Auburn, CA … There is a lot going on with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series on the West Coast. Here are some updates from the official NARC notebook:
The Fastest Five Days in Motorsports is shaping up nicely with many teams committing to the ultimate “Road Trip.” The list includes Caeden Steele (121), Mariah Ede (14), Dominic Gorden (10), Tyler Thompson (35KM), Aussie James McFadden (21T), Gauge Garcia (2K), Max Mittry (2XM), DJ Netto (88N) Bud Kaeding (29), John Clark (12J), Dominic Scelzi (41), Angelique Bell (551), Billy Aton (26), Landon Brooks (21), Tanner Carrick (83V), Sean Becker (7B), Justin Sanders (2X), Tanner Holmes (18T), Geoffrey Strole (09S), Jesse Schlotfeldt (21), Blaine Cory (5K), Chris Bollock (17C), and Nick Parker (15.) We’ve also heard, but have not been able to confirm, that we will see Colby Thornhill and Robbie Price for the duration. Price picked off his first NARC feature of his career at Willamette in last year’s edition. That’s what we know so far, and that can change in a heartbeat. Usually, we find out a team is showing up when they pull through the pit gate – despite whether they committed or preregistered in advance. Several others are looking for rides, and others are doing partials (Soares & Starks). We expect some locals in 360’s as well!
Speaking of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports, which is less than two weeks away, you should be locking down your tickets. You can visit each of the five track websites individually or proceed directly to the NARC King of the West MYRACEPASS site to make your purchase. Based on phone calls and inquiries, there is going to be a huge convoy of fans and motorhomes making the entire journey, right up to the Super Dirt Cup. For those of you who can’t make the trip, we know you have a good reason. You can still catch all the action on Floracing.com.
By the way, though a sponsorship by way of Wholesale Outlet, a Sacramento area HVAC distributor, NARC has recruited the services of KC’s Extreme Motorsports Safety for the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. They will be working in conjunction with local track crews to keep our drivers safe.
Can you believe it? $100,026 to win the Jim Raper Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway. It became a NARC points race in 2021 when the event transitioned back into a 410 race. It was all part of the Skagit, SLC Promotions, and NARC business plan to rebuild 410 sprint car racing on the left coast. Skagit is bright, it’s clean, the food is good, it’s well-promoted and has a buzz around it that it’s the place to be on Saturday nights! That is a winning combination that should be cloned everywhere! The track and the Super Dirt Cup are on a trajectory equivalent to an Elon Musk rocket.
Along the lines of the Super Dirt Cup, make sure you sign up for the Charity Golf Tournament taking place on Wednesday, June 18th. That is the day BEFORE the three-day racing show kicks off. We’ve got the entire Avalon Golf Links reserved and your entry includes golf, cart, gift bag, lunch, and great prizes. Sign-up on the Skagit Speedway website – skagitspeedway.com. Any money raised at this event will benefit the Rayce Rudeen Foundation and the NARC Benevolent Fund. There are only a few open foursome’s remaining, so don’t delay. First come, first served.
If you haven’t read the NARC Pit Personalities article on Angelique Bell, you should. Bell goes in depth about her fiery accident and extended recovery at Southern Oregon Speedway. She didn’t pull any punches. Our 18-year-old columnist Michael Gilmer Jr. did an outstanding job on this interview. You can find it on NARC410.com.
Activities for the August Louie Vermeil Classic at Napa County Fairgrounds are progressing rapidly. The RV Park and great lawn reservations sold out quickly. Ticket sales for the two-day show at Calistoga Speedway are selling at a rapid clip. Every time I talk to promoter Tommy Hunt, he informs me of all of the work that is taking place on the fairgrounds in preparation for the Labor Day weekend shows. Just think about if you walked away from your home for six years and did nothing during that period. The list of repairs and maintenance upon your return would be overwhelming. Calistoga Speedway is that times 10! The good news is that Tommy is ahead of the curve. It’s a great feeling to get a track back into the fold, especially this one with a ton of history. Now, we just need Kings Speedway back in the mix.
A conversation with Colby Copeland turned out some interesting info. There are now only TWO companies providing racetrack insurance in the United States. Two! Something tells me that we are going to see things tighten up with stronger enforcement and requirements in 410 sprint car racing. My guess: No drivers under 16, maybe 18,
It was nice to see Chase Johnson back at the track. It’s already been nine months since his High Limit accident. Despite all he has been through, Chase spirits are high and positive and he continues to work hard every day with physical therapy. There is still a ton of effort required on his behalf in the future to get his life back to normal. Let’s continue to be his support system during his recovery. #24STRONG
And how about Tyler Walker? Who? Yes, that Tyler Walker who was one of the top sprint car drivers in the nation a decade ago. He has experienced extreme highs and lows, from Kings Royal royalty to homelessness on skid row in Los Angeles. In his case, rock bottom even had a basement. However, he is back, determined to get his life back in order and is looking forward to racing sprint cars again. He mounted up in the Torgerson #02 sprint car at Placerville during the Bradway Memorial (in a 360) and didn’t show much rust. You will see him in a 410 soon, probably as soon as the David Tarter Memorial in Chico. Remarkable things are in his future if he can keep it together and we support him in that mission.
One of the more underrated drivers on the NARC tour may be Oregon’s Tyler Thompson. He’s steady, clean, and consistently advancing to the front in the Harold Main #35KM. He has got two ARP Fast Time awards in six events, two top fives, and a total of five top tens. As a result, Tyler sits third in the NARC standings and is the leading candidate for rookie of the year.
To date, six NARC events have produced five winners in six-main events (the Morrie Williams Memorial event had two). DJ Netto and Justin Sanders have stolen two headlines each, and Tanner Holmes, Caeden Steele and Dominic Gorden claimed the other three. It was Tanner’s second NARC win. He joked that his first NARC victory was a 13-lapper and his second was a 20. Now he is looking to score a 30-lapper soon. Don’t count him out at home track: Southern Oregon Speedway. It was also the second win for Gorden, who picked off a Skagit Dirt Cup NARC preliminary last year. For Steele, it was the first NARC victory for the 2024 rookie of the year. He was solid for all 20-laps at Tulare. Looking forward, NARC features nine shows at seven tracks during June, our busiest month of the season. It doesn’t get much better than that!
The Howard Kaeding Classic is shaping up to fall into the “best ever” category. The new “two-day” show takes place on July 18-19th at Ocean Speedway. Saturday’s feature baseline is paying $6,900 to win and $1200 to start the A. And baseline means exactly that – the starting point. It’s only going UP! If you would like to get involved as a sponsor, contact the one and only Bud Kaeding at Kaeding Performance. He is waiting for your call at 408-371-3031.
Special thanks to Karen Bradway-Tuccelli and the entire Bradway Family for their tremendous efforts in promoting and raising money for May 31st Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial race. An extra $17,000 was added to the 34th annual event purse, which continues to be one of the most popular races on the NARC schedule. A full house showed up at Placerville for a great weekend that also included the Davy Thomas Memorial.
NARC officials will be sporting some special uniform shirts during the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. We are going to give race fans the opportunity to “buy the shirts off our backs” with all funds raised going to the NARC Benevolent Fund. The shirts, available in limited quantities and sizes are designed by Jim Gardner of Bullet Impressions, featuring the custom FFDM I-5 logo and can be yours for $100. We will even wash it before we UPS it to you.
That’s all for now! See ya!