AUBURN, Calif. – It’s been a busy offseason for the Northern Auto Racing Club and many New Year’s resolutions are bound to become reality this year.
That means more races with one of the more aggressive, big-show filled schedules in recent memory. The 27-event campaign is set to hit 15 different facilities, including five which in Oregon and Washington.
NARC set forth a plan to align more rules with national sanctioning bodies while offering higher purses and a steadier schedule.
The Stockton Dirt Track bookends the schedule April 2 with the $6,000-to-win Duel at the Dirt Track and the Nov. 5 39th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson.
A welcome addition to the schedule is the Oct. 15 $8,300-to-win Dennis Roth Classic respecting car owner Dennis Roth, whose contributions to sprint car racing are matched only by few. The David Tarter Memorial in Chico is back as a 410 sprint car race on April 30 and the second annual winged and non-wing Anthony Simone Classic will cash out at $10,000 winner’s share.
The following is a rundown of other noteworthy offseason highlights for the new season ahead:
Rule Changes
NARC has changed the existing tire rule to the Hoosier H-series tire package, following the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series rulebook. This is a move that had been on the Hoosier table for a few years, and this year the timing was right.
However, tire shortages made it an easy transition from the HTW tires. Teams have until June 1 to use any existing HTW inventory before the H15 and H12 tire package becomes mandatory.
This will allow for an easy tire and wheel conversion for local teams when the Outlaws come to town. Teams can begin running the tires at the season opener at its desire.
All the other winged sprint car sanctioning bodies and tracks in California have adopted the same rule.
Additionally, a handful of tracks will require flat-top wings at tracks as opposed to dish wings — similar to the specific muffler rule — after June 1. NARC will make flat-top wings mandatory next year, since wearing out wings is harder than burning off tires.
Musical Chairs
David Vertullo, who has a great reputation for providing top young talent — a la Kyle Larson — has partnered with 15-year-old driver Joel Myers Jr. this year.
Mitchell Faccinto is now the man in black in the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 sprint car. With longtime Tarlton crew chief Paul Baines moving up the road to the Roth Motorsports team, Mitchell will have brother-in-law Drew Warner turning the wrenches.
That means D.J. Netto is looking for a crew chief. Sean Becker and Chase Johnson are looking for 410 rides, too, and Stan Greenberg has an open seat No. 37 sprint car.
Fastest Four Days In Motorsports – Pacific Northwest Addition
This four-day blast for May 26-29 was three years in the making. It was originally planned for the 2020 season, but the COVID-19 pandemic, like the remainder of the world, postponed the event.
This adventure features $5,000-to-win shows at Southern Oregon Speedway on May 26, Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. on May 27 and a pair at Bert Johnson’s Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., on May 28-29).
The first 15 NARC teams from California to officially commit to the Fastest Four Days In Motorsports will be paid $1,000 in travel money with a shot to win $2,500 for the four-day road trip.
D.J. Netto, Willie Croft, Bud Kaeding, Mitchell Faccinto, Billy Aton, Joel Myers Jr. and Mike Phulps are among those committed.
50th Annual Jim Raper Dirt Cup
Car owner Kevin Rudeen and car owner Mike Anderson purchased the Washington’s Skagit Speedway from Steve Beitler and added Hanford’s Peter Murphy to the promotional team.
On June 23-25, the track’s Dirt Cup are King of the West championship point races with a $50,000 payday Jim Raper Dirt Cup winner.
To help support the Dirt Cup event, the new Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson and Colby Copeland — the new promoters of California’s Silver Dollar Speedway — booked a Friday, June 17 Road to the Dirt Cup event.
Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon follows that up with a Battle at the Bullring on Saturday, June 18. Those are also NARC-sanctioned events.
Other Notes
– When not dodging rainstorms this winter, Rick Faeth has been busy with improvements at Petaluma Speedway. This includes reshaping the three-eighths-mile oval and making changes that will improve competitor safety.
– The Louie Vermeil Classic is still looking for a temporary place to call home. According to the official NARC calendar, the two-day NARC/USAC-CRA extravaganza is slated for Sept. 3-4 with a TBA location.
There are no plans for a Vermeil Classic sequel in Chico. Calistoga Speedway and the Napa County Fairgrounds, meanwhile, are still stuck in non-operational bureaucracy limbo.
– Open wheel racing lost two of its icons in December with the passing of promoter John Padjen and car owner Clyde Lamar.
Their exploits were legendary and helped shape sprint car racing in California.
– MyRacePass.com will be the official scoring software for NARC this season.
– Fujitsu General is back as the title sponsor of the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car Series.