(5/12/23) NARC By The NUM8ER5!: Peter Murphy Classic, Hanford, CA, By Ben Deatherage … Traditionally, each one of these columns is about stat attacks for individual racetracks. Well, this one switches the gears up, and we highlight the upcoming Peter Murphy Classic at Kings Speedway for the NARC 410 Sprint Series, in Hanford, on Friday, May 12th, and Saturday, the 13th. So let’s dive into some numbers!
This is the second time the series has visited the 3/8-mile clay oval in 2023. However, it is the first track to boast such a feat—Corey Day won on the last trip on April 8th during the Anthony Simone Classic.
The track record still stands at 12.293 seconds, set by Joey Saldana in 2001. Seventy-seven drivers have made at least one feature since the first Murphy in 2015. Three drivers have perfect attendance, with nine main event starts: Bud Kaeding, D.J. Netto, and Craig Stidham.
This will be the first year that Kings will host the entire weekend. In 2022 it was split between Thunderbowl Raceway and Hanford, while from 2021 to 2015, it was all at Tulare.
Dominic Scelzi will want to add to his incredible streak of three straight PMC feature wins. Kyle Hirst swept the 2016 edition and is the only other driver that has won more than one main event. Aaron Reutzel and Rico Abreu are two drivers who won their only career starts in the event. Kaeding and Shane Golobic are two other one-time victors.
Kaeding is tied at the top of all categories in the event’s history except for Average Finish. Those include Podiums (4), Top 5s (5), Top 10s (8), and Starts (9). His Average Finish is 5.7 at the PMC.
Carson Macedo has the best Average Finish with a 3.0 off a pair of starts, while Jason Meyers is second on that list with a 5.3. Hirst boasts at 6.0 and Netto a 7.0.
Well, that’s a wrap on this week’s column! Bring a friend to Kings Speedway for the Peter Murphy Classic because there will be a great car count and a weekend full of great racing in Hanford.