TULARE’S CHRIS & BRIAN FARIA MEMORIAL NEXT FOR NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES

(4/29/24 – Ben Deatherage) Tulare, California …The 900+ horsepower fire-breathing cars and stars of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series are thrilled to return to Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday, May 4th, for the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial! The 1/3-mile clay oval action track in Tulare is renowned for its breathtaking action, lightning-quick speed, and edge-of-your-seat racing.

“We’re really excited to get back to Tulare,” said Chico’s Nick Parker, who is off to a hot start and enters the weekend fifth in the championship standings. “It’s a track we’ve been okay at and struggled at sometimes, but I’m feeling really confident from some of our recent runs and that we continue to build off of our good finishes.”

The Faria Memorial marks the third round of the 65th Anniversary season for the Northern Auto Racing Club. It is the third different venue the popular series has visited in 2024.  The schedule has also endured three rain-outs.

The race is run in memory of two members of the storied Faria family. Chris unfortunately passed away in a farming accident in 1993, and Brian was tragically killed in an automobile crash in early 2006. This will be the first time since 2021 that NARC has been a part of the Faria Memorial.  The companion division for the evening is the Kings of Thunder 360 Sprints.

Championship Chase

Despite still being in the early stages of the quest to become the King of the West, this Saturday kicks off a busy portion of the calendar as it will significantly indicate who will become the frontrunners for the prestigious championship title. It kicks off the meat of the schedule with 16-races in the next 11-weeks.

Cole Macedo will lead the points table entering the Faria Memorial and is batting one-hundred-percent in the win column with NARC by taking care of business at both the Mini Gold Cup and the Asparagus Cup. After spending the last few weeks in the Midwest, the Lemoore racer, in the Tarlton Motorsports #21, recently posted an impressive fifth-place result at West Memphis, Arkansas’ Riverside International Speedway on April 23rd with the High Limit Series and was fourth against the World of Outlaws on April 29th at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky.

Tanner Carrick, from Lincoln, is the current runner-up in the championship race and trails Macedo by a mere twelve markers. Carrick has posted two Top 10 results in two NARC feature starts and was on the podium with a third-place finish at the new Stockton Dirt Track back in April.

Caeden Steele is the pacesetter in the Class of 2024 rookie race as he sits third in the standings. The Easton driver wowed the crowd at Chico when he was third at the drop of the checkered and is a star on the rise in the Golden State.

2017 champion Bud Kaeding is currently fourth in points and has yet to finish outside of the Top 10 with the series, including a season-best fifth at the Mini Gold Cup. The Campbell chauffeur has managed to score three victories at Tulare over the years when NARC has come to town, with his most recent trip to Thunderbowl victory lane on April 21st, 2018, during the Spring Nationals.

Parker, originally from Tucson, Arizona, has shown moments of brilliance with NARC this year. The 2023 Rookie of the Year scored his first career NARC Top 5 at the Asparagus Cup. After finishing fifth at Stockton, the team is hungry to build on their April performance.

Who to Watch

Justin Sanders hopes to return to his winning ways for the Mittry Motorsports #2X team. The driver from the coastal city of Aromas was third the last time NARC was in Tulare during the Dennis Roth Classic last April. It is one of the few tracks on the schedule that Sanders has yet to win at with the tour, but that stat could easily change.

2021 and 2022 NARC champion Dominic Scelzi is excited to race with NARC for the first time in 2024. After spending the spring months on the East Coast and the Midwest, the Fresno wheelman has a trio of trips to the top of the Tulare podium, with his latest victory coming on May 13th, 2022, on the first night of the Peter Murphy Classic. Scelzi is the most recent victor of the Faria when he hit pay dirt in July of 2021.

Roseville runner Justyn Cox can’t wait to get back to the Thunderbowl. Last year, He captured the $18,383. payday at the Dennis Roth Classic for the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X team, his first career NARC triumph.

Several other Central Valley contenders are expected to be in the house. They include 2019 NARC champ D.J. Netto from Hanford, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia returning behind the wheel of the Keller Motorsports #2K, Dominic Gorden of Clovis, and Tipton driver Dawson Faria. Netto won this event in 2015.

Other NARC 410 Series regulars in action will include Oakley pilot Dylan Bloomfield in the Vertullo #83V, Billy Aton from Benicia, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Chico pilot Michael Ing, and Jarrett Soares of Gilroy.

Also expected to be in action are Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Templeton native Kaleb Montgomery, and Ashlyn Rodriguez from Wilton.

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) $15.00, and 4 and Under are FREE.

Pit Gates open at 1:30 p.m.  Front Gates open at 4:00 PM.  Qualifying gets underway around 6:00 p.m.

Additional information can be found at www.thunderbowlraceway.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 Chris & Brian Faria Memorial at Thunderbowl Raceway, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race, can be viewed live on Floracing.com.

Former Chris & Brian Faria Memorial Winners:
2002- Jason Meyers
2003- Jonathan Allard
2004- Brent Kaeding
2005- Jason Statler
2006- Stephen Allard
2007- Brent Kaeding
2008- Tyler Walker
2009- Tyler Walker
2010- Kyle Larson
2011- Tim Kaeding
2012- Rico Abreu
2013- Jason Meyers
2014- Kyle Hirst
2015- D.J. Netto
2016- Willie Croft
2017- Kyle Hirst
2018- Kyle Hirst
2021- Dominic Scelzi

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Diversified Machine Inc., Jim Allen Promotions, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.