On Saturday, November 2 all roads for the NARC King of the West championship lead 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.

NARC 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. 

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 No. 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 No. 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 No. 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 6. Scelzi has historically excelled at the old track, winning three times during his career. 

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 No. 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

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

NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS

(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 NARC Events

November 3 – Brookside County Club (Stockton) – Championship Celebration Awards Banquet