(7/10/23 – Ben Deatherage) Sacramento, CA … The exciting 950-horsepower NARC 410 Sprint Cars will make their lone appearance of the season at Ocean Speedway this Saturday, July 15th for the extremely popular and lucrative Howard Kaeding Classic. The 13th annual running of this prestigous event at the quarter-mile clay oval will payout a $40,000-plus purse with $6,900 going to the winner of the 30-lap headliner.
The race pays homage to Howard Kaeding, the patriarch of the legendary Kaeding racing family. Kaeding was victorious in 136 main events at the now-defunct San Jose Speedway, which is the record on the win list. He would win track titles at San Jose in 1973 and 1974 and boasted an incredible streak of seventeen consecutive wins, all while starting in the rear of the field.
“This is a great event that has been building some steam over the last couple of years,” commented Howard Kaeding’s grandson and event organizer, Bud, who drives the family-owned BK Racing number 69 sprint car. “The race itself is a good time, but the After Party on Friday night is a lot of fun too with all the help and hard work from the people at High Five Pizza.”
The event features multiple sponsors and contributors to enhance the purse.
Companion divisions include the IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and WMR Midgets.
The track will open the weekend with a Friday night bout featuring the Ocean 360 Sprints, IMCA Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and WMR Midgets.
Once all the racing has concluded on Friday, there will be an after-party fully catered by the High Five Pizza Company. On Saturday at noon, the annual Howard Kaeding Luncheon will take place in the large tent in the pit area. Both events benefit the NARC Benevolent Fund and will feature live music for entertainment. A suggested donation of a minimum of $20.00 would be appreciated for each function.
Who To Watch
Current NARC 410 Sprint Car Series point leader Corey Day of Clovis is looking to win his first career Howard Kaeding Classic. Day won the Pombo-Sargent Classic last year and hopes to earn his ninth victory on the campaign with the tour.
Surprisingly, two-time defending NARC series champion Dominic Scelzi is also looking for his first Howard Kaeding Classic triumph. The Fresno racer’s lone Ocean Speedway win with NARC was in 2019 also at the Pombo-Sargent event.
Justin Sanders has amassed three total NARC wins at Ocean, including last year’s Howard Kaeding Classic. Amazingly the Aromas ace has 50 career wins at the facility, including one this year in a 360 sprint car. His two other NARC wins at Watsonville were in 2016 and 2018.
Justyn Cox returns to Ocean Speedway for the first time in a 410 c.i. powered car since 2016. The Roseville pilot has a fifth-place finish for his lone top five finish at the facility.
Bud Kaeding has accumulated five NARC victories at Watsonville, including the 2014 and 2019 Howard Kaeding Classic. The third-generation Campbell star, and 2017 NARC champ, is the most recent 360 Sprint Car winner at Ocean entering the weekend. The 2021 360 track champion also scored additional wins in 2006, 2009, and 2010.
Of all of Shane Golobic’s NARC wins, four have been captured at Watsonville, including two in 2017. Also grabbing triumphs in 2008 and 2016, the Fremont driver has yet to win a Howard Kaeding Classic. Could this be the year for the 2012 and 2014 Ocean track champion?
Chase Johnson is coming off an electrifying performance at Petaluma Speedway, where he emerged victorious. Despite not winning a NARC show at Ocean, he does have a pair of thirds, earning those in 2016 and 2018.
Benicia regular Billy Aton has a lot of laps around the Watsonville bullring, including winning a wingless title in 2009. Aton managed to post a sixth-place finish in July of 2021 for his best run with the NARC series at the facility.
Other drivers to note are Oakley teenager Dylan Bloomfield who will be making his NARC Ocean debut, as will Hanford’s Gauge Garcia. Tucson, Arizona, native Nick Parker, DJ Netto from Hanford, and Kaleb Montgomery from Templeton will return. Many more competitors are also expected to attend what no doubt will be a thriller of an event!
Fan & Competitor Info
Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds at 2601 E Lake Avenue in Watsonville. The Pit Gates will open at noon on Saturday, Front Gates at 2:30 PM, and Racing kicking off at 5:00.
The NARC 410 Sprint Series is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, they have enthralled countless thousands of fans at tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit their website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.
The Howard Kaeding Classic will NOT be broadcast on Floracing.com
Former Howard Kaeding Classic Winners:
2011- Evan Suggs
2012- Jonathan Allard
2013- Jonathan Allard (2)
2014- Bud Kaeding
2015- Kyle Hirst
2016- Kyle Hirst (2)
2017- Buddy Kofoid
2018- Kyle Hirst (3)
2019- Bud Kaeding (2)
2020- Kyle Hirst (4)
2021- Sean Becker
2022- Justin Sanders
NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER 16 EVENTS IN 21-RACE SERIES – 7/10/23)
- Corey Day, Clovis – 2110
- Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2054
- Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2053
- Justyn Cox, Roseville – 2046
- Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2022
- Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1972
- Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 1903
- Billy Aton, Benicia – 1900
- Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ (R) – 1896
- Tanner Holmes, Central Point, OR – 1483
- Joel Myers Jr., Sebastopol – 1465
- Cole Macedo, Hanford – 1354
- DJ Netto, Hanford – 1321
- Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1238
- Burt Foland Jr. (R) – 1104
- Colby Copeland, Roseville – 1072
- Joey Ancona, Concord (R) – 892
- Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton (R) – 876
- Karl Hoffmans, Australia – 816
- Andy Caruana, Australia – 799
Upcoming Events:
August 26th – Stockton Dirt Track – Champions Classic
September 30th – Kings Speedway (Hanford) – Morrie Williams Twin-20’s Memorial