By Ben Deatherage
(10/22/24 -) Bakersfield, CA … The 65th Anniversary NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign is quickly winding down but will offer a fix of open wheel racing with a rare October doubleheader this weekend featuring shows at two different facilities. Fans will be treated to 900+ horsepower sprint car racing at Kevin Harvick’s Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield on Friday, October 25th, for the October Classic.
This show runs in conjunction with the ARCA stock car series, which will be practicing and qualifying on the neighboring half-mile paved oval earlier in the day. Then the show moves over to the dirt track.
Kings Speedway in Hanford will cap the weekend with the Anthony Simone Classic on Saturday, the 26th.
The Anthony Simone Classic, a race held in memory of the late Fresno-based driver, is a unique event in the NARC 410 Series. Known as ‘Mr. Excitement,’ the event is a celebration of Simone’s spirited personality and legendary stories, both on and off the track. His iconic #10 machine and trademark mustache were synonymous with his racing career where he raced on both pavement and dirt.
“Returning to my home track in Hanford, I believe we have a slight advantage due to the numerous laps I’ve run there,” said Cole Macedo, the current NARC point leader. “We also had a strong performance at Kern last year, and I’m eager to tackle both tracks.”
Since its establishment in 2021, the Simone Classic has yet to have a repeat winner, with Shane Golobic, Rico Abreu, and Corey Day scoring wins.
Complementing the NARC 410 Series at Kern County will be the Western Midget Racing series and the Southern California Dwarf Cars. The Kings of Thunder 360 Sprints and the Western RaceSaver Series 305 Sprints will join the card at Hanford.
Championship Chase
Cole Macedo brings a slim 11-point advantage into Bakersfield, a position he reclaimed after his victory at the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial on October 12th. Now back in the driver’s seat of the championship chase for the NARC King of the West title, the Lemoore racer hopes to build a healthy cushion to ease the pressure of going into the November 2nd season finale at Stockton.
“Ultimately, the goal is to have a big enough points lead where we can have some breathing room at Stockton,” mentioned Macedo, “I’d love to have a little bit of a bubble to have a decent night and not worry about it, run really hard, and put it all on the line.”
In the lone NARC trip to Kings this season, Macedo piloted the Tarlton Motorsports #21 entry scored a pair of third place finishes during the Morrie William Memorial Twin 20s and won the event championship. His last journey to Kern ended with a fourth-place result, his career-best at the facility.
On the other side of the battlefield is Justin Sanders. The Aromas driver is determined to bounce back big after a heartbreaking night at Tulare, which saw him bow out early due to mechanical problems. Something notable that favors the Mittry Motorsports #2X chauffeur is that he’s achieved wins at both tracks. The last two times NARC has been to Hanford, both during the Williams Memorial weekend, Sanders has won. His lone winner’s circle visit at Kern was on October 30th, 2021.
While there is no doubt the chase for the King of the West championship has been a primary focus, the race for third in the table is also a hot contest between three competitors.
2017 NARC champion Bud Kaeding leads the trio, rustling for third in points. Representing Campbell, Kaeding has a streak of five consecutive Top 10 finishes. A winner at Kings in 2012, he boasts four top five’s and a lone podium at Kern when he finished runner-up in 2019.
Leading Rookie of the Year candidate Caeden Steele hopes to rebound from a tough night in Tulare a couple of weeks ago. Trailing Kaeding by 18 markers, the Easton driver will hope to carve his way to the podium in his remarkable campaign. At Kings at the beginning of the month, he was tenth and sixth in the Twin 20s of “The Morrie.” He has never made an appearance at Kern.
Completing the current top five in points, Oakley’s Dylan Bloomfield is among several drivers hungry for his first career NARC feature. Aboard the Dave and Debbie Vertullo-owned #83V, he finished fourth and fifth in his last two series starts, with his previous venture to Kings producing a fifth-place result, and he was sixth in his most recent outing at Kern. He’s 26 points behind Kaeding and just eight markers behind Steele.
Who To Watch
Shane Golobic, as noted, will be a driver to be on the lookout for. The Fremont pilot in the Matt Wood Racing #17W has had a fair share of success at both venues. His lone win at Hanford was the Simone Classic in ’21, while he’s collected three victories at KCRP, including one in 2021 and two in 2018.
Two-time NARC champion Dominic Scelzi is also ready to rip at two tracks he’s managed to succeed at over the years. The Fresno phenom swept the pair of NARC events at Kern in 2019 and has amassed an impressive win total of five visits to victory lane at Kings.
Two other newcomers not to be discounted are Gauge Garcia and Dominic Gorden. Behind the wheel of the Keller Motorsports #2K, Garcia had an impressive third place at Kings, while his lone appearance at KCRP resulted in a 15th place finish. posting. Both results were from last year, but the young man from Lemoore finished eleventh in both Twin 20s for the Morrie Williams Memorial at Kings earlier in October.
Dominic Gorden remains the only Rookie to have won a NARC main event this season. The young man from Clovis recently had his best run ever at Kings when he finished ninth in the second Twin 20 a few weeks ago, and in his only trip to Kern, he was seventh last year.
A notable addition to the mix will be Justyn Cox, who steps back into the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X entry after a hiatus due to an injury suffered at the Douglas County Dirt Track on August 26th with the High Limit Series. Before being sidelined, Cox picked up a win at Cottage Grove this season and was in contention for a victory at Santa Maria in late July. The Roseville racer has a good history with NARC at Hanford, including eight Top 10s in eleven career starts, including two podium finishes.
2019 NARC champion D.J. Netto is hopeful to earn his first series win of the season. It has not been for lack of trying. The Hanford native was a couple of laps away from doing so at Tulare in the most recent NARC event.
Arizona transplant Nick Parker is looking to build off of what’s been an incredible 2024 season. Now living in Chico, Parker has procured a pair of his first career top five results with NARC earlier this season.
Benicia’s Billy Aton is another NARC regular making the journey this weekend. He has three top ten finishes this season, with one coming at Kings. He has five top ten’s at Kings, including a fifth-place finish in 2021.
Fan & Competitor Info
Kern County Raceway Park is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, Bakersfield, California, just off Interstate 5. Ticket prices are $25.00 for Adults (Ages 13+), $10.00 for Juniors (6-12), and Kids (5 and under) are FREE. Front Gates open at 5:00, Hot Laps around 5:30, and Opening Ceremonies are scheduled to kick off around 7:00.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of the race or online at https://tickets.thefoat.com/kernraceway/event-245551/clear_cart-1. For more information, visit kernraceway.com.
Kings Speedway is located at the Kings Fairgrounds at 801 S 10th Avenue in Hanford, California. For ticket information, log on to https://www.myracepass.com/1797/tickets/1419102 for online purchases. Tickets are $30.00 for adults and $25.00 for Children (7-17), Military (With Valid ID), and Seniors (65+). Pit Gates open at 1:30 PM and Front Gates open at 4:00 PM. Qualifying gets underway around 6:00 PM.
Additional information can be found at the track website, www.racekingsspeedway.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 entertained countless thousands of fans at tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit its website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.
All NARC 410 Sprint Car Series events can be viewed live on Floracing.com.
Former Anthony Simone Classic Winners:
2021- Shane Golobic
2022- Rico Abreu
2023- Corey Day
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 20 EVENTS IN 23-RACE SERIES – 10/22/24)
Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 2599
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2588
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2514
Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 2496
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 2488
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 2468
Nick Parker, Chico – 2426
Dominic Gorden, Clovis (R) – 2320
Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 2253
Billy Aton, Benicia – 2105
Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 1972
Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 1944
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1607
Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 1601
DJ Netto, Hanford – 1471
John Clark, Windsor (R) – 1439
Sean Becker, Roseville – 1346
Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1320
Jarrett Soares – Gilroy – 1207
Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 1181
Upcoming Events:
November 2nd – Stockton Dirt Track – Tribute to Gary Patterson Triple Crown w/SCCT & Hunt Wingless Tour
November 3rd – Brookside County Club (Stockton) – Championship Celebration Awards Banquet