If you were ever going to get super excited about 410 sprint car racing, the time is now! As you’re aware, the headlines this offseason have been awe-inspiring, dominated by a collection of the biggest players in our sport. With the addition of the full-blown High Limit Series national schedule, there is a buzz in the air that promises to push 410 sprint car racing to an even higher level. Good solid competition will do that!
For everyone on the Left Coast, it’s a great fit also, because it mounts a bright neon light around the sport of sprint car racing. Even though much progress has been made over the past five years, west coast 410 sprint car racing has been jolted with a cattle prod and pushed into turbo-mode. This complements the efforts by NARC, Peter Murphy, SLC Promotions, and Skagit Speedway, who collectively have worked hard to rebuild 410 sprint car racing to its glory days of the 1990’s.
Between the newly-released 26-race NARC schedule, a dozen or so 410 “open” races at Chico, Hanford, and Skagit, 11 High Limit races, and six World of Outlaw races on the west coast, there are more than 50 excellent (and high-paying) reasons for local 360 teams to consider stepping up their game with a 410 powerplant in California, Oregon, and Washington. I’m not saying 360 racing is a bad thing as much as I’m saying the 410 is now a great thing!
With the addition of the High Limit Series, there has been a new cash influx of more than $5,000,000 into our sport. And with the cost of going sprint car racing escalating on a daily basis, teams now get to choose what best fits their racing budget and lifestyle. Is it the 89-race World of Outlaw schedule, or the 60-race High Limit schedule, or a combination or portion of both?
It’s nice to have choices, and if you listen closely to what is being said, “travel” and its related expenses is a red hot topic for drivers, pit crew members, truck drivers, and the car owners paying the bills. Some of the best in the sport have pulled off the road due to the relentless grind and the inability to recruit crew chiefs and support teams. Don’t fall for the story that life on the road is all adventurous and exciting. That story is more of a sales pitch by hotel chains, fast food outlets and laundromats. In reality, living out of a suitcase away from your immediate family sucks on so many levels, which makes the commitment of these teams that much more commendable.
The key to success in this whole equation is for everybody to stay positive. Unfortunately, it’s not hard to find rabid fans and racing pundits who have already taken the tone that this is a full-blown civil war between the High Limit Series and the World of Outlaws. The questions and statements are endless … Who will have the best drivers? Who is going to stick with the Outlaws? This schedule is better! Who is going to be put out of business? That’s all-drama queen stuff written by basement dwelling keyboard warriors and the worst conceivable way to look at it. My suggestion is don’t take sides and enjoy the moment because the last time I checked, the United States is a pretty huge place and there are loyal open wheel fans and great teams everywhere. This new adventure is going to provide an excellent opportunity to cultivate the next Steve Kinser or Kyle Larson.
But wait, there is more! What will be entertaining is the flagship events like the Kings Royal and Knoxville Nationals. They are already huge events, but now they will take on a Super Bowl feel between the two series. That type of competitiveness is worthy because it makes everybody step up their game. Winners of those events are going to be strutting around like the biggest rooster in the hen house, because those bragging rights last a whole year.
So …, going back to how I started this ramble of thoughts, if you’re not super excited about going 410 sprint car racing, you should seek immediate medical attention. It’s going to be a great season.
NARC SCHEDULE NOTES: NARC’s 65th season of sprint car racing kicks off at Kings Speedway on March 9th. It will be the first of four events at the three-eighths mile oval. The $11,000 to win Peter Murphy Classic is now a one-day show and that will happen on April 13th. Also on the Hanford agenda is the popular Morrie Williams Memorial Twin-20 event on October 5th and an October 26th show, which is part of a NARC double-header weekend that features a Friday night show at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The Kern features the ARCA stock cars on the paved track where they will practice and qualify on Friday afternoon, before they open the gates to the Dirt Track. ARCA’s headliner takes place on Saturday, while we roll over to Hanford. … Here’s hoping that Mother Nature cooperates with us to allow a NARC event at Silver Dollar Speedway. Both the Mini Gold Cup and the David Tarter Memorial were rained out in ’23. On tap next season is the May 16th $10,000 to win Mini-Gold Cup and the July 29th Tarter Memorial. … NARC returns to Merced Speedway for some March Madness action on March 23rd. The last time NARC rolled into Merced was 2021. …
… The Fastest Four Days in Motorsports is now five with the addition of Cottage Grove Speedway. Each of the five shows pays $5000 to win and $600 to start. There is the possibility of adding a special $50,000 bonus to any driver who can sweep the board. That’s a work in progress. … The Northwest Focus Midgets will be the support class for the first four of those shows (and the fifth if a couple of things fall in place.) The goal during the FFDM is to be done by 9:30 p.m. each night and head up the road. … The Super Dirt Cup at Skagit will once again drop a $62,000 payday on the winner of the June 22nd Saturday night finale. The Skagit team is actively working to guarantee a $2500+ minimum start money in the finale. Stay tuned for more info. … There will be the (second annual) Super Dirt Cup Golf Tournament on Wednesday, June 19th at the Avalon Golf Links. Proceeds benefit the NARC Benevolent Fund and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation. Sign-ups begin in February. …
… The Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial race “weekend” will feature a Sprint Car Challenge Tour show on Friday, followed by the NARC show on Saturday, June 1st. As always, event and lap sponsorships are available by sending a DM to Karen Bradway Tuccelli on Facebook. … The month of June features 10 NARC championship points races. … There will be a pair ofNARC/SCCT combo shows in 2024, both at Tony Noceti’ s Stockton Dirt Track – the April 6th Asparagus Cup and the November 2nd Tribute to Gary Patterson finale. Speaking of Stockton, crews have already cut in a new quarter mile layout at the facility and are in the process of dialing in banking, and lights, and safety barriers. This is guaranteed to make the Stockton Dirt Track more of an action track than a speed track. … The Thunderbowl Raceway in on our schedule twice in May. Sandwiched in between those two shows is a one-night stand at Antioch Speedway …
The most asked question this off-season is … How can Santa Maria Speedway be on the schedule when they didn’t run any races this year? The good news is there is a sale pending for the facility – which means we didn’t lose another track. I’m not at liberty to pass on the name of the new owner, but it may rhyme with Mony Rombo. They have booked a variety of events for the 2024 season, including our date on July 27th. … Other one-night stands in July include stops at Petaluma and Ocean Speedway. Rick Faeth announced that his July 6th Petaluma race will honor the late David Lindt, a five-time track champion who won 48 main events. The event will pay $5200 to the winner. … The July 13th Howard Kaeding Classic will also mark the only visit to Ocean Speedway. But it will be a good one. It pays $6900 to win. The 2023 event paid $1200 to start. The Friday night 360 show will include an “After Party” and there will be the Howard Kaeding Luncheon on Saturday afternoon. Money raised at that event goes to the NARC Benevolent Fund. … The continued notable absence of Calistoga Speedway from our schedule also sucks on many levels. 2024 will mark the fifth consecutive season that a sprint car has not been pushed off at the fairgrounds. And to think they wonder why the Napa County Fairgrounds isn’t financially viable.
WHAT’S NEW? Jarrett Soares will be back on the NARC tour full-time in ’24. Car owner Steven Soares is currently hunting down a pair of 410 motors to make that happen. … Also look forDominic Gorden to be a frequent flyer as well! This 17-year-old Clovis driver has been a top ten fixture in a multitude of different race cars. Sounds like the same familiar story line as our 2023 NARC champion. … Hope to see the likes of Joey Ancona and Kalib Henry on the NARC tour on a more frequent basis. … Aussie Karl Hoffmans is already committed to make the trip to the Pacific Northwest for the FFDM and Skagit. …
NARC BANQUET NOTES: Corey Day became the youngest champion in the 64-year history of the NARC and King of the West Sprint Cars. His stat line was impressive with 15 podium finishes in 20 events, including nine victories. … The NARC Benevolent Fund auction, which was hosted by both Bud Kaeding and Jason Meyers, raised more than $11,000 for the cause. Thank you to all who contributed. … Shannon Bloomfield was the recipient of the Dave Bradway Jr. Inspirational trophy and I struggled to get through the presentation. I’m not sure what is harder to imagine, that so many injuries could happen to one person, or that a single person could fight through the recovery process to lead a normal life afterwards. … Congrats to 2023NARC rookie of the year Nick Parker. Parker and his team worked extremely hard to make it through a handful of race nights – but never gave up. He finished eighth in points. … Corey Day pocketed a $500 bonus from Mettec Titanium for leading the most laps this season. Dominic Scelzi was presented with an extra $500 from Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash for winning the most heat races (7). …
Bud Kaeding has finished in the top five in the NARC championship point standings for ten consecutive years. … Chase Johnson collected the $1000 bonus from Williams Roofing for passing the most cars this season. He passed 84. The rest of the top five included Corey Day (57); Justyn Cox (48); Justin Sanders (47); and Bud Kaeding (46). … Eight car owners made it to all 20 NARC shows and were awarded with loyalty checks at the banquet. This list includes Jason Meyers (14), Demo Mittry (2X) Scelzi Enterprises (41), Bates-Hamilton Racing (42X) BK Racing (69), David Vertullo (83V), Billy Aton (26), and Nick Parker (115). … Shane Bowers, the crew chief of Jason Meyers #14, took home the coveted Billy Albini Mechanic of the Year trophy. A well-earned accolade. …
And finally, we are planning to see you at each and every one of our events in 2024. But, if you can’t make it, we are proud to announce that we just inked a two-year deal so you can catch ALL of our events on Floracing.com. In the meantime, you can find everything you need on NARC410.com, or on Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
With that, I wish all of you a safe holiday season and a Happy New Year! We will talk again in 2024.
Coming to you live from Auburn, CA. See ya!