was completed by 2005 NARC champion Sean Becker in the Bjork Construction #7B Maxim for car owner Don Bjork.
Howard Kaeding’s grandsons completed the balance of the top five finishers. 2017 NARC champion Bud Kaeding was fourth in the Kaeding Performance Center #29 Maxim, followed by two-time NARC title-winning Tim Kaeding in the Williams Motorsports #0 Maxim machine.
Chase Johnson and Shane Golobic were next to take the checkered, chased by Williams Roofing Hardcharger and semi-transfer Michael Faccinto who starting 22nd. ARP Quick Qualifier Kaleb Montgomery and Ryan Bernal rounded out the top ten.
The Heat winners were Sanders, Golobic, Johnson, and Becker.
Howard Kaeding Classic
Northern Auto Racing Club
Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, California
Saturday, July 13, 2024
Qualifying Flight A
1. 29-Bud Kaeding, 11.165[3]
2. 15-Nick Parker, 11.277[12]
3. 2X-Justin Sanders, 11.326[4]
4. 17W-Shane Golobic, 11.378[9]
5. 73-Ryan Bernal, 11.430[5]
6. 121-Caeden Steele, 11.453[15]
7. X1-Michael Faccinto, 11.523[13]
8. 0-Tim Kaeding, 11.593[1]
9. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield, 11.595[8]
10. 12J-John Clark, 11.823[11]
11. 09S-Geoffrey Strole, 12.000[6]
12. 3M-Adam Kaeding, 12.204[10]
13. 25Z-Jason Chisum, 12.256[7]
14. 4-Burt Foland Jr, 12.341[2]
DNS: 3D-Caleb Debem, 12.341
Qualifying Flight B
1. 3-Kaleb Montgomery, 11.100[2]
2. 21-Cole Macedo, 11.276[4]
3. 24-Chase Johnson, 11.342[3]
4. 88A-Joey Ancona, 11.374[5]
5. 10-Dominic Gorden, 11.383[6]
6. 7B-Sean Becker, 11.449[14]
7. 42X-Justyn Cox, 11.588[1]
8. 26-Billy Aton, 11.601[10]
9. 88N-DJ Netto, 11.635[9]
10. 2K-Gauge Garcia, 11.821[8]
11. 72W-Kurt Nelson, 11.838[7]
12. 12-Jarrett Soares, 11.899[12]
13. 8-Jeremy Chisum, 11.912[13]
14. 31-Kyle Beilman, 12.771[11]
15. 34B-Glenn Bryan, 13.202[15]
Heat Race #1 (10 Laps)
1. 2X-Justin Sanders[1]
2. 29-Bud Kaeding[4]
3. 73-Ryan Bernal[2]
4. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[5]
5. 25Z-Jason Chisum[7]
6. X1-Michael Faccinto[3]
7. 3D-Caleb Debem[8]
8. 09S-Geoffrey Strole[6]
Heat Race #2 (10 Laps)
1. 17W-Shane Golobic[1]
2. 121-Caeden Steele[2]
3. 0-Tim Kaeding[3]
4. 15-Nick Parker[4]
5. 12J-John Clark[5]
6. 4-Burt Foland Jr[7]
7. 3M-Adam Kaeding[6]
Heat Race #3 (10 Laps)
1. 24-Chase Johnson[1]
2. 10-Dominic Gorden[2]
3. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[4]
4. 72W-Kurt Nelson[6]
5. 42X-Justyn Cox[3]
6. 88N-DJ Netto[5]
7. 8-Jeremy Chisum[7]
8. 34B-Glenn Bryan[8]
Heat Race #4 (10 Laps)
1. 7B-Sean Becker[2]
2. 21-Cole Macedo[4]
3. 88A-Joey Ancona[1]
4. 2K-Gauge Garcia[5]
5. 26-Billy Aton[3]
6. 12-Jarrett Soares[6]
7. 31-Kyle Beilman[7]
Dash (6 Laps)
1. 21-Cole Macedo[1]
2. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]
3. 29-Bud Kaeding[4]
4. 7B-Sean Becker[3]
5. 24-Chase Johnson[5]
6. 15-Nick Parker[7]
7. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[6]
8. 17W-Shane Golobic[8]
B-Main
1. 88N-DJ Netto[2]
2. X1-Michael Faccinto[1]
3. 12-Jarrett Soares[4]
4. 8-Jeremy Chisum[6]
5. 3D-Caleb Debem[7]
6. 4-Burt Foland Jr[3]
7. 3M-Adam Kaeding[5]
8. 09S-Geoffrey Strole[9]
9. 31-Kyle Beilman[8]
10. 34B-Glenn Bryan[10]
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]
2. 21-Cole Macedo[1]
3. 7B-Sean Becker[4]
4. 29-Bud Kaeding[3]
5. 0-Tim Kaeding[13]
6. 24-Chase Johnson[5]
7. 17W-Shane Golobic[8]
8. X1-Michael Faccinto[22]
9. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[7]
10. 73-Ryan Bernal[12]
11. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[14]
12. 15-Nick Parker[6]
13. 42X-Justyn Cox[17]
14. 88A-Joey Ancona[11]
15. 88N-DJ Netto[21]
16. 121-Caeden Steele[10]
17. 2K-Gauge Garcia[15]
18. 10-Dominic Gorden[9]
19. 26-Billy Aton[18]
20. 12J-John Clark[19]
21. 72W-Kurt Nelson[16]
22. 25Z-Jason Chisum[20]
23. 12-Jarrett Soares[23]
24. 8-Jeremy Chisum[24]
Lap leaders: Cole Macedo 1, 4; Justin Sanders 2-13, 15-30
Western Midget Racing
Heat Race #1 (6 Laps)
1. 09-Bryant Bell[1]
2. 11-Teddy Bivert[2]
3. 9-Anthony Bruno[5]
4. 1K-Terry Nichols[3]
5. 35-Jerry Kobza[4]
6. 18-Todd Hawse[6]
Heat Race #2 (6 Laps)
1. 96X-Logan Mitchell[6]
2. 4-Isaiah Vasquez[1]
3. 20-Kyle Hawse[3]
4. 15-Adam Weisberg[5]
5. 57-Ray Richards[8]
6. 6X-Taylor Hall[2]
7. 68-Ron Hazelton[4]
DNS: 1T-Scott Hall
A-Main (20 Laps)
1. 09-Bryant Bell[1]
2. 9-Anthony Bruno[3]
3. 11-Teddy Bivert[2]
4. 35-Jerry Kobza[5]
5. 18-Todd Hawse[6]
6. 20-Kyle Hawse[9]
7. 15-Adam Weisberg[10]
8. 6X-Taylor Hall[12]
9. 68-Ron Hazelton[13]
10. 57-Ray Richards[11]
11. 1K-Terry Nichols[4]
12. 96X-Logan Mitchell[7]
13. 4-Isaiah Vasquez[8]
14. 1T-Scott Hall[14]