STOCKTON, Calif. — After a few weeks delay, sprint car fans will get a chance to converge towards the Stockton Dirt Track for the first race of the NARC 410 Sprint Series presented by Napa Auto Parts season on April 1.
The three-eighths-mile San Joaquin County Fairground speed factory will have the series be a part of their coveted Asparagus Cup weekend for the second straight year and third consecutive season the tour has opened at the facility. Colby Copeland won last year’s Asparagus Cup.
“I’m very excited for the return of the NARC 410 Sprint Series here for the Asparagus Cup,” commented Tony Noceti, promoter of the Stockton Dirt Track. “It should be a great show, and the weather should be just fine.”
The NARC 410 Sprint Series began visiting the Stockton Dirt Track in 2013. Thirteen drivers have tamed the field in the previous 23 visits, with Dominic Scelzi having the most success with three wins. Eight drivers have amassed two victories, while only four are one-time winners.
“We are extremely grateful that mother nature has finally given us the opportunity to go sprint car racing,” said NARC 410 Sprint Series General Manager Jim Allen, making reference to the originally scheduled March 18 show in Chico that was rained out. “Teams are anxious to go racing again and the Stockton Dirt Track is an extremely fast venue ready to make that happen.”
Also joining the program will be the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Series, and the Legends of the Kearney Bowl.
Who to Watch
• Two-time defending NARC 410 Sprint Series champion Scelzi will hope to win the Asparagus Cup for the first time in his illustrious career. The Fresno phenom was second in the event last year. However, he won in the series debut at the track on August 3, 2013, and a triumph on June 13, 2015, while his most recent trip to victory lane was on August 28, 2021.
• Corey Day will be one to watch when the NARC 410 Series rolls into town. The teenager won the November date in 2021 at SDT and was among his six wins with the tour in the last few seasons. Day has two career series top-10 performances in three starts at the Asparagus Capital of America.
• Justin Sanders already has victories to his credit this offseason. Sanders managed to best the fields at Brisbane, Queensland’s Archerfield Speedway, and Eastern Creek Speedway in New South Wales over in Australia.
He has also won to 360 sprint car races already this year. Two of his 13 total tour triumphs have come at Stockton, achieved in 2020 and last November. His eight starts at the track had resulted in four top-10 finishes, including last year when he was sixth at the Asparagus Cup on April 2 and won the Tribute To Gary Patterson, which marked his third top five.
In addition, Sanders achieved touring victories with NARC at the Stockton Dirt Track and Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway last season.
• Shane Golobic is another driver returning to California’s Sunrise Seaport. The Fremont flyer has two wins, eight top fives, and 14 top-10s in 16 starts at the facility. Last year Golobic never finished outside the top five when the checkered flag dropped and included a runner-up result on July 23.
In 2022, Golobic claimed his 14th career NARC 410 Sprint Series win when he beat the competition at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield last October.
• Third-place in series points last year, Bud Kaeding has won twice at Stockton. Representing Campbell, Kaeding has started 21 events at the three-eighths-mile oval and has been among the top-10 on 16 occasions, including wins in 2016 and 2019. Also, since 2001, the 2017 series champion has taken the green flag in 255 NARC 410 Sprint Series events, posted 202 top-10s and 121 top fives, and amassed 20 wins. He was third in the main event last year on the July 23 visit.
Also in attendance will be last season’s rookie of the year Max Mittry, teenager Dylan Bloomfield, Billy Aton, Joel Myers Jr. and more.