(10/28/24 – Ben Deatherage) Stockton, California … On Saturday, November 2nd, all roads for the NARC King of the West championship led to the 41st Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson at the Stockton Dirt Track. This highly anticipated event, marking the end of the 65th Anniversary season for the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series, is the last chance for fans to witness the awe-inspiring, fire breathing, 900+ horsepower machines that define the series.
“We are always proud to host the NARC and SCCT sprint cars at the season finale,” said promoter Tony Noceti. “Not only are they bringing the best open wheel racing on the west coast, but their championships will be decided at the Stockton Dirt Track.”
The Tribute to Gary Patterson is not just an event, it’s a cornerstone tradition of the NARC 410 Sprint Series. Gary Patterson, one of the original ‘true Outlaws,’ left an indelible mark on the sport, winning the Gold Cup at West Capital Speedway and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot, both in 1977 and Skagit Speedway’s storied Super Dirt Cup in 1973. His legacy lives on through this event, which honors his memory and contributions to sprint car racing.
Since 1984, there has been a Tribute To GP, which began at Calistoga until 2007. Silver Dollar Speedway was honored to have the race from 2008 to 2012. The Stockton Dirt Track has been the home of the event since 2013 and, from 2017 to the present, has been the championship event for the NARC 410 Sprint Series. Steve Kent and Brent Kaeding have the most wins in the event, with four each.
Roseville’s Justyn Cox who drives for the Bates-Hamilton Racing Team is one of many teams looking to get in victory lane.
“I love Stockton, it’s close to home. It’s kind of a home track for me, and Tony Noceti works hard, and he is doing his best to make it a great racetrack. I appreciate that we have a promoter that’s willing to stick his neck out there like he does.”
The companion division for the night will be the Sprint Car Challenge Tour 360 sprint cars and the Legends of Kearny Bowl.
Championship Chase
The battle for the King of the West championship has been nothing short of intense, with Justin Sanders and Cole Macedo locked in a nail-biting fight for the top spot throughout the season. The thrill of this competition is going to keep everyone on edge as a mere three points separate the two. That is the difference between winning and second place.
Both drivers have won at the newly configured 1/4-mile clay oval on the two previous trips this season. Macedo won the Asparagus Cup in April, while Sanders was victorious at the Salute to LeRoy Van Connett in May.
Driving the Mittry Motorsports #2X machine, Sanders, from Aromas, CA, won the Tribute to GP in 2022. He’s accumulated three wins in 11 career NARC starts at Stockton.
Macedo, representing Lemoore, aboard the Tarlton Motorsports #21 entry, has yet to finish outside the top five in NARC action since the track was reshaped last winter, with his worst performance being a fifth in May.
Sanders occupied the podium twice in the doubleheader last weekend, with a second at Kern County Raceway and a third at the Anthony Simone Classic in Hanford. Macedo was involved in a hard crash at Kern that forced him to bow out early and surrender the point lead only to rebound spectacularly by winning the Simone at Kings Speedway.
Who To Watch
2017 NARC champion Bud Kaeding wants to reenter Stockton’s legendary winner’s circle. The Campbell chauffeur has posted consistent results with sixth and seventh-place efforts on the smaller variety of the track. His most recent NARC win was at Stockton in August of 2019.
Dylan Bloomfield hopes to grab his first-ever NARC victory for his car owners, Dave and Debbie Vertullo. The Oakley teenager was ninth in his last series appearance at “The Van Connett” in May.
Shane Golobic has won twice on the old 3/8-mile of Stockton and hopes to add a “New Stockton Dirt Track” win to his impressive resume. The Fremont pilot of the Matt Wood Racing #17W has also won the Tribute to GP twice when he was triumphant in 2014 and 2019.
Justyn Cox is happy to be back doing what he loves: racing Sprint Cars. Coming back from injury last weekend. The Roseville driver is hoping to deliver a strong finish after showing a lot of speed in the previous two trips to the track this year. The driver-team combination already has hit pay dirt this season with a victory at Oregon’s Cottage Grove Speedway during the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports.
For Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, this will be the first time he’s been to the new Stockton with NARC. The two-time NARC champ did log some laps when the World of Outlaws were in town on September 6th. Scelzi has historically excelled at the old track, winning three times and has been consistently quick the last few weeks with the tour.
Tim Kaeding has been a major storyline in 2024 with NARC, as he’s shown he still possesses his jungle-cat quickness. The two-time series champion, hailing from San Jose, has cracked off a couple of wins in the last few shows with the Williams Motorsports #0 team. “TK” won the Tribute to GP in eight-year increments, 2008 and 2016. Will that trend continue?
Not only is a series championship on the line but so is the title of Rookie of the Year. Easton’s Caeden Steele leads the charge of the trio of youngsters battling in the NARC top ten. He was eighth at the Asparagus Cup in April.
Fellow Rookies, Gauge Garcia from Lemoore and Clovis’ Dominic Gorden will try their best to end the season on a solid note. In the Keller Motorsports #2K car, Garica has tenth and 11th place finishes at Stockton to his credit. Gorden was eighth the last time NARC was at Stockton, and it kicked off a positive trend of strong results for the young man.
D.J. Netto of Hanford is another driver who has enjoyed a lot of success on the old configuration, with wins in 2021 and 2022, but is looking to score a win on the new one. The 2019 NARC champion was 16th at the Asparagus Cup in his only appearance at the track.
In April, Nick Parker had a special moment when he managed to record his first career NARC top five. Finishing fifth at the Asparagus Cup, the Arizona transplant now residing in Chico is hopeful that another successful outing is in the cards.
Journeying from Benicia, Billy Aton has some unfinished business at Stockton. Leading most of the first half of the Salute to LeRoy Van Connett, his engine stalled and caused a crash when it looked like another victory was in his grasp. Can he get on top of the podium to close out 2024? You will have to be there to find out.
Fan & Competitor Info
There will be a NARC champions autograph session taking place in front of the grandstands between 3:00 and 5:00.
The Stockton Dirt Track is located at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton, California. Tickets are $30.00 for adults, $25.00 for Seniors (65+)/Military (with Valid ID)/Juniors (12-17), Kids (5-11) are $10.00, while fans 4 or younger are FREE. Please note there is a $10.00 CASH ONLY parking fee.
Pit Gates will open at 3:00, Front Gates at 5:00, and Opening Ceremonies will kick off around 6:00, followed by racing. Additional information can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.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.
All NARC racing events are live-streamed on Floracing.com
Former Tribute to Gary Patterson Winners
1984- Chuck Gurney
1985- Brent Kaeding
1986- Tim Green
1987- Jimmy Sills
1988- Jeff Swindell
1989- Jason McMillen
1990- Jimmy Sills
1991- Tim Green
1992- Tim Green
1993- Randy Tiner
1994- Brent Kaeding
1995- Paul McMahan
1996- Steve Kent
1997- Randy Tiner
1998- Randy Hannagan
1999- Brent Kaeding
2000- Steve Kent
2001- Brent Kaeding
2002- Jason Meyers
2003- Dennis Moore Jr.
2004- Sparky Howard
2005- Steve Kent
2006- Steve Kent
2007- Jonathan Allard
2008- Tim Kaeding
2009- Kyle Hirst
2010- Zack Zimmerly
2011- Peter Murphy
2012- Rico Abreu
2013- Rico Abreu
2014 – Shane Golobic
2015- Jonathan Allard
2016- Tim Kaeding
2017- Cory Eliason
2018- Rico Abreu
2019- Shane Golobic
2021- Corey Day
2022- Justin Sanders
2023- Buddy Kofoid
(AFTER 22 EVENTS IN 23-RACE SERIES – 10/28/24)
- Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2865
- Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 2862
- Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2772
- Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 2760
- Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 2751
- Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 2718
- Nick Parker, Chico – 2676
- Dominic Gorden, Clovis (R) – 2586
- Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 2518
- Billy Aton, Benicia – 2226
- Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 1972
- Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 1944
- Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 1878
- DJ Netto, Hanford – 1607
- Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1607
- John Clark, Windsor (R)- 1439
- Sean Becker, Roseville – 1346
- Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1320
- Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 1304
- Burt Foland Jr., San Jose – 1283
Upcoming Events:
November 3rd – Brookside County Club (Stockton) – Championship Celebration Awards Banquet
