By Ben Deatherage
(10/26/24 ) Hanford, CA … After crashing the night before at Kern Raceway, Cole Macedo and the Tarlton Motorsports team circled the wagons and bounced back to make a big statement with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series scoring an Anthony Simone Classic victory at Kings Speedway.
The driver of the Tarlton & Son #21 Maxim, who started the Hoosier Racing Tire feature fifth, powered his way to the point on the 24th circuit and fended off the frantic advances of all challengers to nail down his fifth victory of the season.
Beacon Wealth Strategies Dash winner Dominic Scelzi wrestled control of the race lead from Justin Sanders on the opening green flag. Despite dealing with a pair of red-flag stoppages in the first ten laps, the two-time NARC champion created a healthy distance in his Whipple Superchargers #41 Maxim from the body of the field.
While Scelzi took off, a thrilling three-car battle for second took place among Macedo, Sanders, and Tim Kaeding. Macedo put forth a formal challenge for the top spot on lap 13. Scelzi answered the call and denied the overtake and drove away once again. This set up an opportunity for Sanders, aboard the Mittry Motorsports-owned Farmers Brewing #2X KPC, to close in on the leaders.
Macedo held back Sanders, reeled in Scelzi again, and made an effective pass at the line via the low side of the track. Macedo took the lead for good with six to go and held on for the much-needed victory.
“This Tarlton Motorsports team needed this really bad!” stated a pleased Macedo in victory lane. “The last four nights we’ve been rebuilding race cars, so I got a little excited there because the last couple of races, I’ve ended up on my head. I’m just glad that Drew Warner (crew chief) and the guys never give up; they easily could be down on me or vice versa; we’re just a good group of guys and having a lot of fun.”
Scelzi scored a very respectable second, successfully keeping back a determined Sanders.
Sanders would complete the podium in third and enter the last leg of the 2024 NARC season with a slim three-point advantage over Macedo for the King of the West title.
A pair of former NARC champions completed the top five with the Williams Motorsports-owned EMADCO Disposal #0 Maxim, piloted by Tim Kaeding, beating out hometown driver D.J. Netto in his Netto Ag Services #88N KPC.
Ryan Timms, from Oklahoma, Washington driver Colby Thornhill, Ryan Bernal, Justyn Cox, and Spencer Bayston rounded out the top ten at the checkered.
Dominic Gorden earned William Roofing Hardcharger honors going from 18th to 11th.
The heat race winners were Sanders, Netto, and Bernal.
Nick Parker, Gauge Garcia, and Ryan Rocha were involved in feature event red-flag crashes. Luckily, there were no injuries.
HOOSIER RACING TIRES A-FEATURE (30 LAPS): 1. 21T-Cole Macedo [5]; 2. 41-Dominic Scelzi [1]; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders [2]; 4. 0-Tim Kaeding [3]; 5. 88N-D.J. Netto [4]; 6. 83-Ryan Timms [9]; 7. 19-Colby Thornhill [10]; 8. 73-Ryan Bernal [6]; 9. 42X-Justyn Cox [15]; 10. 14-Spencer Bayston [7]; 11. 10X-Dominic Gorden [18]; 12. 121-Caeden Steele [8]; 13. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [14]; 14. 29-Bud Kaeding [13]; 15. 76-Jennifer Osborne [19]; 16. 5-Cole Danell [20]; 17. 09S-Geoffrey Strole [17]; 18. 10-Mauro Simone [21]; 19. 2K-Gauge Garcia [16]; 20. 31-Kyle Beilman [22]; 21. 15-Nick Parker[12]; 22. 5R-Ryan Rocha [11]
METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Dominic Scelzi 1-21, 23, Cole Macedo 22, 24-30
WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER: Dominic Gorden +7 (18th to 11th)
BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 LAPS): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders [1]; 2. 14-Spencer Bayston [2]; 3. 83-Ryan Timms [3]; 4. 21T-Cole Macedo [4]; 5. 29-Bud Kaeding [5]; 6. 2K-Gauge Garcia [6]; 7. 76-Jennifer Osborne [7]; 8. 31-Kyle Beilman [8]
KIMO’S TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (8 LAPS): 1. 88N-D.J. Netto [1]; 2. 41-Dominic Scelzi [4]; 3. 19-Colby Thornhill [3]; 4. 5R-Ryan Rocha [2]; 5. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [6]; 6. 09S-Geoffrey Strole [7]; 7. 5-Cole Danell [5]
WINTERS PERFORMANCE HEAT THREE (8 LAPS): 1. 73-Ryan Bernal [2]; 2. 121-Caeden Steele [1]; 3. 0-Tim Kaeding [4]; 4. 15-Nick Parker [3]; 5. 42X-Justyn Cox [6]; 6. 10X-Dominic Gorden [5]; 7. 10-Mauro Simone [7]
BEACON WEALTH STRATEGIES DASH (6 LAPS): 1. 41-Dominic Scelzi [2]; 2. 2X-Justin Sanders [4]; 3. 0-Tim Kaeding [3]; 4. 88N-D.J. Netto [5]; 5. 21T-Cole Macedo [1]; 6. 73-Ryan Bernal [6]
ARP QUALIFYING QUICK TIME: Cole Macedo, 13.351 (22 Cars)