(7/11/17) Sacramento, CA …  The exciting open wheel sprint cars of the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Racing Series will be battling for a $5000 winners payday this Saturday, July 15th, when the traveling series invades Ocean Speedway (Watsonville, CA) for the Howard Kaeding Classic.

This will be one of the richest events on the KWS-NARC schedule as sponsors and friends of legendary driver Howard Kaeding have contributed to the purse to support the event.  Second place pays $2500, third place $1900, and just starting the 30-lap headliner is worth $750.

As part of the festivities, the Howard Kaeding Classic BBQ will take place at 1:00 p.m. near the turn four grandstands at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds prior to Saturday’s race.  Race fans will have a chance eat some great barbecue, socialize, take photographs, and get autographs from their favorite drivers.  Admission is $20 with proceeds benefitting the NARC Benevolent Fund.

“The (NARC) Benevolent Fund is something we hope we never have to use,” stated 13-time KWS & NARC series champion Brent Kaeding, who is one of the funds coordinators.  “Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we participate in a dangerous sport and drivers or crew members can get badly injured.  For many, it’s their way of life and if racing stops, so does their family’s income.  This fund provides much needed financial support when medical bills begin to pile up.”

Among the families that have been assisted through trying times during the past decade are the families of David Tarter, Alan Urias, and Peter Murphy; plus drivers Randy Hannagan, Brad Bumgarner, Dennis Moore Jr. and several others.

“What better way to contribute to a great cause than hanging out with your favorite racers and eating some great food,” continued Kaeding.  “It’s events like this that make you proud to be part of the sport and supportive racing community.”

Not only will California’s best 410 sprint car teams be racing for a huge purse, several are chasing championship glory in the tightest points battles in the series history.  This is not just a two-horse race; but a three team slugfest.  Third generation driver Bud Kaeding of Campbell, who is Howard Kaeding’s grandson, holds the slimmest of margins in the point standings over both Cory Eliason of Selma and Gio Scelzi of Fresno.  That margin:  One point … 638-637!  All three drivers have held a share of the lead at one point during this competitive season.

Collectively, they have five victories between them, with the 15-year old Scelzi leading the organization with three.  With only six races remaining on the 2017 schedule, every victory or mistake gets magnified in a big way.  There is a three-point bonus awarded for winning the feature event.

Other’s expected to be in the field include Brent Kaeding, DJ Netto of Hanford, a winner at Calistoga Speedway; three-time series champ Kyle Hirst of Paradise; Sacramento area drivers Bobby McMahan and Willie Croft; Jarrett Soares of Discovery Bay; Atwater drivers Sean Watts and Nathan Rolfe; Chase Johnson and Michael Kofoid of Penngrove; and Shane Golobic of Fremont.  Golobic captured the thrilling KWS-NARC event at Ocean Speedway on June 23rd.

Ocean Speedway is located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on 2601 E. Lake Avenue in Watsonville.  Pit gates open at 1:00 p.m.  Front gates open at 3:30.  This racing card also includes IMCA Modified All-Star Tour, and IMCA Sport Mods.

ED NOTE:  The 360 sprint cars of the Civil War Sprint Car Series will be racing at Ocean Speedway on Friday, July 14th in the first half of the Howard Kaeding Classic.

ED NOTE:  The King of the West-NARC series will hold a short General Membership meeting near the main grandstands at 3:00 p.m.

The King of the West Fujitsu Racing Series – presented by the Northern Auto Racing Club is co-sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires.  Contingency award sponsors include  ATL Racing Cells, ARP Racing Bolts, BMRS, Butler Built, FK Rod Ends, Flowmaster, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Kaeding Performance Center, KSE Racing Products, Maxim, PAC Racing Springs, Pyrotect, Racing Optics, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, SCI Racing Products, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Light Brakes, Weld Racing Wheels, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Williams Roofing, and Winters Performance Products.

2017 KWS-NARC FUJITSU SERIES POINT STANDINGS
(After 11 events in 17-race Series)

  1. Bud Kaeding, Campbell (1) – 638
  2. Cory Eliason, Selma (1) – 637
  3. Giovanni Scelzi, Fresno (3) – 637
  4. DJ Netto, Hanford (1) – 611
  5. Kyle Hirst, Paradise (2) – 558
  6. Michael Kofoid, Penngrove – 532
  7. Bobby McMahan, Elk Grove – 523
  8. Jarrett Soares, Discovery Bay – 511
  9. Sean Watts, Atwater – 511
  10. Nathan Rolfe, Atwater – 483
  11. Willie Croft, Sacramento – 402
  12. Shane Golobic, Fremont (1) – 341
  13. Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford – 334
  14. Brent Bjork, Fremont – 278
  15. Matthew Moles, Fresno – 264
  16. Chase Johnson, Penngrove (1) – 251
  17. Craig Stidham, Fresno – 249
  18. Carson Macedo, Lemoore – 230
  19. Sean Becker, Roseville – 196
  20. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 195

(Victories are in parenthesis)