(5/13/24 – Ben Deatherage) Sacramento, CA … The wait for an entire weekend of NARC 410 Sprint Car Series racing is almost over, as the 900+ horsepower behemoths of the tour are in action not once but twice, this Saturday and Sunday! First, Thunderbowl Raceway will be the first stop on Saturday, May 18th, for KRC Safety Night.

But wait, there is more! The Stockton Dirt Track will visit the reconfigured ¼-mile track for a Sunday Twilight Show spectacular for the rescheduled Salute to LeRoy Van Conett.

Among them will be Easton, CA driver Caeden Steele, the current leader in the race for the NARC Rookie of the Year award.  He sits ninth in the standings.

“I’m excited to get back to 410 racing, especially Tulare,” said Steele.  “I have a lot of laps there, and that’s one of my favorite tracks because it really fits my driving style.  The season has been pretty great so far. We’ve been lucky enough to avoid some of the wrecks, so we’ll see if we can continue that.”

The journey to the famed 1/3-mile clay oval in Tulare marks the fourth event of the 65th Anniversary season for the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series, followed by the Stockton Dirt Track show.

The companion divisions for the Tulare are the Kings of Thunder 360 Sprints and West Coast Sport Compacts, while the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets will be on the card on Sunday for Stockton.

Sunday’s race will honor the living legend LeRoy Van Conett, one of the all-time great drivers to come out of California.  The “Dragon from Galt” scored eight NARC titles (1969, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1984) and won the track title at Calistoga Speedway on seven occasions.  He was the 1976 Gold Cup Race of Champions winner at the defunct West Capital Raceway. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999.  The Van Conett race was established in 2016, and Shane Golobic and D.J. Netto are tied for the most wins at this event, with two apiece.

 Championship Chase

With three completed rounds in the 2024 schedule, the march for the King of the West championship is still in the early stages.

Cole Macedo enters the weekend as the series point leader. He is a tough customer to beat on the track and has yet to finish outside the top five this season. The Lemoore racer, piloting the Tarlton Motorsports #21 entry, already has won two of three events in 2024 and is coming off of a fifth-place result at Antioch.  Aromas driver Justin Sanders, the winner of last Saturday’s show at Antioch, is only 11-points behind Macedo.

Who to Watch

Many Central Valley-based competitors will attend, several of which are competing for the Rookie Of The Year honors. Steele currently leads the chase as the BCCR Racing #121 entry has been incredible despite a limited number of 410 Sprint Car starts to his name.

Gauge Garcia, from Lemoore, is looking to bounce back from a hard flip last weekend.  The Keller Motorsports #2K team is also looking to try and build on their tenth-place finish in their most recent Stockton NARC outing.

Dominic Gorden is looking to keep early-season gremlins behind him.  The Clovis teenager had a season-best result last Saturday with his 12th-place effort.

Mariah Ede made her NARC debut last weekend. She is one of the newest members of the massive pool of 410 talent from California and has an extremely bright future. The Fresno racer will be running both tracks for the first time in a 410 between the frame rails.

Another local driver also making the journey is the aforementioned Netto, from Hanford, who is always a threat to win against the competition when he rolls into the pit area.  The 2019 NARC champion has twice won with the series at Stockton, which happens to be the Van Conett Tribute and grabbed a victory at Tulare in 2015.

Justin Sanders got a big win last weekend for the Mittry Motorsports #2X team at the Contra Costa County Clash. The Aromas racer didn’t win; he dominated, leading all the laps of the feature, setting a quick time, and winning the dash. He will undoubtedly look to continue that positive momentum. Sanders was third in his last Tulare outing with NARC and has two Stockton wins.

The previously referenced Golobic will looking to score his 16th career NARC victory. The Matt Wood Racing #17W entry has finished second in three shows so far.  The Fremont racer will look to win his second career Tulare win with the series for the first time since 2018. His only two NARC wins at Stockton were during the Van Conett race.

Other NARC 410 Series regulars in action will include 2017 champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Justyn Cox from Roseville, Oakley pilot Dylan Bloomfield, Billy Aton from Benicia, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Chico pilots Nick Parker and Michael Ing, and Jarrett Soares of Gilroy. Other notable names expected will be two-time NARC champ Dominic Scelzi from Fresno, Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick, and Ryan Bernal of Roseville.

Fan & Competitor Info

Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds at 620 South K Street in Tulare, California. Grandstand Tickets are $35.00 for Adults, Seniors $33.00, Kids (6-12) $18.00, and 5 and Under are FREE. Bleacher Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, $28.00 for Seniors, Kids (6-12 for $15.00, and 4 and Under are FREE.

The Front Gates open at 4:00 PM, Qualifying at 6:00 p.m., and racing at 7:00.

Additional information can be found at www.thunderbowlraceway.com.

The Stockton Dirt Track is located at the San Joaquin County Fairground at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton, California. Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, Juniors (5-17)/Seniors (65+)/Military (with ID) $25.00, and 4 and Under are FREE. Please note that there is a $10.00 cash-only parking fee for spectators. Online tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/narc-410-king-of-the-west-sprint-cars-bcra-midgets-tickets-890659044177?aff=website.

The Pit Gates will open at 1:00 pm, and qualifying will kick off at 4:00 p.m, with racing starting around 5:15 pm.

Additional information can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.com.

The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance race, and a 30-lap main event.

The NARC 410 Sprint Series is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, it has enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit its website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.

The event at Thunderbowl Raceway and the Stockton Dirt Track’s Salute To LeRoy Van Conett, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race, can be viewed live on Floracing.com.

Images courtesy of Paul Trevino Photos and Tim Holland Images