SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The NARC Fujitsu General 410 Sprint Cars roll right into round two of the season on Saturday, April 9, for the second edition of the Anthony Simone Classic at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway.
The event honors the late Anthony “Mr. Excitement” Simone who sadly passed last year. The winner will be awarded an event purse of $10,000.
As a tip of the cap to Simone, a historically versatile driver, a special NARC non-wing race will take place immediately after the Fujitsu Feature concludes. The wingless event will consist only of drivers who competed in the winged portion and, like last year, the teams will remove the wings and make adjustments in the work area on the front stretch.
A unique format also awaits the drivers, with an emphasis placed on the number 10 — Simone’s car number. There will be five, five-lap heat races lined up based on ARP qualifying times and the top-two finishers of each heat will compete in the Sunnyvalley Bacon Trophy Dash, equaling 10 cars in total.
The top heat race finishers will take part in a pill draw to set the lineup for the dash, with the options of four, six or eight cars. Then, the racers will duke it out open wheel style for 10 laps to determine the first five rows of the 30-lap Fujitsu Feature.
Keller Auto Speedway underwent a minor reconfiguration in the off-season, which may throw a curve ball to the entire pit area as promoter Peter Murphy continues to improve the facility.
Saturday will mark the first of three NARC visits to Hanford.
Following this past weekend’s NARC opener, a part-time driver leads the standings. Roseville’s Colby Copeland holds the lead, courtesy of his Stockton win. However, Copeland doesn’t plan to race this Saturday so he’ll relinquish the top spot.
Looking to take his place will be current runner-up and reigning series champion Dominic Scelzi. The Fresno native opened his championship defense with a second-place run at Stockton, his sixth career podium at the facility. He has won a NARC feature event at Keller Auto Speedway in each of the last two years.
Just two markers behind Scelzi is Tarlton Motorsports pilot Mitchell Faccinto. He picked up his 12th career series podium in his maiden NARC voyage aboard the No. 21 as he began the pursuit of his first championship.
Among other confirmed full-time drivers, Willie Croft sits fifth in points, Tim Kaeding is seventh and Bud Kaeding is ninth.
This weekend is a home game for brothers Mitchell and Michael Faccinto who hail from Hanford. Two of Mitchell’s three career NARC wins have come at Keller Auto Speedway, while Michael picked up a USAC Western States Midget victory at Hanford last year. Michael’s first two career NARC feature starts came at the three-eighth mile track, including his debut for his current ride last season, the Mike Phulps No. 56.
“Getting an early season win at Hanford for the Simone would be huge for this team (Tarlton Motorsports),” Mitchell Faccinto said. “With the different track layout, we were able to at least get one night on it before we start points racing which will help. Even though we struggled a little during the World of Outlaws (California) swing, I have full confidence that we should be contending for wins the rest of the year.”
“We got the notes from last year, and we have a couple races under our belts now,” Michael Faccinto said. “A top-five run with the stout NARC field that is following the series this year would be a good run for our team.”
Entering the event as the defending Anthony Simone Classic winner is Fremont’s Shane Golobic, after he took home the $10,000 check last year. The Matt Wood Racing pilot has also podiumed in five of his last six NARC feature starts at Hanford.
Keller Auto Speedway is tied for the second winningest track on Tim Kaeding’s extensive NARC resumé. Nine of TK’s 71 career feature wins have come in Hanford. While the San Jose driver hasn’t visited victory lane there since 2013, he has finished fourth or better in seven of his last nine series starts.
Campbell native Bud Kaeding has chalked up four series victories in Hanford. In fact, three of his first four NARC wins came at Keller Auto Speedway. Kaeding hasn’t visited NARC victory lane there since 2012.
A driver still seeking his first Keller Auto Speedway triumph is 11-time NARC feature winner Justin Sanders. Though the Aromas racer is still in search of that inaugural victory, he’s been remarkably consistent in Hanford with three top-fives in four series starts last year.
One of Joel Myers Jr.’s two NARC top-fives from 2021 came at Keller Auto Speedway in the Simone, and he’s hoping for a similarly strong effort to bounce back from a tough opening run at Stockton with Vertullo Motorsports.
Also expected to compete are D.J. Netto, Billy Aton, Logan Forler, Tanner and Blake Carrick, Tanner Holmes and Colby Thornhill.