By Andrew Kunas
Roseburg, OR … James McFadden and the Tarlton Motorsports team may have just become one of the scariest combinations on the west coast, as McFadden came back from a false start penalty and worked his way towards a second straight win to start the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports, taking Thursday’s NARC 410 sprint car main event at the Douglas County Dirt Track.
McFadden, who started on the pole, fell back as far as fifth in the early going, coming after he was called for jumping the initial start, but found his groove as the race proceeded and began picking off the cars in front of him, eventually challenging Justin Sanders with nine laps to go. Getting his car wound up running the outside of the track, McFadden got a run off of Turn 4 as they completed the 22nd circuit and got inside of Sanders on the front stretch. McFadden threw a slider going into Turn 1, and Sanders tried to keep his speed up around the top of the race track, but couldn’t motor back by as McFadden got in front of him. Sanders had to check up and couldn’t turn his car back down, and McFadden had the lead.
After taking the lead on Lap 23, McFadden took off from there and won for the second straight night aboard the American Rock & Rent-sponsored Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 Kistler-powered Maxim. As he did Wednesday night at Southern Oregon Speedway, the Australian star celebrated with his patented “Shoey” celebration, drinking beer from a shoe atop his race car. He again praised the car field by Tom and Tommy Tarlton and the rest of the Tarlton Motorsports team.
“Hats off to my guys. It’s really tough jumping in a new car,” McFadden said. “You know the rules package in Australia is different than it is here, so to get as comfortable as I am straight away is pretty cool, so hats off to those guys, working so hard and giving me a car that’s great…Tom and Tommy Tarlton, their whole family.”
McFadden admitted to struggling in the first several laps, being upset with false start call at the beginning of the race, but gathered himself and changed up how he drove the car and where on the track, leading to his charge to the front.
McFadden had won at the Douglas County Dirt Track in last August’s High Limit Racing event, and added another win in Roseburg to his credit on Thursday. “It’s really cool to get a win here with High Limit, and now NARC.”
Sanders, after leading 14 laps, backed up his third place finish from Wednesday night with a runner-up aboard the Yuba Sutter Aviation-sponsored Mittry Motorsports No. 2x Fisher-powered KPC. This continued a run of strong finishes for the reigning NARC champion, as Sanders continues to work his way back toward the top of the point standings after his roller coaster of a spring earlier this season.
Dominic Scelzi, after finishing second on Wednesday, got his second straight podium finish to start the week as well, taking third aboard the Red Rose Transportation-sponsored Scelzi Enterprises No. 41 Kistler-powered Maxim. Landon Brooks, who led the first eight laps after starting second, eventually finished fourth aboard the Specified Pipe-sponsored Bates-Hamilton Racing No. 21L Kistler-powered Maxim. A night after flipping upside down, Tanner Holmes bounced back with a fifth place run in the Legacy Builder Supply-sponsored Holmes Racing No. 18t Rider-powered Triple X.
Sean Becker, in his first visit to the Roseburg, Oregon track, finished sixth, followed by Jesse Schlotfeldt, Bud Kaeding, Tyler Thompson and Dominic Gorden. Following an engine swap following qualifying, Gauge Garcia came from 22nd to finish 14th and earn the Williams Roofing Hard Charger nod for the second straight night.
Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Sanders, McFadden and Brooks, before McFadden won the Beacon Wealth Strategies trophy dash to secure the pole position.
Scelzi paced the 24-car field in qualifying with a time of 11.889 seconds around the 3/8-mile clay oval.
Hoosier Racing Tires Feature (30 laps): 1. 21 James McFadden (1), 2. 2x Justin Sanders (3), 3. 41 Dominic Scelzi (1), 4. 21L Landon Brooks (2), 5. 18t Tanner Holmes (5), 6. 7b Sean Becker (3), 7. 21s Jesse Schlotfeldt (7), 8. 29 Bud Kaeding (8), 9. 35km Tyler Thompson (14), 10. 10 Dominic Gorden (9), 11. 121 Caeden Steele (15), 12. 15 Nick Parker (13), 13. 77 Levi Klatt (16), 14. 2k Gauge Garcia (22), 15. 26 Billy Aton (11), 16. 14 Mariah Ede (24), 17. 551 Angelique Bell (21), 18. 12j John Clark (19), 19. 21p Robbie Price (13), 20. 2xm Max Mittry (12), 21. 27c Camden Robustelli (20), 22. 88n D.J. Netto (17), 23. 5k Blaine Cory (18), DNS – 22k Jake Wheeler.
METTEC Titanium Lap Leaders: Landon Brooks 1-8, Justin Sanders 9-22, James McFadden 23-30
Williams Roofing Hard Charger: 2k Gauge Garcia 22nd to 14th (+8)
Automotive Racing Products Fast Qualifier (24 cars): 41 Dominic Scelzi, 11.889 seconds
Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 2x Justin Sanders, 2. 29 Bud Kaeding, 3. 41 Dominic Scelzi, 4. 2xm Max Mittry, 5. 35km Tyler Thompson, 6. 5k Blaine Cory, 7. 12j John Clark, DNS – 2k Gauge Garcia.
Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 21 James McFadden, 2. 21s Jesse Schlotfeldt, 3. 26 Billy Aton, 4. 7b Sean Becker, 5. 15 Nick Parker, 6. 88n D.J. Netto, 7. 27c Camden Robustelli, 8. 22k Jake Wheeler.
WEDG High Performance Karts Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 21L Landon Brooks, 2. 10 Dominic Gorden, 3. 18t Tanner Holmes, 4. 21p Robbie Price, 5. 121 Caeden Steele, 6. 77 Levi Klatt, 7. 551 Angelique Bell, 8. 14 Mariah Ede.
Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash (6 laps): 1. 21 James McFadden, 2. 21L Landon Brooks, 3. 7b Sean Becker, 4. 41 Dominic Scelzi, 5. 2x Justin Sanders, 6. 21p Robbie Price.