By Andrew Kunas
(7/18/25 – ) Watsonville, CA … Justin Sanders emerged victorious after one of the wildest NARC sprint car main events of the season Friday, taking the opening night feature of the Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway.
Sanders inherited the lead with eight laps completed when early leader Bud Kaeding was bit by the treacherous cushion in Turn 1 and was sent flying off the track. Sanders led the rest of the 30-lapper for his NARC-leading fifth race of the season, but had to fend off Bud’s brother Tim Kaeding along the way and wait through several cautions and red flags before finally taking the checkered flag.
It was the second NARC win at Ocean Speedway this season for Sanders, who also captured the May 16th event at the Watsonville clay oval. Sanders won last year’s Howard Kaeding Classic, his second HK win overall, but while Saturday’s finale remains, it was special for Sanders still to take the win on the first night of a now two-night event that previously had honored the patriarch of the Kaeding Family as a special event guest since 2011. This year’s event, however, took on special meaning with Howard passing away during the off-season.
Out front after Bud Kaeding’s misfortune, Sanders early on was challenged by Tim Kaeding, but found his groove and managed his way around the challenging top side of the race track. Despite the many cautions and red flags, of which there were five, Sanders still had to deal with slower traffic on occasion. Sanders managed to hold off a determined Tim in the closing laps for the win aboard the Yuba Sutter Aviation-sponsored Mittry Motorsports No. 2x Fisher-powered KPC.
The $5,000 victory went with Sanders’ other NARC Ocean win, a pair of wins at Silver Dollar Speedway, and a Dirt Cup preliminary at Skagit Speedway. Friday’s Howard Kaeding Classic opener was probably the one that required the most patience out of Sanders this season.
Tim Kaeding, racing in memory of his grandfather, finished second aboard the Emadco Disposal-sponsored Williams Motorsports No. 0 Maxwill-powered Maxim. Kaeding, one of California’s most accomplished sprint car racers following his grandfather Howard and father Brent, thanked teams and fans for their support of the event this weekend. Kaeding though will now be focused on bettering his position by one spot on Saturday in an event he has not won before and will want to add to his already impressive resume.
Behind Sanders and Kaeding, there were constant battles for and shuffling of positions throughout the Top 10. Dylan Bloomfield turned in one of his best finishes of the season after starting eighth. He battled with former NARC champion Sean Becker to move into fourth place and late in the race he battled with and passed another former NARC champion in D.J. Netto to move into third, and finished there aboard the Silva’s All Natural Beef-sponsored Vertullo Racing No. 83v Kistler-powered Maxim.
After being bit by the Turn 1 cushion and spinning out, Bud Kaeding went to the work area before returning to the track and racing his way back up to finish 12th. Bud, also one of California’s most accomplished sprint car racers following his father and grandfather, is a two-time Howard Kaeding Classic winner but will be looking for a special third HK win on Saturday.
Netto, who entered the event with the NARC points lead, finished fourth aboard the Penny Newman Grain-sponsored Netto Ag No. 88n Rider-powered KPC. Kaleb Montgomery, another driver who raced hard throughout, came from 13th and made late passes to secure fifth place aboard the Luxon Real Estate-sponsored Montgomery Racing No. 3 Speedway-powered Maxim.
Becker, after starting tenth, bounced back from a crash last Saturday at Petaluma Speedway and finished sixth, followed by Nick Parker and the 14th starting Tyler Thompson. Tanner Carrick earned the Williams Roofing Hard Charger nod, coming from 18th to finish ninth. Dominic Gorden came back from a trip to the work area to round out the Top 10.
Bud Kaeding won the Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash to secure the pole position for the feature event, with Sanders starting outside him. The Winters Performance Last Chance Qualifier was won by Jesse Schlotfeldt, who took Dominic Scelzi, Billy Aton and Jason Chisum with him to the feature race. Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Bud Kaeding, Gauge Garcia, Shane Golobic and Tim Kaeding.
Bloomfield paced the 30-car field in Automotive Racing Products Qualifying with a time of 10.763 seconds around the ¼-mile clay oval, topping the second flight in a split field. That narrowly bettered Landon Brooks, who paced the first flight with a 10.768-second lap.
(Photos by Gary Watterworth)
Hoosier Racing Tires Feature: (30 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]; 2. 0-Tim Kaeding[3]; 3. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[8]; 4. 88N-DJ Netto[4]; 5. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[13]; 6. 7B-Sean Becker[10]; 7. 15-Nick Parker[9]; 8. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[14]; 9. 83T-Tanner Carrick[18]; 10. 10-Dominic Gorden[15]; 11. 10X-Jace Park[11]; 12. 29-Bud Kaeding[1]; 13. 88A-Joey Ancona[16]; 14. 2K-Gauge Garcia[6]; 15. 21L-Landon Brooks[5]; 16. 121-Caeden Steele[19]; 17. 25Z-Jason Chisum[24]; 18. 14E-Mariah Ede[12]; 19. 17W-Shane Golobic[7]; 20. 73-Ryan Bernal[17]; 21. 21-Jesse Schlotfeldt[21]; 22. 26-Billy Aton[23]; 23. 7P-Jake Andreotti[20]; 24. 41-Dominic Scelzi[22]
METTEC Titanium Lap Leaders: Bud Kaeding 1-8, Justin Sanders 9-30
Williams Roofing Hard Charger: 83t Tanner Carrick, 18th to 9th (+9)
Automotive Racing Products Fast Qualifier (30 cars): 83v Dylan Bloomfield, 10.763 seconds in Flight 2. Flight 1 fast time: 21L Landon Brooks, 10.768 seconds.
Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 29 Bud Kaeding, 2. 15 Nick Parker, 3. 10 Dominic Gorden, 4. 73 Ryan Bernal, 5. 21L Landon Brooks, 6. 21 Jesse Schlotfeldt, 7. 25z Jason Chisum, DNS – 72w Kurt Nelson. First five finishers transfer to Feature.
Kimo’s Tropical Carwash Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 2k Gauge Garcia, 2. 10x Jace Park, 3. 3 Kaleb Montgomery, 4. 2x Justin Sanders, 5. 121 Caeden Steele, 6. 26 Billy Aton, 7. 31 Kyle Beilman. First five finishers transfer to Feature.
WEDG High Performance Karts Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 17w Shane Golobic, 2. 7b Sean Becker, 3. 35km Tyler Thompson, 4. 83v Dylan Bloomfield, 5. 7p Jake Andreotti, 6. 72jr Chris Nelson, 7. 41 Dominic Scelzi, DNS – 34b Glenn Bryan. First five finishers transfer to Feature.
Winters Performance Heat 4 (8 laps): 1. 0 Tim Kaeding, 2. 14 Mariah Ede, 3. 88n D.J. Netto, 4. 88a Joey Ancona, 5. 83t Tanner Carrick, 6. 12 Jarrett Soares, 7. 12j John Clark. First five finishers transfer to Feature.
Beacon Wealth Strategies Raymond James Trophy Dash (6 laps): 1. 29 Bud Kaeding, 2. 2x Justin Sanders, 3. 0 Tim Kaeding, 4. 88n D.J. Netto, 5. 21L Landon Brooks, 6. 2k Gauge Garcia, 7. 17w Shane Golobic, 8. 83v Dylan Bloomfield.
Winters Performance Last Chance Qualifier (12 laps): 1. 21 Jesse Schlotfeldt, 2. 41 Dominic Scelzi, 3. 26 Billy Aton, 4. 25z Jason Chisum, 5. 12j John Clark, 6. 12 Jarrett Soares, 7. 31 Kyle Beilman, 8. 34b Glenn Bryan, 9. 72jr Chris Nelson, DNS – 72w Kurt Nelson.