By Andrew Kunas
Stockton, CA …A big night of racing awaits the NARC King of the West sprint car series, as the 2025 season concludes with the annual Tribute to Gary Patterson and a championship will be won Saturday night (November 1st) at the Stockton Dirt Track.
Just 12 points separate a pair of former NARC champions at the top of the standings, with each man in pursuit of his second title. Hanford’s D.J. Netto, the 2019 titlist, is ahead of Oroville’s Sean Becker, who won his championship 20 years ago, going into what will be a hotly contested season finale.
Netto has won three times this season and that includes the season opener at the Stockton Dirt Track in March when Netto won the Salute to Leroy Van Connett. He also won the last NARC event, held October 11th at Antioch Speedway. Netto and the Netto Ag No. 88n team will look for another strong performance at a track he has been successful at to wrap up a second NARC championship.
Becker meanwhile is winless this season, but he has been competitive all season aboard the Don Bjork No. 7b and the “Shark” has led laps in multiple main events this year. If Becker wants to win his second championship though, he will likely need to get that first win on the season in the finale and pair that with a significantly subpar performance by Netto.
With his three wins on the season, Netto owns the tiebreaker if the two drivers were to finish with identical point tallies. If Becker were to gain a point by setting fast time in qualifying and then win Saturday’s Patterson Tribute, Netto would need to finish 10th place or better in the main event to clinch the title.
Incidentally, neither Netto or Becker has won the race that honors the legendary Gary Patterson, at least in 410 sprint car competition, and both would love to add their name to the list of winners of the event to cap off the season. One of the all-time greats out of California, Patterson – or the “Preacher” as he was nicknamed – won races all over the West Coast and across the country, racing as a true outlaw for most of his career. Though he lost his life in a 1983 racing accident at Calistoga Speedway, Patterson’s accomplishments behind the wheel of a sprint car landed him in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1998.
The Tribute to Gary Patterson was first run in 1984, won by future Hall of Famer Chuck Gurney. The race had been held annually in Calistoga before moving to Stockton in recent years. The list of race winners is full of big names. Former “King of California” Steve Kent and Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding lead everyone with four wins each. Another Hall of Famer and NARC great Tim Green is a three-time winner of the event alongside Rico Abreau and Justin Sanders. Sanders won last year’s Patterson Tribute to win the 2024 NARC championship in walk-off fashion after an intense points battle with Cole Macedo. Other Hall of Famers who have won the Patterson Tribute include Jimmy Sills (twice), Jeff Swindell and Paul McMahan.
WHO ELSE TO WATCH
Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, another former NARC champion, is surprisingly one of the big names who has not won a Patterson main event, and this Saturday he will look to join his father Brent and brother Tim as a winner of the prestigious event. Kaeding, winner of the Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway in August, sits third in the points going into the finale.
Aromas’s Justin Sanders, last year’s “King of the West” who leads everyone with seven NARC victories this year aboard the Mittry Motorsports No. 2x, will look to cap off his season a win that would tie him with Brent Kaeding and Steve Kent for most Patterson wins. Fremont’s Shane Golobic is still looking for his first NARC win this season but is twice a winner of the Patterson and would like to win his third on Saturday.
This year’s Dave Bradway Jr Memorial winner Dominic Gorden will be in attendance and is looking for a third career NARC win to cap off his season. Fresno’s Mariah Ede is expected to race on Saturday and will wrap up NARC Rookie of the Year honors. Former NARC champion Dominic Scelzi of Fresno is expected, along with Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Redding’s Max Mittry, Windsor’s John Clark, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, and Benecia’s Billy Aton.
FAN INFO
The Stockton Dirt Track is located at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton. Saturday’s event will see front gates open at 4:00 p.m. with opening ceremonies scheduled for 6:00p.m. with racing to follow. The NorCal Dwarf Cars and the BCRA/WMR midgets are also racing that night. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for juniors ages 12-17, $25 for seniors 65 and older, $25 for military, and kids 11 and under are in for $10.
Saturday, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., there will be a legends autograph session in the grandstands and fans can meet some of the greats of sprint car racing from around the region.
There is a Friday night show also as part of this year’s Tribute to Gary Patterson, with the 360 Sprint Car Challenge Tour in action, giving two nights of sprint car action for those arriving in Stockton a day early.
Sunday will see the annual NARC season ending banquet at the Brookside Country Club, honoring the season champion and other top performers during the 2025 season, and other special awards will be presented as well.
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 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 26 EVENTS IN 27-RACE SERIES – 10/26/25)
DJ Netto, Hanford – 3344
Sean Becker, Roseville – 3332
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 3305
Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 3278
Mariah Ede, Fresno (R) – 2882
Caeden Steele, Fresno – 2714
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore – 2712
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2692
Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg, OR (R) – 2550
Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2382
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 2318
Billy Aton, Benicia – 2160
John Clark, Windsor – 2128
Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1903
Max Mittry, Redding – 1964
Landon Brooks, Rio Oso – 1881
Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 1685
Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ – 1684
Jesse Schlotfeldt, Arlington, WA – 1612
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1610
Upcoming Events
November 2 – Championship Celebration @ Brookside Country Club – Stockton, CA