By Andrew Kunas
(7/21/25) Santa Maria, CA … -The “Cooler Weather Tour” continues for the NARC King of the West 410 sprint car series this Saturday, July 26th, when the series makes its annual visit to Santa Maria Speedway for the “Showdown at Santa Maria.”
Santa Maria Speedway, for most of its history that goes back to 1964, has been a regular stop for sprint cars, winged and non-wing. The track had faced closure a couple of times over the years, but recently got back up and running again and in 2024 it returned to the NARC schedule after a three-year absence.
Last year’s NARC event saw a wild finish in which Justyn Cox tangled with a slower car and flipped upside down on the final lap, costing him a victory. Chase Johnson took advantage and picked up his fourth career NARC win. He was joined on the podium by Kaleb Montgomery and Gauge Garcia, a pair of drivers worth keeping an eye on this Saturday.
Montgomery is still hunting for his first NARC victory but has shown flashes at times. Montgomery, who lives just up the road from Santa Maria Speedway in Templeton, has turned in strong runs this season, including finishing fifth and sixth respectively during last weekend’s Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway. Finishing runner-up at Santa Maria last year and having won the USAC/CRA non-wing race at the same track in May, Montgomery could see this Saturday’s race as the one where he gets his first NARC win.
Garcia, from Lemoore, is also still searching for a NARC win. He and the Paso Robles-based Keller Motorsports No. 2k team have fought motor problems throughout the season, but have performed well in several main events, often passing many cars and on four occasions this season Garcia earned the Williams Roofing Hard Charger award.
Before last year’s return to Santa Maria, the last NARC race at Santa Maria Speedway was in 2021, and it was Benicia’s Billy Aton who scored his first NARC victory that night.
Saturday’s event is part of NARC’s “Cooler Weather Tour,” as some have called it, the current stretch of events for the series happening at tracks along the California coast, where race teams and fans can expect more comfortable temperatures while it is typically very hot in the California interior.
WHO ELSE TO WATCH
Harrisburg, Oregon’s Tyler Thompson has quietly put together a very solid and consistent season as he chases the NARC Rookie of the Year award aboard the Main Motorsports No. 35km. In 15 regular NARC events (not counting the special format seeing inverted main event fields at Skagit Speedway’s Super Dirt Cup in June), Thompson recorded ten Top 10 finishes in those races, many of which had been at tracks he hadn’t seen before. His best run was a third place finish on May 16th at Ocean Speedway, and in that race Thompson briefly challenged eventual race winner Justin Sanders for the lead. Thompson sits third overall in the points and has twice posted quick time in Automotive Racing Products Qualifying, twice won a heat race and twice earned the hard charger nod. Many have recently begun looking at Thompson as another driver due to make a big breakthrough in 410 sprint car competition.
Former NARC champion D.J. Netto of Hanford, twice a winner this season and second in the points entering the weekend, along with 2005 NARC champion Sean Becker from Oroville, and 2019 series king Bud Kaeding from Campbell will fill out a stellar line-up of competitors. Others expected to compete include Fresno drivers Caeden Steele and Mariah Ede, Dominic Gorden from Clovis, Kansas driver Jace Park, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, and many others.
FAN INFO
Santa Maria Speedway is located at 1900 Hutton Road, right off of Hwy 101, in Nipomo, just north of Santa Maria itself. Tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors 65+, military and students ages 11 to 17. Kids 10 and under are free. Front gates open at 4:00 p.m. with racing scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. Also scheduled to race are IMCA Racesaver sprints, BCRA lightning sprints and dwarf cars.
ABOUT NARC
The Northern Auto Racing Club is the premier 410 winged sprint car series in the western United States. Since 1960, the traveling organization has thrilled fans at dirt tracks up and down the West Coast and crowned a “King of the West” champion. For more information on the NARC 410 sprint car series, including race results, points standings, and upcoming events, go to www.narc410.com. You can also follow on various social media platforms.
The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Jim Allen Promotions, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, Mettec Titanium, MyRacePass, Red Rose Transportation, Tarlton & Son, Wedg High Performance Karts, Williams Roofing, and Winters Performance Products.
2025 NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES
(AFTER 18 EVENTS IN 27-RACE SERIES – 7/21/25)
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2312
DJ Netto, Hanford – 2292
Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg, OR (R) – 2279
Sean Becker, Roseville – 2268
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2262
Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 2241
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore – 2186
Mariah Ede, Fresno (R) – 2136
Caeden Steele, Fresno – 2081
Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2020
Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1760
Landon Brooks, Rio Oso – 1742
Billy Aton, Benicia – 1634
Nick Parker, Tucson, AX – 1584
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1521
John Clark, Windsor – 1471
Max Mittry, Redding – 1437
Jess Schlotfeldt, Arlington, WA – 1215
Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 1068
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1064
Upcoming Events
July 26 – Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
August 2 – Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA (65th Johnny Key Classic)
August 30 – Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic – Night 1)
August 31 – Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic – Night 2)
September 6 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, CA