STOCKTON, Calif. — The wait will soon be over as the highly anticipated reshaped Stockton Dirt Track is set to host the 900-plus horsepower speed machines of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series.
The April 6 show will feature the West Coast’s top teams as they negotiate a new quarter-mile clay oval at the Asparagus Cup.
“Sprint car teams have been asking for a reconfiguration of our track to promote even better open-wheel racing,” explained promoter Tony Noceti. “We worked hard over the winter to meet that demand, and I’m proud of what we have created at the Stockton Dirt Track.
“Race fans are going to be treated to an exciting bullring of sprint car racing action on our new quarter-mile oval.”
With the newly configured track, all of the traveling teams will have to start from scratch, negating years of research and volumes of track notes on car setups. That makes the Asparagus Cup a wide-open affair with no team having a distinct advantage.
This marks the second round of the Northern Auto Racing Club’s 65th-anniversary series. The series has already experienced two rainouts this spring. The companion division for the evening is the Sprint Car Challenge Tour 360 Sprints.
Who to Watch
Colby Copeland will make his season debut with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series on Saturday, driving the Larry Antaya-owned No. 16A entry. Copeland is the defending winner of the Asparagus Cup, claiming top honors in April of 2022. The 2023 event was rained out.
“I know there’s a little different shape of a track, but we are hoping to get dialed in be at the front,” commented Copeland, who hopes to continue the Asparagus Cup success. “It should be interesting, but the thing is that everyone will start on the same track and no one will have an advantage on anyone else.
“It would be good to win again. The No. 16A car was fast at the Mini Gold Cup with (Ryan) Robinson and should be fast at Stockton.”
2019 NARC champion D.J. Netto has visited the trademark winner’s circle twice at Stockton in NARC action. Both were Salute to LeRoy Van Conett events, and his most recent Stockton victory was in July of 2022.
Cole Macedo is the lone winner on the current NARC circuit, having earned $10,000 at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Mini Gold Cup. The Lemoore driver, aboard the famed Tarlton Motorsports No. 21, is looking to capture his first Stockton victory. His best 410 finish was a 14th-place effort in November 2018 at the Tribute to Gary Patterson.
Justin Sanders is no slouch at Stockton, as he had an incredible performance at the 2022 Tribute to GP to close out the NARC season with a victory. Behind the wheel of the Mittry Motorsports No. 2X, the Aromas driver is looking to open up his 2024 winning account on Saturday night.